Sogndalstrand - an old trading port from the sailing ship era

Sogndalstrand is a small village located at the southern tip of Rogaland. In this idyllic setting, you will find Sogndalstrand Kulturhotell housed in a newly restored timber building from the 1700s-1800s.

Sogndalstrand is worth a visit. It is the only settlement in Norway where both the wooden houses from the 1700s and 1800s, as well as the surrounding cultural landscape, are protected by the Norwegian Directorate for Cultural Heritage (Riksantikvaren). Sogndalstrand was an old trading port and a separate municipality until 1944. As a trading port, it was a town where citizens had the privilege to engage in trade, unload goods (import), and load goods (export). Today, Sogndalstrand features a cultural hotel, gallery, general store, fishing museum, and an outdoor amphitheater hosting various concerts and plays throughout the year. You will also find a sculpture pier, marked hiking trails, sanitary facilities, a modern guest harbor - and not least, sea rafting.

Accommodation and dining

Sogndalstrand Kulturhotell consists of 10 different houses. A non-traditional hotel - open for restaurant guests, accommodation, courses and conferences, celebrations and festive occasions. Folvik Kafé serves everything from simpler dishes to the most elegant parties. There is a pub in the old prison, which is open on certain days, and courses and conferences are held in maritime premises. There is also a small country store with a range of local products.

Read more about Sogndalstrand Kulturhotell here.

Culture and history

Sogndalstrand in the old days

As early as the 1660s, Sogndalstrand was mentioned as one of the most important small towns in Norway. In 1858, the town became its own municipality, and even before that, it had held trading rights for centuries. In 1944, several outlying areas merged to form Sokndal municipality. By 1863, the town had over 500 residents.

Fishing was important for this coastal town. In 1886, 763 salmon were caught from the river, with an average weight of six kilograms. In addition to fishing, people made a living from trade, shipping, and agriculture. In the 1870s, there were 20 shops, four bakeries, two liquor stores, and four pubs. There was also a customs office, a bank, a spinning mill, a sailing harbor, a post office, a midwife, a priest, and even its own prison. This prison was often used as a drunk tank when things got out of hand on Saturday nights.

Norway's industrialization also affected Sogndalstrand. People moved to the cities and the herring disappeared, which caused difficulties for the fishermen. The shops closed, one after another, and Sogndalstrand eventually became a ghost town. The houses fell into disrepair, and the last shop closed in 1994.

Sogndalstrand – from 1990 to today

The entire village was eventually abandoned. However, Eli and Jan Oddvar Omdal became interested in Sogndalstrand, and in 1994 they rented "Krambua" (from 1862) and started Krambukafé, as an idealistic commitment to focus on this unique place of residence. The hotel started in one of the buildings of the old Skredderhuset (from 1831), and today Sogndalstrand Kulturhotell consists of 10 different buildings, which accommodate both private guests and have beautiful conference rooms with direct views of the salmon river Sokna. The hotel also has a restaurant with a focus on short-distance, home-cooked food, and a pub in the old prison. The oldest house dates from 1831 and all the rooms are unique.

Bosetningen i Sogndalstrand has been preserved since 1994, along with the cultural landscape surrounding it. The Norwegian Directorate for Cultural Heritage has dubbed the place "Kystens Røros" (Røros of the Coast), likening it to the well-preserved mining town of Røros in Norway.

Category:
Geopark, Historic places, cultural, Magma Geopark Sites, Sokndal, Top 20