Kiter utenfor Hove
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Photo: Gjermund Glesnes
Photo: Gjermund Glesnes
Kiter utenfor Hove
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Photo: Gjermund Glesnes
Photo: Gjermund Glesnes
Julie Davis på TrollPark Hove
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Photo: Gjermund Glesnes
Photo: Gjermund Glesnes
Julie Davis på TrollPark Hove
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Photo: Gjermund Glesnes
Photo: Gjermund Glesnes
Hove - an eldorado in the sea gap
By Gjermund Glesnes
- I'm going to walk it without hands, shouts Julie Davis. Then she starts walking across the boardwalk, much closer to the treetops than the grass and bushes down there.
- Whoooah!
The surface sways as if possessed. It rocks and bobs, like a wild horse at a rodeo doing its best to throw her off. But Julie works against it. She twists and stretches her arms, barely managing to stay upright.
Step by step, she balances herself up to the planking in the pine on the opposite side - without ever having to test the climbing harness and safety line, which would have kept her safely up here anyway.
And yet she and her friends Charlotte, Amalie and Tor have only just begun the fun in the climbing park at TrollAktiv Hove.
It offers six different routes at varying heights and levels of difficulty, with ziplines and tarzan jumps - and "high five" when you finally stand with your feet planted on solid ground again.
Fun for everyone
The climbing park is for anyone who stands at least 110 centimeters above the ground. And it is just one of several opportunities for fun challenges in the troll park.
Here you can jump and wreak havoc from rocky cliffs on coasteering, shoot with laser tag and find your way out of an escape room in one piece. Or you can choose quieter and more relaxing activities such as SUP boards. Or how about a guided kayak trip in the archipelago, past Gjessøya, St. Helena and Badeholmen?
Close by is Hove Leirsenter with a playground, exercise equipment and a number of ball courts.
Sea kayaking is a fantastic way to experience the archipelago
Havkajakk hos Troll Park Hove
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Photo: Gjermund Glesnes
Photo: Gjermund Glesnes
Havkajakk hos Troll Park Hove
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Photo: Gjermund Glesnes
Photo: Gjermund Glesnes
The idyll Hove
However, Hove can also be enjoyed in complete peace and quiet. The whole area - a headland at the very end of Tromøy - is a rare experience landscape.
In the north, soft sandy beaches await between the rock formations. In the middle of the headland, the pine tops rustle, and deer graze in the cover of the deciduous trees below. And on the south side, the pebble beach stretches a gray band between the green forest and the shimmering sea.
Out here, Hove shows its true origins. The countless pebbles are a 10,000-year-old legacy from the last ice age. Here the Ra moraine, the end of the land ice during the last ice age, plunges into the sea.
It is not only today's people who find the landscape special. The legend says that Hove farm was the scene of a meeting of the gods where both Thor and Odin were present. It is more certain that the fertile soil of the farm was one of the first places where potatoes were grown in Norway.
Potato harvest is far from your mind when you stroll in the sun along the Skagerrak to the soundtrack of birdsong and long, lazy waves, and watch the sheep enjoy fresh grass between the rocky cliffs.
From here, the Folkestien hiking trail goes around the entire headland, with more birdsong and nature idyll - until a red-painted house peeks out just inside the outermost pines.
The Flavours of Hove and Spornes
As you explore Hove and Spornes, you’ll quickly discover that the area offers much more than beautiful scenery and fresh sea air – it’s also home to charming cafés and eateries that add that little extra touch to your trip.
Nestled in the idyllic Raet Camping, you’ll find Raet Café – a cosy meeting place where you can enjoy simple, tasty food in relaxed surroundings. It's the perfect stop after a day of outdoor activities.
If you continue on to Studio Spornes on Tromøya, you’ll be greeted by the irresistible smell of freshly baked cinnamon buns. This inviting café, filled with homemade treats, has become a popular stop for both hikers and cyclists.
Just around the corner is Kjøkkenhagen at Spornes, where you can take a break in the sheltered garden. Here you’ll be served coffee, tea, and other simple delights, and the small farm shop offers vegetable plants, local honey, eggs, and other local flavours to take home.
Another highlight is Arendal Herregård, where you can enjoy both culinary experiences and a touch of history. And during the summer season – from mid-June to mid-August – Bjellandstrand Gård invites you to wander through a lush garden filled with hundreds of plant varieties. Be inspired by the plant combinations and garden design. Afterwards, relax with a coffee or a tasty bite at the farm’s cosy café – open on all garden visiting days and during summer events.
Bjellandstrand Gård
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Photo: Bjellandstrand Gård
Photo: Bjellandstrand Gård
Bjellandstrand Gård
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Photo: Bjellandstrand Gård
Photo: Bjellandstrand Gård
Delicious cinnamon buns at Studio Spornes.
Studio Spornes
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Photo: Studio Spornes
Photo: Studio Spornes
Studio Spornes
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Photo: Studio Spornes
Photo: Studio Spornes
Raet nasjonalpark
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Photo: Gjermund Glesnes
Photo: Gjermund Glesnes
Raet nasjonalpark
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Photo: Gjermund Glesnes
Photo: Gjermund Glesnes
A Place to Stay – and Stay Long
There are plenty of good reasons to spend several days at Hove. Raet Camping offers a range of great cabins – including the popular “Celebrity Cabins” designed by various Norwegian celebrities in the TV show Eventyrlig Oppussing. Each one features a unique interior inspired by themes like One Thousand and One Nights, nature, or the kitchen. Waking up here feels truly magical!
But camping isn’t your only accommodation option at Hove. A little further inland on the peninsula, you’ll find Arendal Herregaard Spa & Resort, offering 69 rooms and suites just a stone’s throw from the pebbled beaches.
You can still sense the old-world charm of the hotel, which also houses Norway’s largest collection of sailing ship paintings by Carl B. Hestman.
If you’re travelling on a tighter budget or with a big family, Hove Leirsenter has spacious cabins for rent. And for those who prefer to be self-sufficient, Raet Camping also has tent pitches available.
To many, Hove is the most beautiful place in all of Arendal. You’ll always find a sheltered spot on one side or the other, and the area is so expansive that it never feels crowded.
No matter where you stay – or how long you decide to remain at Hove – it’s easy to find peace here. And if not, it's probably because you're busy climbing among the treetops in TrollPark. That’s pretty magical too.
Servitør Boie Eker serverer pizza på Arendal Herregård Resort og Spa
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Photo: Gjermund Glesnes
Photo: Gjermund Glesnes
Servitør Boie Eker serverer pizza på Arendal Herregård Resort og Spa
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Photo: Gjermund Glesnes
Photo: Gjermund Glesnes