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 are secured in middle of the city center at Batterikaien or Hotelkaien.
Passenger facilities: This quay has a marquee with welcome service and souvenir shop that will stay open during the ship’s call.
The Old Norse form of the name was probably Arnardalr. The first element is the genitive case of qrn which means "eagle" and the last element is dalr which means "valley" or "dale", thus meaning the "eagle valley"
Arendal is set on Norway's south coast, a popular summer holiday region of lovely lakes and forests. In the 18th century, Arendal built fine wooden sailing ships destined for Norway's coastal trade. Take a stroll around the quaysides of Pollen, the inner harbor, past elegant buildings dating from this golden era, many now converted into waterfront restaurants and shops.
Tyholmen Right in the town center you'll find an area with wooden houses dating back to the 1600s. This area is called Tyholmen and is what's left of the old buildings since the great fires this town had during the 1800s. Spend half an hour on Tyholmen, enjoying the architecture and imagining how things must have been when there were canals between the houses instead of streets. Follow the streets Nedre Tyholmen and Øvre Tyholmen, and see how both rich and regular people used to live.
Getting around
Hop onboard a small ferry or sightseeing boat sail through the world's finest skerries and visit the small islands just outside the city center. Just 200 meters from the cruise pier.
Download Tourist Guide.
Nearby places
The island of Merdø, one of the islands furthest from the coast, facing the Skagerrak, is an old outport with a museum, a kiosk, several beaches and beautiful scenery. The ferries run every half hour during the day in the summer season. The ferries leave from Pollen harbour in the heart of Arendal.
Money
The Norwegian currency is the Norwegian crown (Norske krone), abbreviated kr. A 1/100th krone is called øre. 1.00 EUR = about 9 NOK. Norway is one of the most expensive countries in the world!
ATMs in Norway are called Minibank.
Nearly all stores accept major credit cards such as Mastercard and Visa (Bring your passport/driver's license, as you are required to identify yourself when using a credit card).
Staying connected
Norwegian is the official language of Norway. The language is very close and mutually intelligible with the two other Scandinavian languages, English is widely spoken.
Arendal offers its guests and its citizens free WiFi in the center of the city.
Opening Hours and
Opening hours in Norway are better than they used to be, but many smaller stores still close early on Saturday (1 PM or 3 PM is typical) and nearly everything is closed on Sundays. You'll often see opening hours written as "9-21 (9-18)" on doors, meaning 9 AM to 9 PM weekdays, 9 AM to 6 PM Saturday.