Wooden house towns

It's a delightful, sunny morning in Risør. That's an almost clichéd description of Norwegian summer in one of the many picturesque wooden house towns of Southern Norway.

We stroll around in the charming, narrow streets, surrounded by white-painted, wooden houses and small picket fences covered by blooming flowers, while catching an occasional glimpse of the sea.

Flower shops, niche boutiques and restaurants lie side by side. It's almost like stepping out of a time machine. Even the people seem to be as calm as the sea breeze. The only noise comes from seagulls screeching and a small boat puttering by.

We take a break at the local bakery to have a cup of coffee and ice cream in the sun, while enjoying a little people watching.

This relaxed pace is exactly what it's like to vacation in the small towns of Southern Norway. They look quite similar, but each has its very own distinct charm, highlights and history.

The Kunstsilo art centre in Kristiansand. Photo: Fredrik Ahlsen/Visitnorway.com

A hidden gem

Southern Norway is known for being one of Norway's leading destinations for the whole family, with lots of popular attractions, like the Dyreparken Zoo and Amusement Park in Kristiansand. But this part of the country is also a perfect escape for adults and a gem for seasoned travels who like culture and great food.

Apart from the sleepy, cosy towns themselves, attractions include the spectacular new Kunstsilo art centre and Kilden performing arts centre in Kristiansand. You are also close to a world-class dining experience under water, at the spectacular restaurant Under.

The towns offer local art, culture, niche shopping, rural luxury, and archipelago charm. In summer, the beautiful swimming spots and numerous pier restaurants, perfect for enjoying seafood with marina views, are a must.

But how did these towns get their characteristic look? Let's step back in time for a moment.

Jump directly to a city or scroll down for more inspiration!

(PS: join us for two bonus getaways: archipelago idyll in Lyngør and rural luxury at Boen Gård) ✨

The ultimate route

Wooden house towns from Kragerø to Kristiansand

Even though the towns have the same flavour, they are all unique in their own way. If you have a couple of days, we recommend spending time exploring several of them. They are very walkable and the town centres are small and cosy.

Join us through the small, white-painted towns along the Southern Norway coast!

"The crown jewel of the coastal towns"

Even though Kragerø is located just outside Agder County, and therefore not strictly within the area called Sørlandet, it is still considered as a "wooden house town of Southern Norway", and the first town on our list. 

The city can thank iconic Norwegian painter, Edvard Munch, for its nickname "The crown jewel of the coastal towns". He coined it while living at Skrubben in Kragerø, from 1909 to 1915, a time during which he experienced one of his most intensely creative periods.

Kragerø is still known for its many charming art galleries and niche shops. Buy an ice cream at the marina and stroll around the narrow streets that wind through the heart of the town. A ferry crosses daily to the island of Jomfruland, home to a national park and a summer café, gallery, and a lighthouse you can visit. Perfect for a day out!

"The Book Town"

Tvedestrand lies just a 30-minute drive south of Risør. A long and narrow main street winds from the top of the hill to the seafront, where you will find cosy restaurants and a venerable hotel. Tvedestrand (strand means beach, the name means 'beach belonging to the Tveite farm') was originally just a small beach area. But trade grew from 1750 when Næs Ironworks began using the area as a shipping port.

If you are a bookworm, you should definitely pay a visit to Tvedestrand. In 2003, the town became one of the world's book towns and is already the largest one in the Nordics. The town is home to some of Norway's leading antique shops and several bookshops, as well as a library and publishing house. It also hosts a wide selection of literary events throughout the year.

In addition to its classic wooden house streets and cosy atmosphere by the archipelago, Tvedestrand boasts Norway's narrowest house, Strykejernet (which also has entrances from the street on three floors), Norways largest outdoor water park in Tjenna, and several galleries and museums.

If you are travelling by car, we recommend driving a bit further outside the town and hopping on one of the "swimming ferries" that takes you out to beautiful beaches on the nearby islands.

"The city with two lighthouses"

Arendal was the leading seafaring city in Norway in the 17th to 19th centuries, with a very good position by the Skagerrak strait. As its nickname reveals, two lighthouses were built there in 1844, located next to each other to help seafarers navigate. It remains one of the biggest towns in the area.

"The city is also known as the 'Venice of the North' as it was built on seven islets and reefs. There were once long channels and ports throughout and the Tyholmen area used to be an islet with a bridge. Today this area is home to the oldest wooden houses, as it survived the worst city fires through the years thanks to being located on the islet," says Christina Sæthre, tourism consultant at the Arendal Tourist Office.

