Making the most of Arendal
Use these notes to shape a realistic day ashore, then confirm any time-sensitive information for the date of your call.
Arriving at the port
Visiting vessels berth in the middle of the city centre at Batterikaien or Hotelkaien.
Passenger facilities: the quay has a marquee with a welcome service and souvenir shop, both open during the ship’s call.
The Old Norse name was probably Arnardalr. Its first part is the genitive of qrn, meaning “eagle”, and dalr means “valley” or “dale”, together giving “eagle valley”.
Arendal is on Norway’s south coast, a popular summer-holiday region of lakes and forests. In the 18th century, the town built fine wooden sailing ships for Norway’s coastal trade. Stroll Pollen’s inner-harbour quaysides past elegant buildings from that golden era, many now converted into waterfront restaurants and shops.
Tyholmen is in the town centre, with wooden houses dating from the 1600s. It is what remains of the old buildings after the major fires of the 1800s. Spend half an hour enjoying the architecture and imagining when canals ran between the houses instead of streets. Follow Nedre Tyholmen and Øvre Tyholmen to see how wealthy and ordinary people once lived.
Getting around
Board a small ferry or sightseeing boat to sail through the world’s finest skerries and visit islands just outside the city centre, only 200 meters from the cruise pier.
Download the Tourist Guide.
Nearby places
Merdø, one of the islands furthest from the coast and facing Skagerrak, is an old outport with a museum, kiosk, several beaches and beautiful scenery. Summer ferries leave Pollen harbour in central Arendal every half hour during the day.
Money
Norway uses the Norwegian crown (Norske krone), abbreviated kr. A 1/100th of a krone is an øre. 1.00 EUR = about 9 NOK. Norway is one of the world’s most expensive countries.
Norwegian ATMs are called Minibank.
Almost every store accepts major credit cards such as Mastercard and Visa. Bring a passport or driver’s license, as identification is required when using a credit card.
Staying connected
Norwegian is Norway’s official language and is closely related to the other two Scandinavian languages; English is widely spoken.
Arendal provides guests and citizens with free WiFi in the city centre.
Opening Hours and
Norwegian opening hours are better than they once were, although many small stores still close early on Saturday, typically 1 PM or 3 PM, and nearly everything closes on Sundays. Door signs often read “9-21 (9-18)”, meaning 9 AM–9 PM on weekdays and 9 AM–6 PM Saturday.