THE ACCOMMODATIONS:
When
Lillesand’s tannery was converted into a hotel in 1873, it quickly became the
cultural center of the small seafaring town. So it remained for almost 120 years. Then, in
1992, the now historic Lillesand Inn was at once thoroughly modernized and refurbished
into its original style and atmosphere.
Now, all twenty-five rooms have full bathrooms
(with shower & tub), telephone, mini-bar, hair-dryer, and satellite TV (with CNN). All
rooms come with full Norwegian smorgasbord breakfast included. The small hotel has been
fully air-conditioned. The inn also offers non-smoking rooms, a lounge, and a restaurant.
And what a restaurant! The inn’s cuisine is among the highest rated in southern
Norway. It comes as no surprise, therefore, to learn that the hotel remains the cultural
center of Lillesand.
THE LOCATION:
Lillesand is a natural location from
which to explore Southern Norway, especially its beloved vacation coastline. This is the
sunniest part of Norway, and a traditional draw of summer vacationers from all over Norway
and other parts of Scandinavia. Its coves, beaches, and small islands are ideal for
swimming, sailing, picnics and exploring. photo
courtesy Lillesand Kommune
But the Sψrlandet region is not just
about the seashore. The interior of the region quickly becomes rugged, with a history of a
hardy folk culture struggling to make a living amid the mountains, rivers and lakes of the
provinces of East and West Agder and Telemark. The interior is beautiful, rural, and
little-populated, and invites exploration as much as the coast.
Now, all twenty-five rooms have full bathrooms
(with shower & tub), telephone, mini-bar, hair-dryer, and satellite TV (with CNN). All
rooms come with full Norwegian smorgasbord breakfast included. The small hotel has been
fully air-conditioned. The inn also offers non-smoking rooms, a lounge, and a restaurant.
And what a restaurant! The inn’s cuisine is among the highest rated in southern
Norway. It comes as no surprise, therefore, to learn that the hotel remains the cultural
center of Lillesand.
The Lillesand inn is a landmark building on the historic harbor marina in
the old seaport town of Lillesand. Lillesand is on the Skagerrak coast of Norway something
more than 150 miles south of Oslo, and about twenty miles north of Kristiansand, the
capital of the Sψrlandet region (
Lillesand is a natural location from
which to explore Southern Norway, especially its beloved vacation coastline. This is the
sunniest part of Norway, and a traditional draw of summer vacationers from all over Norway
and other parts of Scandinavia. Its coves, beaches, and small islands are ideal for
swimming, sailing, picnics and exploring.
Despite—or perhaps because
of—its small size, Lillesand attracts many visitors during the summer months. And the
charming town is ready for them, with its streets and alleys full of shops, restaurants,
bars, museums, and art galleries. From the marina by the hotel, sightseeing boats depart
several times a day to cruise this beautiful coastal region. Other boats take swimmers to
the best island beaches just 15 minutes away. In Hψvεg, midway between Kristiansand and
Lillesand, you find a recreated Bronze Age settlement showing Norwegian daily life from
3,800 years ago through Viking times 1,200 years ago. At the Skottevig Maritime Center you
can rent a boat, enjoy some sea fishing or swim in the pool. The Carl Knudsen Country
Estate is Lillesand’s museum located in a mansion in the town center. Craft workshops
connected with the age of sailing ships are displayed here. Lillesand’s helpful
tourist information center, in the town hall, can advise you on where to go and what to do
during your stay in Lillesand.
Although the shoreline and the interior seem pristine and idyllic, this part of Norway was
occupied—despite significant Norwegian resistance—by the Nazis, primarily to
ensure unrestricted shipping lanes from Germany’s Baltic ports into the North
Atlantic. You can visit German gun emplacements from World War II in nearby Kristiansand.