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Brekkestø is a small village on the southern coast of
Norway Norway, officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic country in Northern Europe, the mainland territory of which comprises the western and northernmost portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula. The remote Arctic island of Jan Mayen and t ...
. It is located on the island of Justøya within the municipality of
Lillesand Lillesand () is List of municipalities of Norway, municipality in Agder counties of Norway, county, Norway. It is part of the Districts of Norway, traditional district of Southern Norway, Sørlandet. The administrative center of the municipality ...
in
Agder Agder is a county (''fylke'') and traditional region in the southern part of Norway. The county was established on 1 January 2020, when the old Vest-Agder and Aust-Agder counties were merged. Since the early 1900s, the term Sørlandet ("sou ...
county, in the region known as Sørlandet. The village is mainly on Justøya, but there are houses and docks spread over several adjacent rocky islands. Many of the homes built around its compact harbor are white, wooden cottages with red tiled roofs, typical of the area. Brekkestø has a small general store, a filling station that provides fuel for boats only, and an ice cream kiosk open during the summer season. The village post office, located near the waterfront, was closed in 2002.
Justøy Chapel Justøy Chapel ( no, Justøy kapell) is a chapel of the Church of Norway in Lillesand Municipality in Agder county, Norway. It is located just north of the village of Brekkestø on the island of Justøya. It is an annex chapel in the Lillesand pa ...
is located just north of the village. The small village of
Åkerøyhamn Åkerøyhamn is a village in Lillesand municipality in Agder county, Norway. The village is located on the small island of Ågerøya, about southwest of the village of Brekkestø. Åkerøyhamn is only accessible by boat, with the Blindleia Bl ...
lies about to the southwest on the small, nearby island of Ågerøya. The nearest town is
Lillesand Lillesand () is List of municipalities of Norway, municipality in Agder counties of Norway, county, Norway. It is part of the Districts of Norway, traditional district of Southern Norway, Sørlandet. The administrative center of the municipality ...
, accessible by road via a network of bridges, and the closest international airport is Kjevik Airport near
Kristiansand Kristiansand is a seaside resort city and Municipalities of Norway, municipality in Agder county, Norway. The city is the fifth-largest and the municipality the sixth-largest in Norway, with a population of around 112,000 as of January 2020, f ...
. Brekkestø is also reached by boat via the Blindleia strait, which passes nearby. Brekkestø has a reputation for being both rustic yet exclusive, and as such, it is a popular destination for summer vacationing. Brekkestø is often cited as an “idyllic pearl” of Southern Norway. Due to its popularity however, the small village is often overcrowded with Norwegian and
German German(s) may refer to: * Germany (of or related to) **Germania (historical use) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law **Ger ...
tourists Tourism is travel for pleasure or business; also the theory and practice of touring (disambiguation), touring, the business of attracting, accommodating, and entertaining tourists, and the business of operating tour (disambiguation), tours. Th ...
during the peak summer months, while during the winter months, the village is virtually deserted.


History

Brekkestø started off as a protected harbour for the Stutthei-farms in early 17th century, mainly due to the threats of Dutch pirates and corsairs. During the time of sailing ships in the 18th and 19th century, Brekkestø the most commonly used winter harbour on the south coast along the Skaggerak. The harbour saw ships from many Northern European countries, and it was common that they had to wait several months before they could continue their journey. They were waiting for good weather and sailing conditions, and for the ice to disappear, or they were waiting for cargo. In the winter of 1862, there were 92 sailing ships in the harbour, so it was said that they could walk safely from island to island. Ship traffic created a lot of activity, and there were shops, apartments, hotels and duty station in the small outport.


Historic buildings

The following buildings are listed for cultural and historic protection: * Brekkestø landhandel (the landstore) * Tollboden (the customs house) * Main house on Gaupholmen, built in 1764


Name

The name derives from ''brekke'' (which means "hillside") and ''stø'' (meaning the landing area for a boat).


Attractions

Brekkestø is located close to the Blindleia strait, and there are numerous small islands to visit in the area. The village is also close to Lillesand, a pretty Norwegian town full of the white painted houses you see in Brekkestø.


Notable residents

Many Norwegian artists retreated to Brekkestø for inspiration: *
Christian Krohg Christian Krohg (13 August 1852 – 16 October 1925) was a Norwegian naturalist painter, illustrator, author and journalist. Krohg was inspired by the realism art movement and often chose motifs from everyday life. He was the director and ...
(13 August 1852 – 16 October 1925), was a Norwegian naturalist painter, illustrator, author and journalist. * Nils Kjær (11 September 1870 – 9 February 1924) was a Norwegian playwright, short story writer, essayist, literary critic and theatre critic. Wrote ''Brekkestøbreve'' (Brekkestø letters). * Gabriel Scott (8 March 1874 – 9 July 1958) was a Norwegian poet, novelist, playwright and children's writer.


References


External links


Brekkestø Vel
{{DEFAULTSORT:Brekkesto Lillesand Villages in Agder