EXPERIENCE RISØR

Made in Risør

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Boutiques, workshops and galleries can all be found close together in the center of Risør - and hardly a single chain store.

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If you visit Risør, you will be captivated by the beautiful white-painted wooden houses in the town center. But this is no museum - behind the beautiful facades you will find creative enthusiasts who manage to combine their jobs with their passions.

A shopping trip that means a lot

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Unlike big cities and shopping centers dominated by chain stores, Risør's retail scene consists almost exclusively of independent businesses.

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You'll have a much more pleasant shopping experience, maybe buy something completely unique, and more of your money will stay in the local community.

And not only shops; several of the town's businesses house both a workshop and a shop where craftsmen and artists work on their own terms and in direct contact with customers.

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Read on to meet some of Risør's creative enthusiasts and plan your trip to Risør.

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Check the store guide here

Tone Solodden Thorsen works in the jewelry workshop at Embla

Embla Design - The jewellery workshop with over 30 years of history

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In the middle of Risør town center, in the beautiful old bank premises at Solsiden 4, lies one of Norway's most prominent and longest-running jewelry workshops. Embla Design was established over 30 years ago by Asta Gautland Andersen, and still produces handmade silver and enamel jewelry inspired by the coastal landscape.

Today, the workshop and shop are run by Cathrine Østvold and Tone Solodden Thorsen, with the founder still active as senior designer. Through the window you can watch the production of the beautiful jewelry while you shop.

Cathrine Østvold, one of the creatives behind Embla Design

"All of our jewelry is guaranteed to be handmade in Risør," says Cathrine . "This gives every piece we make a unique soul and story."

Since its inception in 1992, Embla has grown to supply jewelers, craft shops and galleries all over the country, but the heart of the business is still the charming workshop and store in Risør, where the public can experience the craftsmanship up close.

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Tip: Book a "Private Shopping" experience at Embla - perfect for groups of friends. You will be welcomed with bubbles and special offers, including a tour of the jewelry workshop.
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www.embladesign.no

You can buy the finest Nordic handicrafts at Villvin

Galleri Villvin - the world's largest selection of genuine Scandinavian handicrafts

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Galleri Villvin is not just a gallery and shop – it is the very center of the crafts town of Risør. Established by the artist group Villvin in 1976, the gallery has become an institution that represents over 100 professional craftspeople from all over the Nordic region.

In the year-round shop and gallery you can experience and buy everything from ceramics, glass and textiles to metal, wood and jewelry of the highest quality. What makes Villvin special is that all the artists behind the works are professional artisans with a professional background, which ensures a distinctive level of quality.

The annual Villvin Crafts Market, held the second week of July each year, has become the country's largest and most important gathering of professional crafts. Risør's square and inner harbor are filled with over 100 artisans who exhibit and sell their works directly to the public - a creative feast of form, color and exuberance.

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"Through the dissemination of arts and crafts, we create a vibrant cultural town year-round, which also functions as an important link between the artists and the public," says general manager Camilla Børresen.

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Tip: Join the Villvin Crafts Market on July 10 - 12, 2025. It is a fantastic experience that fills the town with color and fun.

www.villvin.no

Costume designer Badeler - from the opera stage to Risør

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Berit Adeler has her sewing workshop at Storgata 6. With a journeyman's certificate in both dress and suit sewing and costume making, as well as ten years of experience from the Norwegian Opera & Ballet, she represents a craft worthy of preservation in a modern context.

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"I like redesigning the most," says Berit. "Both used clothes and things like old curtains, tablecloths and blankets can be used to create something new."

Hip hooray for old hand-embroidered tablecloths

In her shop and workshop, she offers everything from alterations and repairs to completely new creative garments. Badeler's special expertise in textile design and redesign makes the workshop a natural partner for other shops in the town, and she is also known as a regular costume maker for the youth theater.

Badeler represents precisely the type of niche store that makes Risør special – a combination of high professional expertise, creativity and local roots that creates value on several levels.

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Tip: Berit is an expert at giving new life to old garments. Bring something from the back of your wardrobe, and suddenly you have something completely new that no one else has.

More information can be found on Facebook.

Trine Reinfjell Ceramics

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At Storgata 15 you will find Trine Reinfjell Keramikk, a workshop and outlet that conveys the love for the ceramic craft. With extensive experience from the famous ceramic factory Acanthus in Risør and Embla ceramics in Oslo, Trine has developed a very unique style with a focus on rough textures and what she herself calls "ugly fine" expressions.

