Lillesand Norway
Norway
Frequently Asked Questions
A few steps from the centre. The ships that call here are small, which suits the place: the scale is that of pedestrians, bicycles and rowboats. The day arranges itself, with no shuttle or transfer.
Because the town belongs to the string of Sorlandet villages where white-painted wood reflects the summer light. Houses, fences, boathouses, all of it. Some homes date from the 1730s and belonged to captains and merchants; many are now listed.
A walk through the old centre, from the white wooden church of 1889 down to the old harbour, then a boat trip into the Blindleia. That is the highlight of the call, and it is not the thing to sacrifice.
A sheltered inner channel winding for kilometres between islets, polished skerries and shoreline cabins. Excursion boats, including the veteran M/S Oya, run it in summer between Lillesand and Kristiansand. Roadless hamlets, bathing houses, families waving from their jetties.
A hamlet on the island of Justoya, reached by bridge, once used as a waiting anchorage by sailing ships held up by bad weather. Tiny lanes, houses huddled around a cove, an almost unreal calm out of season. The detour takes half an hour by taxi or bicycle.
Yes, the Norwegian way: on the svaberg, the smooth rock slabs around town where locals spread their towels the moment the sun appears. The cautious dip their feet; the brave find out why Norwegians insist that 18 degrees swims just fine.
Very good. Children crab from the end of the quays with a line in hand, the way Norwegian children have for generations, and the harbour terraces serve fresh shrimp, ice cream and waffles with sour cream.
The town museum, housed in a merchant's home, telling the story of the age of rigging and cod schooners, when Lillesand shipowners sent timber and sailors to every sea. It is a short visit, in keeping with the town.
No, and nobody minds. No monument demands your attention and no queue forms. Lillesand's luxury lies elsewhere: time slowing down, the smell of sun-warmed wood, water lapping against hulls.
Summer, June through August, when the Blindleia boats run and the harbour is at its busiest. The currency is the Norwegian krone (NOK) and cards work everywhere, right down to the waffle counter on the quay.
