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Tyholmen
Revisit Arendal's past by making a trip to Tyholmen, the oldest part of the city. Get ready to be enthralled by the beautiful wooden houses, charming alleys, and the shimmering expanse of water surrounding the town.
Located on an islet on the edge of Arendal lies the oldest part of the city, Tyholmen. Tyholmen has an upper part and a lower part. Centuries ago, the upper part consisted of homes of artisans, sailors, and dayworkers, while the lower part used to be the home of wealthy merchants and ship owners. The upper part is still residential as in olden times, while you'll find hotels, cafés, and restaurants in the lower part.
In the 1960s, the houses on Tyholmen were in such bad shape, the town officials wanted to tear them all down and replace them with new concrete buildings. This was luckily prevented by a group of people who called themselves Friends of Tyholmen. From the 1970s and onwards, the town of Arendal has taken great care to preserve the authentic feel Tyholmen exudes. In fact, the prestigious Europa Nostra cultural protection prize was awarded to Tyholmen in 1991 thanks to these efforts. You can sense that quintessential authenticity when you visit here and stroll across the quaint streets decked with old wooden buildings.
Tyholmen boasts of housing the tallest wooden building in the country from the 19th century. It was built as a private home for one of the affluent families, Kallevig, in Arendal, and was later converted into the centre of the town's administration for about 160 years until 2005. As of today, many cultural organizations have their offices in the building.
Another popular attraction, Kløckers Hus, is also found on Tyholmen. Built as a residence in empire style architecture, it used to be privately owned until the 1980s. You will also find a sailor's small home as a part of the museum.
If you visit the tourist office in Kloa, you can find a map containing details of all the old buildings in upper Tyholmen.