Norway’s southernmost county
For all Norwegians there are two place names that stick to memory- Lindesnes and Nordkap (North Cap). These two mark respectively the southernmost and northernmost points in Norway.
Lindesnes lighthouse is one of the most frequently visited tourist attractions in Vest- Agder. The lighthouse is located on the trip of the six mile long Lindesnes peninsula. To reach this famous landmark, you have to drive along Nordsjøen (the North Sea) on a specially constructed road which follows the coast throughout the whole country.
Long coastline
As the crow flows the distance between east and west in Vest- Agder is not very long. However, if you follow the coastline from Åna Sira, next to Rogaland county, to Kvåsfjorden, which marks the border to Aust-Agder, the distance is 709 kilometers. The distance is almost as long as a trip along the highway from Kristiansand to Trondheim. The coast characterizes Vest- Agder. A total of 31 small and large fjords intersect the coastline. Nearly 90 percent of the populations in this county live in the coastal municipalities. That is where we find the towns and the outports near the open sea, and it is easy to see that they are based upon shipping and trade. Many of the traditional houses in these areas have in recent years been preserved by the authorities. That also goes for some other characteristic structures along the coast- the lighthouse. As the first county in this country Vest- Agder in 1992 worked out a plan to preserve the lighthouses and a total of eight were protected by law.
Norway’s “Costa del Sol”
Vest-Agder is where the Gulf Stream first meets the long Norwegian coast. This is one of the main reasons that the country has the warmest and sunniest climate in the country.The area is also sheltered from the strong winds and frequent rainstorms which blow in from the Atlantic Ocean and afflict poor weather upon the northern and western coast of Norway. Gentle winds from Skagerak and the eastern part of the North Sea cause early springs and late autumns.