Things to see and do Sørlandet

This is the farm of Knut Hamsun, winner of the Nobel Prize for Literature following the publication of his book The Awakening of the Glebe. Like the main character in his book, he ran the farm for many years. Closed to the public, in an article published in 1910, the author accused tourism of "making the people servile, rotting the healthy life of the countryside and diverting the farmers from traditional values by making them forget their duty, which is to clear new land, replant the forest and colonize the virgin spaces of the Far North".

It is a farm court of the th century. In summer there are demonstrations of goldsmith and sales of popular crafts. You can also see art exhibitions and the largest Hardanger violins collection in the country. Concert hall, concert shows and folk dances. Café, with traditional dishes on the menu.

Mineral collections from all over the world. The 175 m of the mine galleries houses one of the most beautiful collections of crystals from Norway. Antique jewellery objects for sale at the shop. Exhibitions of ad hoc art. Large adjoining stone park and some old buildings.

The museum tells the story of electricity from 1901 to the present.

The town museum is located in the oldest house in Flekkefjord, which dates from 1724. It tells us all about the way of life at that time by organising temporary exhibitions on historical themes. A very interesting museum that promises a nice visit with family or friends. A small shop in the summer and above all, many different workshops, particularly suitable for children, such as the construction of wooden and cardboard houses for birds, the manufacture of small plaster moulds and painting afterwards. Great!

This red and white lighthouse, which represents the southernmost point of Norway, is also the oldest lighthouse in the country, built in 1916. The first lantern was built on this site in 1656! Has always, Lindesnes Fyr guided the boats through the shelves and the reefs that cover this dangerous coast. The view from the top of this lighthouse, stowed on a large rock constantly beaten by the swell, is very beautiful, perhaps more impressive still in bad weather. Here a gift shop and public toilets are found.

2 km to the west is Furulunden, a small pine-covered point with many easy trails for all levels of walkers. You can even take them with a baby stroller (if you have good wheels!). This is the place where all the inhabitants of Mandal go for their jogging and Sunday walk. To the left in the distance is Mandal's lovely beach, Sjøsanden, a well-protected cove of fine sand. A large rock with a small house clinging to it stands out in the distance. A nice place, that's for sure!

A pretty little house where to find the history of the village, the ancestors, the valiant fishermen and the brave peasants of the current inhabitants.

This manor house was built in English style in 1901 for the Scottish Lord Salvesen. The buildings that make up the property are surrounded by extensive parkland with a rare collection of rhododendrons and artworks. In summer, there is a café and a beautiful sandy beach. It is also a popular venue for weddings and other celebrations. The temporary exhibitions of Norwegian artists are often of very good quality, such as the paintings of Marit Grini orLisbeth Skranes. See program on the web or on site in summer.

In the museum's garden a bronze statue depicts the Viking Egil Skallgrimson challenging the king with a horse's head on a pole. The statue was cast from a plaster cast from the Gustav Vigeland Museum in Oslo. Andorsengården is a former shipowner's house with large masterpieces such as Adolph Tidemand's The Hugenots and paintings by Olaf Isaachsen. It also houses the largest collection of paintings by Amaldus Nielsen and the city's library.

Dating from 1827, the main building, in the Empire style, has fully furnished bourgeois apartments of the period. The other buildings include a brewery, small boat building workshops, a sail making workshop, a smithy and a stable. In this museum you can see, among other things, historical tools that give a good idea of what a maritime town was like in the past. There is also a small souvenir shop in an annex with handicrafts.

The museum is housed in a white wooden house, which once belonged to Ibsen. It is the largest collection of memorabilia and personal items belonging to Henrik Ibsen. It was while working as a pharmacist's apprentice (in the adjacent pharmacy that has been reconstructed for the museum) that he wrote his first poems and plays here. A place steeped in history, and this can be felt in the atmosphere of this place, which opened in 1916, only ten years after his death!

Located in the former Naes Jernverks Iron Work, which operated from 1650 to 1959, this life-size eco-museum recreates the working environment of the former industrial site, with buildings, machinery and equipment dating back to the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries. Period films in English show the various stages of iron and steel production as they were carried out. The museum was also a center for other activities, such as the manufacture of horseshoes. A guided tour is organized in and around the museum.

Skien Fritidspark is an amusement park that is the pride of the city. The municipality has invested 440 million kroner in its facilities for schools, the local population and tourists. The complex now includes: a winter ice rink, an artificial turf field, tennis courts, a ski hall, a ski ramp, floodlit slopes, a large water complex (6 pools, slides, saunas, whirlpool) and a climbing park with tree climbing. A great activity for the whole family!

This farmhouse, where Ibsen spent his childhood between the ages of 7 and 15, is located 5 km north of the city. It was originally the Ibsen family's holiday home, but the father went bankrupt in 1835 and had to sell their residence in the city. The Venstøp property burned down in a fire in 1886. The attic that frightened Ibsen so much is the same as the one mentioned in his play The Wild Duck. There is also a small performance of some of Ibsen's productions. This site is one of three museums dedicated to the playwright in Norway.

Hidra is a small island of 700 inhabitants located near the Flekkefjord. It is connected by a tunnel to the rest of the country. Hidra lives partly from salmon farming and has become a popular tourist destination in the south. The restaurant Isbua, the museum Fedrenes Minne, about the maritime history of the island and the many possibilities for walks and water sports, are good reasons to go there. Also delicious fish and seafood restaurants. The ferry to the island runs every day.