Norway's Gibraltar - Ny-Hellesund

Norway’s Gibraltar
Southwest of Kristiansand, on a little rocky island named “Askøya”, lies one of the most scenic places in the Atlantic Wall. The beauty of this deserted island that once housed a German coastal battery, but now is inhabited only by birds – and possible a few rabbits - is stunning, and it is easy to be captivated by its almost Tolkien-like atmosphere and feel that you partake in a scene from “Lord of the Rings”.

Whether your spouse share your interest in WW2 or not – this is an easy place to lure her (or him) to. I have uploaded a few photos in the album Norways little Gibraltar (the Norwegian name for the spot is Ny-Hellesund) to inspire you and maybe decide for the trip. And let me add that the boat trip through the “Skaergaard” – the ragged coastline of Norway – is enough to make a trip worth while.

The battery itself consisted of four 105 mm Schneider Le Creuset field guns, three of them mounted on pivots in Regelbau 671 embracements and one on its original wheel carriage in an open position, and quite rare for an Atlantic Wall location these days; the guns are still there! Besides the gun embracements, there is an R636a Fire Control bunker and several other interesting installations, e.g. an AA gun position and lots of ruins. Everything is neatly camouflaged to blend in with the rocky surroundings.

The really interesting part though, and the reason why this facility is nicknamed the Gibraltar of Norway is that the bunkers are interconnected by a maze of tunnels, carved into the cliffs. You can go undetected for hundreds of meters from one bunker to another, take a side turn and suddenly emerge in a whole new location. Despite my age I am childish enough to find that exhilarating ;-)

Getting there is fairly easy. You take a bus from Kristiansand to Flekkeroy – some 25 km and then the commuter boat to the island. The captain will drop you off upon request and schedule a pickup time some hours later. And in the meantime, you and your company are the only human beings on that little chunk of Paradise.

Highly recommendable! Don’t forget headlamps and flashlights – it’s pitch-dark in the tunnels - and also remember some forage for the break (a bottle of chilled champagne is a really good idea ;-). And do not hesitate to ask me for further travel instructions.

Dan aka Wartourist