Old and new architecture meet at the southernmost point of Norway
Lindesnes is considered the country's southernmost point and one of the most visited parts in southern Norway. The lighthouse situated on the southern tip of the peninsula is the oldest lighthouse in Norway. Not far from the lighthouse the first underwater restaurant in Northern Europe opened just a few weeks ago. The restaurant has allready gained international attention and is fully booked until september! During my Easter holiday I visited both the lighthouse and the underwater restaurant. Both are located a little over an hours drive from where I live, which makes it an easy half day tour. I have been visting the region and in particularly the lighthouse many times, at different times of the year. But this time I wanted to stop by the restaurant as well.
Lindesnes, the southernmost tip of Norway. The sign shows the distance to the northernmost lighthouse on the mainland - Slettnes, as well as the most northerly point in Norway - North Cape. The easternmost lighthouse is Vardø lighthouse on Hornøya in the Barents Sea. Some years ago I visited both these lighthouses and stayed at Vardø lighthouse. It is on an island and we were two people alone except for hundreds of seabirds! (https://steemit.com/travel/@digi-me/an-arctic-island-retreat-and-one-of-the-most-extreme-places-in-europe) A unique experience.! It is possible to stay overnight at Lindesnes lighthouse as well as many more along the coast of Norway. A stay at a lighthouse is something completely different to a hotel night.
On february 27, 1656, Norway's first beacon was lit here. It was no coincidence that Lindesnes was the place where the first lighthouse in Norway was lit. Ever since the Middle Ages, Lindesnes has been one of the most important landmarks for the sailors between the North Sea and the Baltic Sea.
«Fjellhallen» was completed in 2004. It is built in the mountain. The hall is used for concerts, events in the municipality as well as film showing the history of the lighthouse throughout the tourist season. In addition to the Fjellhallen there is a museum shop, cafe and several exhibitions in the lighthouse's buildings, as well as in some of the caves that the Germans left behind in 1945. Lindesnes lighthouse is open all summer and is otherwise open every Sunday.
There is a great deal of good light here. It alternates between sun and clouds. Usually windy. Especially at the top of the hill where the lighthouse is situated you can really feel the wind taken hold on you. But apart from the lighthouse itself, the buildings around the lighthouse and the rocky shore is worth exploring.
The restaurant «Under» is the world's largest underwater restaurant. When looking at it from the outside, it looks as if it is rising from the sea or as if it is half-sunken into the sea. The size of it is 34 meters long and it sinks 5 meters below sea level where it meets the bottom. Outside it does not look that large. Inside it looks different, from what I have seen through the medias. The dining area is at the bottom, 5 meters below sea level! There is a huge wall of glass which will give an insight into the life in the sea of Skagerak. Guests can sit and watch the fish swim by as they eat an 18-course gourmet meal! Everything on the meny is local products. This restaurant will definitly put southern Norway on the map when it comes to dining. The world press, who were invited for the opening, was impressed!
The building is designed by Snøhetta, an award – winning achitect firm. In 1989 they attended the international architectural competition for the new library in Alexandria, Egypt. Snøhetta won that project. Throughout the past 10 years they have won several major projects around the world, such as: national September 11 Memorial Pavilion in New York, SFMOMA, in San Francisco, King Abdulaziz Center for World Culture in Saudi Arabia, Times Square and Busan Opera in South Korea.
Source: https://snohetta.com/projects/428-under-europes-first-underwater-restaurantFollow this link and you will see photos from inside «Under»
The lighthouse might gain competion from the underwater restaurant now. There were a lot more people walking to and from the restaurant, than at the lighthouse.
Source: http://www.lindesnesfyr.no
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What a beautiful place. Those distance signs are in kms?
I have never thought about staying a night at a lighthouse. How are the conditions?
That restaurant looks very interesting. What a cool concept. Thanks for showing it to us. It's the first time I hear about it.
Congratulations on this lovely travel article, @digi-me! Keep up with the good work!
Thank you :) The distance on the sign is in kms. yes. So it is quite a long way from the southernmost lighthouse to the northernmost. Light house is something very different from a hotel. You do everything yourself. No one is going to clean your room or cook your meals. But everything is there. You just need to bring food, towels and bed linen. To have an idea, check the link to my stay at the easternmost lighthouse :) I should think there must be other places in the world where a stay in a lighthouse is possible. In Norway it is possible in most lighthouses along the coast.
