Furulunden is a large nature and outdoor area of about 1400 acres, just west of Mandal city center. Furulunden is a uniquely beautiful nature park with countless beautiful paths and walkways and not least 7 fantastic sandy beaches. Sjøsanden is the largest of all the beaches. In Furulunden you can move from one beach to the other - one more magnificent and more beautiful than the other. Choose your favorite and find the beach with the right amount of shelter for the wind or cooling air as desired, depending on which way the wind blows.
Furulunden - a unique outdoor area
It's not just local patriots that claim that Furulunden is fantastic: Furulunden was in 2001 named Norway's very best outdoor area. In an outdoor country like Norway, that says a lot.
Furulunden is located at the end of a peninsula, with Bankefjorden/Skogsfjorden in the west, the sea in the south, and Mandalselva in the east. From east to west there are about two kilometers of sandy beaches. The vegetation consists of pine and deciduous forest with some fields of spruce.
The area is relatively flat, but there are a number of heights, including Hobdeheia at the end of Sjøsanden, where there are nice views of the city, the skerries, and the sea outside. Furulunden is a wonderful recreational area, there is hardly any better suitable place in the world for a walk or jog. The locals do not even bother to stop if they meet a deer, because it is a completely everyday experience.
The locals do not even bother to stop if they meet a deer, because it is a completely everyday experience.
200 years ago, the area was just open sandy plains. In connection with agriculture, Judge Friedrichsen initiated the planting of a forest belt to stop the sand escape. Since pine trees grow best on sandy soil, this was mainly chosen, hence the name Furulunden. During the cultivation work, help was hired from Scotland, which brought with them several thousand plants of pine and larch from the home country. During the occupation 1940-1945, 2,000 German soldiers lived in Furulunden. The area was at the time closed for locals. The beaches and paths were mined and countless bunkers were built, the remains of which can still be seen today.
Countless trails and walkways - perfect for hiking, biking, and jogging!
On one of Furulunden's beaches, Lillebanken, there is a playground in the water: Between poles placed in a large semicircle, partly on land and partly in the water, various types of playground equipment are attached. On the opposite side is a, also semicircular, bathing ramp that starts on land and ends in water. On land, there are concrete seating edges, as well as showers and play equipment on the beach. There is also a cable car starting on land and ending in the water.
North of Bankebroa is the Rundingen nature playground for children, with a zip-line, play equipment, balance, and climbing frame in harmony with nature. Lillebanken playground is specially adapted for disabled users.
N.B. Barbequing is prohibited in Furulunden/Risøbank area with the exception of adapted barbecue places at Verksletta, Rundingen playground, and Lillebanken. At these barbecue areas, there is drinking water in taps next to the grills.