By motorhome along the south coast of Norway – coastal roads, fishing villages and white wooden towns

Text and photo: Helena Bergström

After the hike to Preikestolen, our journey continued south along the coast of Norway. The fjord landscape was behind us and a new Norway awaited – with open coastal landscapes, bare cliffs, small fishing villages and eventually the white wooden towns that southern Norway is so famous for. We were in no hurry, but let the journey be filled with spontaneous stops, beautiful views and small towns that we might otherwise never have discovered.

Nortrip overnight stay in Bryne

We needed an overnight stay before setting off with the camper along the south coast of Norway. Through The Nortrip app We found Ørnahaug Gård in Bryne, which was in an excellent location for us. This is primarily a parking lot for overnight stays, but it was also a nice stop with several other campers, chickens roaming around, and a short walk to a large shopping center.

Out on the Jæren coast

Then it was time to head out to the coast. After a long journey along mountains and fjords, a completely different landscape awaited us, with open moors, long beaches and windswept cliffs.

The Jæren National Tourist Route is about 40 km long and follows the North Sea between Ogna and Bore. The route offers open sandy beaches, heathland and several fine viewpoints. Here you can also spot lighthouses and the ”Hitlertennene” – a defensive structure built by the Germans during World War II.

Personally, we thought the road became even more exciting. after the national tourist route. Then a landscape full of barren cliffs opened up, which reminded us a bit of Bohuslän, but perhaps even more dramatic.

Egersund – a pleasant coastal town

We never stopped in Egersund – with a campervan you can't always stop everywhere – but the town still made a nice impression when we drove through. Small wooden houses, a nice harbour and a lively centre made us think we would love to return here.

Sogndalstrand – Norway's best preserved wooden buildings

We aimed to stay in Sogndalstrand instead, which is one of Norway's best-preserved old coastal communities. Here we managed to park, and then walk down to the village center.

The white wooden houses are located close together along the small river and the environment almost feels like a living museum. It is a small town, but very photogenic and well worth a stop. You can walk among the charming wooden houses, and there are plenty of restaurants, cafes, shops and art galleries.

The cave in Jøssingfjord

The next stop we had scouted out – Helleren in Jøssingfjord – appeared to be just after Songdalstrand on the map. The journey there was already an adventure. The road offered steep climbs, hairpin bends, narrow tunnels and dramatic views over the Jøssingfjord.

At the finish line, you will find a parking lot and a short walking path. There is also a museum here – Jøssingfjord Science Museum – which connects geology and mining.

The place is mainly known for two small wooden houses from the 19th century that stand completely protected under a gigantic, natural mountain overhang. Truly an incredibly fascinating environment!

Åna-Sira – dramatic roads

After the visit to Helleren, the roads continued to be dramatic. Countless curves that wound first up, up and then down, down.

One night at a rest area

After many winding roads, up and down, we needed to rest and we spent the night at a simple rest area, surrounded by water, greenery and high mountains.

Flekkefjord – a pleasant surprise

Flekkefjord was a real surprise. We had originally planned to just drive through, but when we saw the charming town center we had to stop. The short walk among the white wooden houses was one of the most pleasant stops of the day.

It was a short walk among elegant white wooden houses, waving Norwegian flags, shops and cafes.

Short stop in Feda

We also made a short photo stop in the small village of Feda. It's small, so there's limited space to park a camper, but the views were so photogenic that we had to stop.

Mandal – Norway's southernmost town

Today's stage ended in Mandal, Norway's southernmost town. Here we were greeted by small white wooden houses, cozy streets and a pleasant harbor environment. The harbor was bustling with summer life and along the quay were restaurants and cafes filled with vacationers.

We stayed overnight at a beach parking lot near the city campsite, along with a bunch of other campers. The next morning we were ready to continue the adventure.

Towards Grimstad

On the way to Grimstad we drove past Kristiansand, which with holiday glasses felt like too big a city to stop in. Instead we planned a stop in charming Lillesand, but since we couldn't park our large vehicle, we had to give up and drive on.

We now arrived at Grimstad, which became one of our favorites of the trip. But that town deserves its own report.

More to see and experience in southern Norway

Would you like more tips for southern or western Norway? Here you will find tips and reports:

• Grimstad
• Dirdalstraen Farm Shop
• The Pulpit Rock
• Hardangerfjord