Færvik: Coastal Paths, Cultural Landscape and History

Færvik is shaped by the landscape of Hove and Spornes: ancient cultural landscapes, coastal flora and a diverse birdlife are all part of the area, as are paths by the water. The Hove and Spornes area is part of Raet National Park. Nature and visible traces of the cultural landscape thus sit side by side in this part of Færvik.

Explore Hove and Spornes on foot

In the Hove and Spornes area, paths wind through the forest, along the water and as far as the pebble beach at Spornes. The coastal path around Hoveodden can be started from several places: Spornes, Hove leirsenter or the campsites at Canvas Hove. These starting points offer different options for your tour, without requiring you to commit to a single starting point.

Distance information can also help with planning your route: the round trip from Hove to Alve is around 12 kilometres. This is an approximate distance, not a walking time. There are rest areas and benches in Spornes; hiking trails continue from there towards Hove. Route maps and hiking suggestions for Hove and Spornes are available via UT.no and the Spornes–Bjellandstrand culture and activity map. Check the route information before setting out.

When choosing between the paths, you can first decide on the type of route you want: three starting points are listed for the coastal path around Hoveodden, while the Hove-to-Alve route gives a specific round-trip distance of around 12 kilometres. The information describes different aspects of planning a hike, so compare the starting point and route length separately.

Cultural landscape and history in Færvik

The historic sites also mark distinct points in time. Part of Tromøy Cemetery dates from before the Reformation in 1537 and is automatically protected. Bjellandstrand Gård has a history dating back to 1650. These two dates point to different historical associations in Færvik and do not refer to the same kind of history.

Parts of the Bjellandstrand Gård property lie within Raet National Park. This means the protected-area designation applies in Færvik both to the Hove and Spornes area and to parts of this property. To get your bearings, it is helpful to distinguish between the places named: the Hove and Spornes area is part of the national park, while the statement about Bjellandstrand Gård explicitly applies only to parts of the property.

More cultural attractions in the wider Arendal destination

In the wider Arendal destination, museums and historic sites offer further subjects to explore. The exhibitions at KUBEN cover the history of Aust-Agder and Arendal; KUBEN also has its own children’s exhibition, called “Barndom”. The interiors of Langsæ Manor display furnishings from the 19th century from the museum collections. Some of KUBEN’s old bird collection is also on display in the former classrooms of the household school at Langsæ gård.

The Eydehavn Museum is dedicated to Eydehavn’s industrial and labour history. The first floor focuses on the Arendal Smelteverk and Nitriden companies, as well as the society that developed around these industries. The museum also includes a workers’ home from the 1920s and the exhibition “Marens minner” about the work of coastal women in earlier times. The focus here is therefore on industrial history and everyday life shaped by the companies.

Another historical perspective is shipbuilding: Bratteklev Skipsverft is an almost completely preserved shipyard from the age of sailing ships. Fourteen ships were built there between 1868 and 1924: eight sailing ships, five steamships—two of them made of steel—and one schooner with a diesel engine. The shipyard’s history complements the themes of KUBEN and the Eydehavn Museum with a specific account of shipbuilding’s development in the wider Arendal destination.

Plan your journey towards Tromøy

Bus route 102 runs several times a day from central Arendal towards Tromøy. If you plan to use this service for your journey, check the current timetable before travelling. This information describes the direction and frequency of the service, not a specific stop.

Discover more destinations: Bjorbekk, Eydehavn, Kolbjørnsvik, His, Kilsund, Saltrød, Arendal, Rykene.

Return to the main travel overview: Arendal.