GRIMSTAD

The city of poets

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The Ibsen museum in Grimstad .
Photo: Hanne Feyling / Visit Sørlandet

Its cobblestone streets, white wooden houses and narrow alleys make Grimstad a cosy town on Norway's southern coast.

The Ibsen museum in Grimstad .
Photo: Hanne Feyling / Visit Sørlandet

The old houses also tell exciting stories about those who have lived here before ...

Grimstad city in Southern Norway .
Photo: Hanne Feyling

... like the famous Norwegian writers Henrik Ibsen and Knut Hamsun.

When Ibsen was 15, he moved here to become an apprentice pharmacist, but by the time he moved from the city, several years later, he had written his first play.

A bust of Henrik Ibsen in Grimstad .
Photo: Hanne Feylin

Dive into Ibsen's years in Grimstad at the Ibsen Museum, Norway's oldest of its kind.

The museum comprises the pharmacy where the famous playwright worked, as well as the room where he wrote his first play.

The Ibsen museum in Grimstad .
Photo: Thina Reppen

Or maybe you want to go for a walk in a poet's footsteps?

Join a guided tour through the city, or go exploring on your own! If you bring your mobile, you can get to know Grimstad's famous poets through the QR codes posted around the city.

Walk in the poets footprints in Grimstad .
Photo: Thina Reppen

You can also tour the area by bike.

In fact, two of Norway's best cyclists of all time, Thor Hushovd and Dag Otto Lauritzen, come from Grimstad.

So, if you are up for a real challenge, you should try one of Thor & Dag Otto’s cycle routes.

Cycling in Grimstad .
Photo: Visit Grimstad

If you are more of a “bike with basket” kind of person, you have plenty of cycling routes to choose from, both along the coast and inland.

You can rent bikes at the tourist information.

Grimstad in summer .
Photo: Visit Grimstad

Cycling in Grimstad .
Photo: Hanne Feyling / Visit Sørlandet

Grimstad can easily be explored on foot as well. Enjoy a stroll along the seafront, admire the beautiful flowers in the Dømmesmoen park (pictured) …

Dømmesmoen park in Grimstad .
Photo: Visit Grimstad

Dømmesmoen park in Grimstad .
Photo: Odd Magne Myhre

… and let your mind wander as you walk along a scenic coastal path in Raet national park, one of Southern Norway’s most popular recreation areas.

Raet national park .
Photo: Visit Grimstad