LILLESAND
The idyllic Blindleia archipelago, a historic hotel, and traditional Southern Norway charm await in Lillesand.
Only 20 minutes east of Kristiansand is where you’ll find Lillesand. Here, you can stroll among white-painted wooden houses in the town centre. One of them is the Historic Hotel Lillesand Hotel Norge, where the world-famous Norwegian author Knut Hamsun was a regular guest in the 1930s.
A short walk from the hotel lies Lillesand harbour, with several restaurants and a lovely view. On a city stroll, you can pop into an art gallery, niche shops, and museums.
The Blindleia archipelago, with outports like Gamle Hellesund and Brekkestø, is perfect for a day by the sea. Go sailing, join a boat sightseeing trip, or enjoy a refreshing dip in the water.
You can also combine a visit to Lillesand with a family day at Kristiansand Zoo and amusement park, which is only a 20-minute drive away. And if you want an active holiday – bike along the coast to see more of Southern Norway.
Get in-depth travel information on Lillesand’s official website.
General informations
Lillesand is municipality in Agder county, Norway. It is part of the traditional district of Sørlandet. The administrative center of the municipality is the town of Lillesand. Some of the larger villages in Lillesand municipality include Åkerøyhamn, Brekkestø, Gamle Hellesund, Helldal, Høvåg, Ribe, Skottevik, Trøe, Ulvøysund, and Vesterhus.
The 190-square-kilometre (73 sq mi) municipality is the 306th largest by area out of the 356 municipalities in Norway. Lillesand is the 100th most populous municipality in Norway with a population of 11,419. The municipality's population density is 63.3 inhabitants per square kilometre (164/sq mi) and its population has increased by 13.8% over the previous 10-year period.
The town of Lillesand was established as a municipality on 1 January 1838 (see formannskapsdistrikt law). During the 1960s, there were many municipal mergers across Norway due to the work of the Schei Committee. On 1 January 1962, the following areas were merged into a new, larger municipality of Lillesand
The municipality was named after the town of Lillesand, originally just Sand (Old Norse: Sandr). The name is identical to the word sandr which means "sand" or "sandy beach". The prefix is lille, which means "little", was added after the founding of Christianssand in 1641 to distinguish it from the greater and more important town nearby.
Sanden, which consisted of the small area near the harbor, was the original name for the municipality of Lillesand. Lillesand is built on the ancient estate of Lofthus. Christian Jensen Lofthuus was captured on his Lofthus estate around 1780.
In 1821, when Lillesand became a privileged port, it had a population of only 300 and had nine shipyards. By 1895 the merchant fleet was 95 vessels strong. But the death of the sailing ship caused severe economic difficulties for Lillesand. Sailing ships had been inexpensive and could be built from local timber. Steamers were built of steel, were expensive and required more capital than locals could muster. Shipyards were closed. Many of the residents emigrated from there to the United States. Lillesand remained a fishing village, though even this area suffered when the herring left the coast.
The Saltholmen Lighthouse, located on an island off Lillesand, is a nineteenth century lighthouse with a slate roof and a concrete tower for the light. It operated as a staffed lighthouse from 1882 to 1952. Saltholmen (lit. "Salty Islet") is named after the salt extraction industry once there, established by Hans Nielsen Hauge.
The Lillesand-Flaksvandbanen operated between Lillesand and Flaksvann from 1896 to 1953.
ORP Orzeł, a Polish submarine, sank the German troopship Rio de Janeiro on 8 April 1940 off Lillesand. Rio de Janeiro was on its way to take part in the initial landings of Operation Weserübung the next day, the invasion of Norway.
Lillesand is bordered in the north by Birkenes municipality, to the east by Grimstad municipality and to the south by Kristiansand municipality. The lake Østre Grimevann is a large lake in the northern part of the municipality and the river Tovdalselva runs through the municipality, too. The Blindleia is an inland waterway that starts in Gamle Hellesund in Høvåg near Kristiansand in southern Norway, and continues past Lillesand. It is a salt water passage protected from the open sea by the offshore archipelago. The island of Justøy lies just south of the town of Lillesand, along the Blindleia. The Kvåsefjorden lies along the southwestern border of Lillesand municipality.
Navigation through the Blindleia passage requires attention to detail, but is not difficult as there are no tides, and very little current. The minimal tidal change in the skerries is due to its geographical location; the tidal flow that comes in from the Atlantic Ocean splits on the British Isles. One tidal stream goes through the English Channel, while the other goes around the north of the British Isles. The stream of the English Channel reaches the coast of Norway before the wave traveling around the British Islands. These two tidal "waves" are completely out of phase when they meet here, neutralizing the tidal effect.
