Risør is a beautiful old coastal town in southern Norway.
Risør has narrow streets with shops and old white wooden houses. During the summer months, the town is packed with people eager to spend some time checking out all of the wooden boats and eating some local foods.

Town of Risør Norway – Photo: Adam Read Visit Sørlandet
The Risør Trebåtfestival
This is a wooden boat festival that takes place once a year in the summer. People travel here from all over Europe to see the magnificent old wooden boats restored to perfect condition. There are so many boats in the water that there is almost always a traffic jam 🙂

French boat at Risør trebåtfestival Norway – Photo: Adam Read Visit Sørlandet
During the festival the boats have a race around the archipelago and past the Stangholen light house. There are activities for the whole family and concerts at night.
The town also hosts a number of festivals, has plenty of options for accommodation and niche stores that sell anything from small model boats to the latest fashion accessories.

Risør Southern Norway – Photo: Adam Read Visit Sørlandet
Risørflekken is a look out point near the town centre of Risør. It is located on white rock which was easy for the sailers to see when coming into the harbour. It acted as a kind of beacon in conditions with bad visibility. It is a great spot for a picture.

Risørflekken viewpoint Photo: Peder Austrud
Being a short drive from both Kristiansand or Oslo, Risør is definitely a place to visit.