You might hear about the restaurant from the medias. From what I have heard, it has got a lot of international attention.
Wow, that is a huge country. 2600 kms would be more than enough to travel across Portugal 2 times and back!!!
And no, I had never heard about staying in lighthouses, I thought that wasn't even possible.
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Thank you so much :)
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The traditional architecture of the lighthouse is wonderful ... but, I must say, modern architecture is amazing ... thanks for the post
Thank you for your comment. The restaurant is an amazing building!
My word!!! That restaurant building looks excpetional!!
Agree! Haven't seen anything like it! I did follow the prosess under the construction, but somehow it is when it is complete you really get an idea of what it look like.
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Thank you so much :)
hi @digi-me
you are really lucky to live there! We were in Norway last year and I fell in love with it! We were in the north, above the Lofoten, so I made all your suggestions to visit the southern part too. The lighthouses and the sea have a special charm, nothing to do, in my opinion, with modern architecture, which I appreciate, but not in the midst of wonderful nature. Why go to eat downstairs when doing a picnic at the lighthouse is like being in paradise?
Congratulations and thank you for sharing with us
Thank you so much for the comment. I am glad to hear you have visited Norway and that you liked it. I do feel we have a large country with great diversity when it comes to landscape , cities etg. You should really try to stay overnight at a lighthouse if you come to visit the south. That is something really unique :)
si penso lo farò! Magari ti contatto e veniamo anche a salutarti!!
Please do :) just keep in touch and ask :)
I love Norway and I am travelling across this country as often as I can. I've been in this piece of land farthest on the south at least two times and I must admit that the road which follows to this place is very magnificent, passing through the quiet and carefully painted villages and beautiful marinas. Nice to hear that this restaurant is already open. I bet that prices will be astronomical, but experiences inside also :)
very nice post man :)
Thank you for your comment. I am very glad to hear you like Norway. The small villages and countryside is quite pitoresque, I do admit that. I have travelled many times here, since I live in Kristiansand. And yes, the price is high! I have heard that the 18 course meal cost around 2500 NOK which is something like 290 USD! I
I am quite impressed with the underwater restaurant and being fully booked for the next 5 months shows you how unique this experience is. I would drive for that experience as the venue would be something that other restaurants don't have.
Thanks for stopping by. The restaurant is unique. The whole concept, both food and the architecture . The 18 course meal is expensive, but still it is fully booked for many month!
I think the 18 course restaurant would most likely be busy anyway ,but this just takes the whole experience to a new level. The location just looks great and I am sure many will travel just to eat underwater.
I looks amazing inside as well, from what I have seen on the photoes. The surrounding countryside is beautiful. The place is allready a popular tourist spot.
Hello @digi-me, it's so nice to see these photos. I'm a big fan of lighthouses but unfortunately haven't seen many. I live far away from the sea. To stay in a lighthouse would be a dream come true for me. I guess I would stay in front of the window and watch the sea all the time. Looks like the Lindesnes's lighthouse is very well maintained. They know how to attract tourists.
Norway is a fascinating county, I truly hope I can visit it some day. Those red houses look amazing against the blue sky and water.
I've seen something on Tv about this underwater restaurant and have never thought I would see a blog about it here on Steemit. Yet, here I am, very happy to read your post and see the amazing photos you took at the scene.
Those people knew exactly how to attract tourists. An underwater restaurant is like a magnet.
I think the two are complementing each other, not competing. I believe having a wonderful lighthouse next to an underwater restaurant is a plus or vice versa.
Excellent post, well done!
Thank you for stopping by and taken time to comment. You have seen it on tv? it has been on tv here too. We have been following the building prosess and the opening. Then only the world press were invited. I think you are right. The two might be compementing each other. And if you are allready visiting one of them, you might as well visit the other. The achitects did a great job here.
I've seen it in a commercial. I believe it has been shown by many TV stations as it's a really interesting place to visit and can bring a lot of money if it's well known worldwide.
It's definitely a place to visit in the future!
I've seen it in a commercial. I believe it has been shown by many TV stations as it's a really interesting place to visit and can bring a lot of money if it's well known worldwide.
It's definitely a place to visit in the future!