Brekkestø: Coastal Culture and Harbour History

Brekkestø is located on Justøy. Maritime history, traditional Sørland houses and cultural offerings shape the village. Three main themes are especially useful when planning your trip: the history of the harbour, culture in different seasons and food at the café.

Harbour and customs history

The former Brekkestø customs station is protected and is an architecturally, culturally and sector-historically significant example of a customs station from the early 20th century. Shipping and trade along the Sørland coast were once monitored there.

Brekkestø originally served as a waiting harbour and winter anchorage for sailing ships. It was also a pilot harbour with eight pilots and ten apprentices. The history of the inns is also part of the story: inns were established in Gaupholmen, Ullerøya and Brekkestø in the 18th century. These inns predate the customs station from the early 20th century. Traditional Sørland houses shape the village’s character.

Culture and seasonal offerings

Brekkestø is lively in summer. The Brekkekjærhaven Kulturkafé hosts concerts, exhibitions, poetry and talks in both summer and winter. Seasonal bustle and cultural offerings are therefore available in both seasons.

Blindleialøpet is a paddling race that starts and finishes at Brekkestø Brygge on Justøya. If the race is the reason for your trip, check the event date before making plans.

The café serves home-baked cakes, sourdough pinsa, homemade salads and filled sourdough focaccia. As the menu may change, it is best to check the current offerings before visiting.

Getting there and finding your way

Brekkestø is accessible by car or boat. Groceries and petrol are available at Brekkestø Landhandel; check seasonal availability before setting out.

More to explore in the wider Lillesand destination

The wider Lillesand destination offers distinct cultural and landscape attractions. The Lillesand by- og sjøfartsmuseum is located in the former Carl-Knudsen-Gården at Nygårdsgt. 1 in the centre of Lillesand. Saltholmen fyrstasjon in the municipality of Lillesand is a listed visitor lighthouse. It was established in 1882 and decommissioned and automated in 1952; the lighthouse was replaced by a lamp mounted on a stand.

Bronseplassen in Høvåg, in the municipality of Lillesand, is Norway’s oldest reconstructed Bronze Age farm. Well-marked nature trails lead to a viewpoint overlooking the Skagerrak. Several routes to Fløresteinen are signposted, with distance markers at every trail junction. Thirty imaginative wooden figures are hidden along the paths at Fløresteinen in the Flørenes forest. Vestlandske Hovedvei is now a hiking and cycling trail between Lillesand and Grimstad. In the wider Lillesand destination, Blindleia is a 20-kilometre inland coastal route from Lillesand towards Kristiansand. You can experience it by excursion boat, charter boat or private boat.

Discover more destinations: Lillesand, Høvåg.

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