Obrestad lighthouse

Obrestad lighthouse was established in 1873 and is one of several lighthouses along the weather-beaten Jær coast and the first lighthouse to be built on land. The lighthouse was built at the same time as Obrestad harbor. The lighthouse service was tired of maintaining wooden buildings and wanted a solid building.

About Obrestad lighthouse

Obrestad lighthouse is an old lighthouse from 1873 located on the coast of Jæren, along the famous Jæren stone beaches, approx. one kilometer south of Hå Gamle Prestegard. The lighthouse and the living quarters were built in solid granite to avoid maintenance that wooden buildings brought with them. It turned out, even though the buildings did not need much maintenance, it was not very wise to build living quarters in granite. The house turned out to be damp, cold and not a very pleasant place to live.

In 1905, a new wooden lighthouse keeper's house was built. The lighthouse keeper's house was built in 1949/50 and a family home was built in 1969. After World War II, the granite building was converted into a machine house and the lighthouse was placed in a concrete tower.

The lighthouse was automated and depopulated in 1991. In 1998, the lighthouse was protected. Hå municipality bought Obrestad lighthouse in 2006. The buildings are well maintained. Today, the granite building is a museum and there are exhibitions about everyday life at the lighthouse and Obrestad in addition to the machine park. In the basement there are murals painted by German soldiers during World War II.

Accommodation

Experience the Jæren coast day and night! The houses where the lighthouse keepers and their families lived are today rentable all year round. Three buildings can be rented for accommodation and a residence can be rented for seminars and parties. All the houses have a unique view towards the sea and towards Høg-Jæren and the Høg-Jæren windmills. The lighthouse and the homes all have original facades as they looked in 1991 when they were vacated. Inside, they have been modernized. The homes have tasteful and modern decor. Read more about accommodation, get an overview and see more photos here.

Kongevegen

Along the Jæren coast you can follow a trail used by people and animals for many thousands of years. This trail has been named Kongevegen, meaning the kings road. The trip can be started and ended in different places. Obrestad lighthouse is a great starting point for this trip. The most common stretches are: Hå Gamle Prestegard - Obrestad harbor, Obrestad harbor - Grødalandstunet, Grødalandstunet - Varhaug old cemetery. The trip can be set up as a "there-and-back-again-trip", by car at each end, or with an overnight stay in Obrestad lighthouse.