The southernmost place in Norway

Another place that gave us more to see than we thought was the Lindesnes Lighthouse. It is actually the southernmost place in Norway, also known as the South Cape. From here, it is 'only' about 2,518 km to the North Cape.

It was not just a matter of looking at the lighthouse, but we also took a short hike through a small village that tells the story of the South Cape. We were especially impressed by the walkable coastal fortress and its dark passages under the rocks. This was part of the Atlantic Wall, during the 2nd World War and occupied by Germany. It served to defend shipping traffic and protect against an Allied invasion, as unfortunately this was also the country's first point of attack. We also read a very moving story about a sunken warship with 999 prisoners of war, including people from concentration camps. 986 souls lost their lives.

The ship sank just before the South Cape because it was attacked by military aircraft, as it was mistaken for a German warship. It has not been recovered to this day and still lies on the seabed, which can be seen in underwater footage on site.

With the background of this story, exploring the fortress and its surroundings was even more interesting, but at the same time very touching. It is hard to believe that we unexpectedly came across such a significant place.

By the way, it is fascinating that at first glance the fortress looks like a beautiful place with a fancy old lighthouse, which by the way is still operated manually in shifts every 14 days. To feel so much suffering underneath the waves and to experience a wonderful panorama above in good weather feels somewhat paradoxical.

After discussing our new insights and the associated emotions for a while in the fresh, salty sea air, we made our way back to the car.

On the way, we actually came across a small adder 🐍 As it slithered past us so casually, we wondered about its origin and how snakes can survive in such northern regions since they are known to love warmth.

After a quick research, we found out that adders are venomous, often live in northern regions, and are the only species of snake north of the Arctic Circle. By the way, their venom is not deadly to humans.

At the end of our exploration, we also learned about a strong storm that destroyed the entire Lindesnes memorial site, to the point where the entire village had to be rebuilt in order to continue the story, convey the history, and commemorate it.

What an unexpectedly impressive day!