There’s much to experience both on land and at sea in Norway’s smallest municipality in area and second smallest in population, Kvitsøy in Rogaland. Visit Norway’s smallest municipality.
The Old Norse form of the name Kvitsøy was Hvítingsøy (jar) which means “the white island(s)”, probably because there is white quartz in the rocks on the islands. Originally, the spelling of the municipality was “Kvitingsø”, but later it was shortened to “Kvitsøy”.
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The Lighthouse
If you’re in the area, a place not to be missed is the Kvitsøy lighthouse, south of Skudesneshavn, located near Ydstebøhavn harbor in a maritime environment. The place offers also several other cultural monuments.
Kvitsøy lighthouse was built in 1829. It was then 18 meter-high with a coal burner on top. In 1859, the tower was raised by a further 7m and equipped with an oil-fired flame and a lens system. The top of the lighthouse is now 45 m above sea level. In 1938, the lighthouse was electrified, and in 1969, automated.
The lighthouse is heritage-listed. The history of the tilting Kvitsøy lighthouse has, however, a history dating back to the year 1700 when Henrich Petersen set up a so-called bascule lighthouse in Ydstebøhavn.
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Fine dining
The charming gourmet restaurant Grøningen on the quay in Ydstebøhavn is worth a visit in itself and don’t miss the few but cozy streets or one or more of the secluded little beaches. The trails here are well marked. Don’t miss the stone cross on Krossøy.
On the island there are great opportunities to fish for crab and lobster. Bjellandsparken is an old facility for lobsters from 1902.
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Historical site
Kvitsøy is first mentioned in the Snorre Saga, where Snorre records a truce being made between King Olaf II of Norway later to be known as St. Olav (Norwegian: Hellige Olav) and Erling Skjalgsson, under the stone cross.
The 6-square-kilometre (2.3 sq mi) municipality is the 356th largest by area out of the 356 municipalities in Norway, making it the smallest in the nation. Kvitsøy is the 349th most populous municipality in Norway with a population of 523. The municipality’s population density is 83.3 inhabitants per square kilometer (216/sq mi).
Accommodation
There are few accommodations on Kvitsøy, so book early or bring a tent, your own boat or motorhome. People here are very friendly, so don’t be afraid to strike up a conversation.
Visit Norway’s Smallest Municipality, written by Tor Kjolberg
Feature image (on top) photo: Wikipedia