After the last fire, only brick houses were permitted to be built in the city centre. The popularity of brick structures was also a result of inspiration from traders who had been abroad. But some of them still wanted to use the old wood materials.

"When the old town hall (located at Tyholmen) was built, the architect originally wanted to use brick, but the wealthy man who built it said: 'No, I have a lot of wood material, so I want it to be in wood'. After three drafts of the plan they finally agreed, and the walls were built in wood, but painted to look like marble on the inside. This technique was later used in more houses and can be seen on the city tours that are offered in the summer," adds Sæthre.

"The city of poets"

A little further south lies Grimstad. In addition to be a charming white-painted wooden town with narrow streets and picturesque alleyways, it is also known as "the city of poets". Two of Norway's most famous authors from the 19th century, Henrik Ibsen and Knut Hamsun, have lived here and left traces in both the city and their works. TheIbsen Museum in Grimstad is Norway’s oldest of its kind.

You can also do like two of Norway's (and Grimstad's) former best cyclists, Thor Hushovd and Dag Otto Lauritzen, and enjoy a bike ride along the seafront or on one of the many small roads that wind through the beautiful areas around the town. Bring a towel and have a swim on a beach or venture into Raet National Park by ferry. If you like local food, you should definitely pay a visit to the Hesnes Garden Centre and Café, located just a 10-minute ride from the town. Here, you can buy all kinds of wonderful flowers and plants, herbs and vegetables, as well as tasty local food.

The pedestrian streets are home to several small, independent shops and a wide selection of cafés and restaurants. If you love music and culture, check out what's on in Grimstad during your visit, as there are often festivals or concerts taking place.

Lillesand is the next stop on our wooden house journey through the South. Like the other towns we visited, it also features characteristic white houses and charming, narrow lanes. However, unlike many of the other towns, Lillesand has never suffered from a major fire, so most of the houses from the 18th century remain intact.

A must-see is the historic "Lillesand Hotel Norge", which Norwegian Nobel laureate Knut Hamsun often frequented in the 1930s.

A short walk from the hotel lies Lillesand harbour, with several restaurants and a lovely view. Stroll around and browse art galleries, niche shops, and museums.

The Blindleia archipelago, with ports like Gamle Hellesund and Brekkestø, is perfect for a day by the sea. Go sailing, take a boat sightseeing trip, or enjoy a refreshing dip in the water. The little ferry Badebåden ('the swimming boat') takes you from Lillesand to the most beautiful swimming spots on the islands. You can also book a guided kayak trip or hire small row boats at Verven Kystkultursenter. For those with kids, the Kristiansand Zoo and Amusement Park is only a 20-minute drive away, and delivers fun for the whole family.

The last, but not least, of the cities on our journey is Kristiansand. The city was founded in 1641 through a decree issued by Christian IV, and designed as a Renaissance city with a grid street pattern (named Kvadraturen) that still remains and has given the city a unique and organised charm. The decree forced the bishopric from Stavanger and the merchants from Arendal to move to the new city, which continued to steadily grow to the urban centre it is today.

"Today, Kristiansand is Norway's 5th largest city, with a good mix of everything, both culturally and business-wise. The city has expanded physically as well, so there are now bigger distances, and it lies like a horseshoe around the fjord," says Iver Holter-Andersen, Agent for Sales & Marketing at Adventure Guide Southern Norway.

Holter-Andersen works as a tourist guide in Kristiansand, and is very knowledgeable about the city's history.

"A major fire in 1892 destroyed about a third of the city's wooden houses, and the affected area was rebuilt in brick. You can still visit what remains of the old town, called Posebyen, which contains the same kind of low, white-painted wooden houses, but in a more structured form. In this area, you also find the little gem, Posebyhaven. It's an oasis of a courtyard, offering a cosy sourdough bakery, several pop-up cafés, and a bar that hosts intimate concerts in summer," he says.

We know, it's hard to get enough of the cute and cosy wooden towns. But don’t worry, there are plenty more to visit! If you head west from Kristiansand towards Stavanger, you will in fact drive through three more of them.

Learn more about Flekkefjord, Sogndalstrand and Egersund, and consider including them in your holiday plans!

As mentioned, you should also take some time to explore beautiful Kragerø, which is located just north of Risør (about 20 minutes closer to Oslo).