The island Jomfruland

The island of Jomfruland is located on the outskirts of Kragerø's spectacular archipelago.

Jomfruland, the island with unique scenery and an exciting history, is a gem in Kragerø beautiful archipelago. Here you can see farms, beaches and unique cottages that cover the entire island. In the age of the Vikings the island was named Aur, translated to “gravel and coarse sand mixed with pebbles”. And that’s what Jomrfruland is, because the island came up from the sea for 4000 years ago after the last ice age as a moraine and the island bears witness to that history, and so, is part of Gea Norvegica Geopark, the island is an important part of Europe's geology and part of an area with extremely large geological diversity both in national and international context. Since 2016 Jomfruland is a National Park!

The favorable climate and rich vegetation gives Jomfruland a diverse birdlife. There are between 60 and 70 species of birds that nests here. Jomfruland offers a unique nature experience. As an example, every spring, visitors flock to the flat island to experience the incredible blooming of the Wood Anemone (Anemone nemorosa L.) in the magical oak forest. In the magical oak forest you might also find “the count urinal” or one of Theodor Kittelsen trolls? The artist Theodor Kittelsen visited the island and drew lots of inspirations from Jomfruland for his art.

There are two lighthouses located on the centre of Jomfruland (near the pier Tårnbrygga). The oldest lighthouse is made of bricks (approximately 250.000 bricks)  and was lit in 1839. The second lighthouse was built 1939 it was then built in iron. The lighthouse is open to visitors during the summer, and offers beautiful views of Jomfruland and the rest of the Kragerø archipelago.

Be sure to visit one of the three restaurants on Jomfruland, Tårnbrygga Cafe, Haga kystkafe or OKIDOKK at Asvik brygge, for some nice seafood, Italian pizza, a light baguette, ice cream or a refreshing drink and then explore the many art exhibitions in the summer season. Or just relax on the beach at Tårnbrygga which is a perfect beach for all ages.