Every design for Risør

Risør sits on a peninsula on the Skagerrak coast, between the mouths of the Søndeledfjorden and the Sandnesfjorden, with the Stangholmen Lighthouse marking the channel into the harbour. It is one of the oldest towns in Southern Norway, a timber port where Dutch ships once came to buy wood.

What sets it apart is the colour. After the great fire the townspeople rebuilt and painted their facades white, then the most expensive paint there was, to show their prosperity, and today Risør is known as the white town by the Skagerrak. Every August its harbour fills for the wooden boat festival, and the Villvin festival celebrates the arts and crafts the town has become known for.

For anyone who grew up here, the map is the grid of streets laid out after the fire, Risør Church near the centre and the view from Risørflekken.