Arendal
Municipality · Agder
About Arendal
Tyholmen's old wooden quarter, boat trips to Merdø island in Raet National Park and the Arendalsuka political festival in August.
What to do and where to stay in Arendal
Places to stay are run locally, with no hotel or campsite chain behind them.
1Tyholmen and Arendal's old town hallHistory & culture
Arendal's old quarter of cobbled lanes and sailing-ship-era timber houses, with the town hall of 1812–15, Norway's tallest Empire-style wooden building.
Tyholmen, by Pollen inner harbour, Arendal centre · 45–90 min · all year (outside); town hall only on booked visits
2Glassheisen to FløyheiaViewpoint
A free public lift from a tunnel off Torvet rises about 40 m through rock and then up a 20 m glass shaft to Fløyheia, with a view over Galtesund, Hisøy and Tromøy.
Entrance about 50 m inside the city tunnel from Torvet, Arendal centre · 20–45 min · all year; free 06–22
3Merdø and Merdøgaard museum (Raet National Park)History & culture
A car-free island 20 minutes by ferry from Pollen, once an outport with customs and pilots; the skipper's house of 1736 keeps its furnishings from around 1800.
Merdø island, Arendal archipelago · half a day with ferry · ferry every half hour in summer; museum daily in summer, guided tours only
4Hove–Spornes–Botne loop, TromøyHike
A 12.5 km near-flat loop on Tromøy along the ice-age Ra moraine in Raet National Park, past pebble beaches, nearly 50 burial mounds and views to the Torungen lighthouses.
Southern Tromøy; start at Tromøy church or Hove leir · 4 h (12.5 km loop); shorter loops possible · all year
5Hove beaches, TromøySwim
Shallow sand beaches and smooth rocks inside Raet National Park, with one beach adapted for reduced mobility, a summer café and kiosk.
Hove, southwest Tromøy · 1–3 h · summer for swimming; walks all year
6KUBEN (Aust-Agder museum and archive)History & culture
The county's cultural-history museum and archive, with permanent and changing exhibitions on Arendal and Agder and a free treasure hunt for children.
Parkveien 16, Arendal · 1–1.5 h · all year, closed Mondays outside summer
7Klöckers Hus and its bottle-ship collectionLocal oddity
The 1820s home of customs inspector von Kløcker with 1700s–1800s interiors, plus over 600 ships in bottles by Kjell Birkeland, billed as the world's largest.
Nedre Tyholmsvei 14, Tyholmen, Arendal · 30–45 min · Tue–Thu 11–15, Sat 11–14; closed for winter from week 46 (undated listing – check)
8Bomuldsfabriken KunsthallHistory & culture
The region's largest contemporary art venue, in a textile factory from 1898 beside Langsævannet lake, with free entry.
Oddenveien 5, between E18 and Arendal centre · 1 h · all year, Tue–Sun 12–16 (Thu to 18 in exhibition periods)
9Kunstarena Torbjørnsbu gruver (Torbjørnsbu mines)Local oddity
Old iron mines, for centuries among Norway's most important and later used as a dump, now an art site with a walkway into the pit and Bård Breivik's sculpture The Beast.
Oddenveien 5, by Bomuldsfabriken, Arendal · 30–45 min · check – no hours listed
10Raet National Park visitor centre (at Vitensenteret Sørlandet)Nature
The national park's authorised visitor centre, sharing a building with the science centre, with a 2024 exhibition on the sea life and ice-age geology of Raet.
Vitensenteret Sørlandet, Arendal · 45 min–1 h · all year; check hours with Vitensenteret