Obrestad

For the family name, see Obrestad (surname).

Obrestad is a very small farming village in Hå municipality in Rogaland county, Norway. The village is located in the district of Jæren on the shore of the North Sea, about 4 kilometres (2.5 mi) west of the village of Nærbø.

Obrestad
Village
View of the village harbour
Obrestad Location in Rogaland county Show map of Rogaland Obrestad Obrestad (Norway) Show map of Norway
Coordinates: 58°39′18″N 05°34′04″E
Country	Norway
Region	Western Norway
County	Rogaland
District	Jæren
Municipality	Hå
Elevation [1]	25 m (82 ft)
Time zone	UTC+01:00 (CET)
• Summer (DST)	UTC+02:00 (CEST)
Post Code	4365 Nærbø

A harbour was constructed in Obrestad in 1874 and it is still in use. The Obrestad Lighthouse was built in 1873, about 900 metres (3,000 ft) northwest of the harbour.^[2] A sea rescue station for seafarers was established at Obrestad in 1854. It was in use until 1977.

History

Local landowner Eirik Bjodaskalle, who lived around 950 AD, is said to have had his large farm at Obrestad. Eirik Bjodaskalle was the father of Queen Astrid, the mother of the famous Viking King Olaf Tryggvason. Snorri Sturluson chronicles this in the Saga of King Olaf Tryggvason which is part of Heimskringla. Obrestad was the place where Astrid and Olaf had to seek refuge before heading east.

Obrestad surname

Many families that lived in Obrestad over the centuries took Obrestad as their surname such as:

• Tor Obrestad (1938–2020), a Norwegian contemporary writer
• Annette Obrestad (born 1988), a Norwegian poker player

References

1. "Obrestad, Hå (Rogaland)" (in Norwegian). yr.no. Retrieved 2016-06-21.
2. Store norske leksikon. "Obrestad fyr" (in Norwegian). Retrieved 2016-06-21.