Trine's workshop and shop at Storgata 15

"I work with all types of clay and porcelain, but I love coarse clay types with lots of chamotte in them so it tickles your fingertips when you turn," says Trine, who also emphasizes using a bit of Northern Norwegian humor in her works.

In addition to selling her own ceramic works, Trine also offers courses from 2026 where you can learn the ceramic craft under the guidance of an experienced ceramist. In the professional workshop, both beginners and more experienced people can try their hand at the lathe and shape clay into personal ceramic figures.

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Tip: In addition to really nice crafts, Trine also makes fun figurines, cups and smaller items that are perfect as gifts. She also makes fun hand-drawn cards that you can buy in the shop.
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www.trine-reinfjell.no

Acanthus Ceramics

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In 1991, ceramist Arnfinn Strand, together with fellow artists Nina Gresvig and Bibiche Mourier, founded what would become one of Norway's most renowned ceramics workshops. Acanthus quickly grew to become known for its unique porcelain and stoneware products with distinctive brushstrokes, intense colors and clean lines.

Under Strand's creative leadership, Acanthus twice received the "Mark for Good Design" from the Norwegian Design Council, and the products found their way to hotels, office buildings and Norwegian embassies around the world. After a few turbulent years, Acanthus was given new life in 2018 when Lisand Arbeid, owned by the municipalities of Tvedestrand, Risør, Vegårshei and Gjerstad, took over the brand and production.

Today, the characteristic Acanthus products are produced by Lisand's employees in Risør, as part of the company's goal of offering meaningful work to people outside the ordinary labor market. The store at Havnegata 8 sells ceramics that both continue the artistic heritage of Strand and at the same time fulfill an important social mission.

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Tip: Lisand also runs a small café at the Acanthus store in Havnegata, where they serve, among other things, good waffles and coffee.

www.acanthus.shop

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Risør Art Park

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In the old high school building from 1959, in the heart of Risør, you will find a real creative community. Risør Kunstpark was established in the early 1990s, and has developed into the heart of the town's art scene.

This is more than just an exhibition space. The art park houses 14 active artist studios, exhibition spaces and a popular café. Here, professional artists and artisans work with everything from ceramics and textiles to visual arts and sculpture, in an environment that stimulates creative expression and professional development.

Artist Ola Steen shows his printing process

Visitors can experience changing exhibitions year-round, and also have the opportunity to see the artists at work, providing a deeper understanding of the creative process.

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The gallery at Kunstparken is open from 12pm to 4pm Saturday/Sunday, and every day during the summer holidays.

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Tip: Contact Kunstparken and arrange a tour of the studios. Here you can talk directly with the artists and learn about their inspirations and techniques.
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www.kunstparken.no

The wooden boat builders in Risør - true boat building art

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Risør has a proud history as a boatbuilding town, and this tradition is kept alive today through Risør Wooden Boat Building in Buvika and the Wooden Boat Buildings at Moen, where Risør Coastal Culture Center conveys our common maritime cultural heritage.

At Risør Trebåtbyggeri in Buvika, Ole-Jacob Broch leads a team of skilled boat builders who combine traditional techniques with modern technology. With their 5-axis CNC milling machine, they can produce everything from small details to large structures with impressive precision. One of the workshop's most famous projects is Captain Sabeltann's ship "Den Sorte Dame" for Kristiansand Animal Park.

Just a short drive from the town center lies the wooden boatbuilding industry at Moen - a historic boatbuilding community where craftsmanship is still at the center. Here you can experience a living museum where old techniques are demonstrated and continued.

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Lars Grønvold is the general manager of Moen Wooden Boat Builder and Risør Coastal Culture Center, and invites visitors to fascinating tours where you get up close to the boats, the tools and, not least, the people who keep the traditions alive.

Boat builder Lars Grønvold is also chairman of the Risør Wooden Boat Festival.

For those who want a more hands-on approach, courses are offered in everything from rafting and barge building to rigging and restoration. Under the expert guidance of experienced boat builders, both beginners and more experienced can build their own barge or learn traditional craft techniques.

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Remember Risør Wooden Boat Festival August 7 - 9, 2025

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Tip: Book a tour of the boatbuilding plants at Moen - it's fascinating to see the projects they are working on in the atmospheric old premises that are beautifully located at the very end of Sørfjorden.

www.risorkystkultursenter.no