Building/cultural environment Archives

Løkkehaven and Løkke bridge

Here you will find small buildings from old Sandvika, with galleries, small shops, crafts and cafes. The place has its origins from the former Harreschous Hotel and Løkke Restaurant from 1927. Today, this building is owned and operated by the Bærum Red Cross. In the park is a chess sculpture, created by artist Sverre Hoel. The statue is also equipped with a chess board on which games can be played.

The place is also known for its annual Hjertefred charity event that is held around All Saints’ Day. The park also features the historic Løkke bridge, which is a cast iron bridge from 1829, built by Bærum’s Iron Works. The bridge was for a long time part of Drammensveien, and later Ringeriksveien. The bridge is famous thanks to French painter Claude Monet, who visited Sandvika in the winter of 1895. Løkke bridge and Kolsåstoppen were his favourite subjects during his stay here. Løkke bridge traverses the Sandvikselven at Løkkehaven.

Lower Ramme – Villa Munch

Edvard Munch bought the property Nedre Ramme as a 47-year-old in 1910 and owned it all his life until his death in 1944. Munch spent a lot of time abroad in the period 1890-1909. After many years of an unhealthy lifestyle, he entered Dr. Jacobsen's clinic in Copenhagen in 1908. In 1909, a competition was announced to decorate the University's banquet hall. Munch probably had the competition for the Hall Decorations in mind when he returned to Norway that same year. He found the first motifs at Skrubben in Kragerø, while at Ramme the artist found the motifs for Forskerne and Alma Mater. They both show a mother with an infant in her arms, with several children playing and exploring around her. Alma Mater, like History and the Sun, became one of three main fields for the Aula decorations. The Alma Mater motif was one of those that Munch rehearsed and worked on the most. His latest version is from 1940. At Nedre Ramme, Munch had a large outdoor studio set up, as well as a printing press on the second floor of the building.

At Ramme, Munch sought proximity to nature, animals, sunlight and the sea. Surrounded by the sea and the forest, together with his animals and helpers, he created beautiful works with motifs of bathers and sun worshippers, people and animals in rural settings. In several of the motifs, you can easily recognize the area's rocky and coastal landscape in a vitalist style. The area and the models were rendered with the artist's modern and bold brushstrokes and sure lines. The motifs became lush, full of life and colour. Then he also wrote himself that he had found the most beautiful property along the Kristiania fjord.

"In Munch's footsteps"
The Framework Foundation for Art, Culture and Nature, together with the Sparebank Foundation and Vestby Municipality, has created a cultural trail on the property, where you can discover Munch's motifs placed in the natural landscape where they belong. You can walk this when you want on your own, and be inspired by the site-specific art on a total of 11 signs along the paths. There is a main information sign up in the forest behind Villa Munch, and the cultural trail ends at Rammelabben with the statue of "Solveig with the apple". It was created by the artist Peter Linde.

Villa Munch
The house was fully renovated in 2023 and can be rented out in its entirety. There are four double rooms with attached bathrooms, several living rooms and kitchens. To see the house indoors, you can book a tour with one of Ramme's tour guides. In Munch's living rooms, they scratched their way to the original color of the walls, and the characteristic yellow color can be found again in three of his self-portraits from his time at Ramme. The house is decorated with copies of his famous Hvitsten works. Munch's fruit and vegetable garden has been recreated, and a small French culture garden has been created that links the property to Havlystparken.

Tekst and content in cooperation with Camilla Augusta Søhol, Rammestiftelsen

Malmskrivergården farm

Malmskrivergården features Sandvika’s oldest preserved buildings, from around 1640.
Malmskrivergården is a small farm that belonged to Bærums Verk and constitutes the oldest preserved settlement in Sandvika. The farm was listed in 1979.

Iron production at Bærums Verk started in 1604 under King Christian IV, who wanted to make Denmark-Norway self-sufficient in iron. In the first years, the ironworks used ore found in the local area, but from 1640 the ore came from Southern Norway by sailing ships during the ice-free time of the year. Ore and iron were unloaded and loaded on the beach below Malmskrivergården. The first ore printer was the German Jon Hagedorn. Here he lived and kept track of unloading, storing and transporting the iron ore up to Bærum Ironworks. This was also a small farm with a farmhouse, a brewery house with a baking oven and a combined barn with a barn building.

The barn is made of slag stone from the blast furnace at Bærums Verk. On the wall hangs a stove plate from the 1700s with Anna Krefting's initials on it (Verkseier på Bærums Verk). From Sandvika, the ore was transported via Vøyen or Evje on sleds with wooden wagons. In the 1700s, they began to shoe the runners with iron, which made them more durable.

In 1835, Sandvika had 127 inhabitants in 27 households. Lime and ore transport employed most people.

Source: Bæ rumhistorie.no and Bærum Municipality

Aulie mill

There have been mills here since the 17th century, while today's mill was ready in 1909 after the old one burned down. In 1919, the mill was modernized and a separate power station with electricity supply was established. This ensured electricity for the farm under which the mill is located, as well as 20 other subscribers in the neighbourhood.

It is stated that the mill ground 296 tonnes of rye, wheat, barley and oats.

During the Second World War, grain was ground at night without the Germans knowing about it. A watch was then kept around the area to scout for suspicious vehicles.

The mill was in operation until the 1980s. After this, it became part of Ne's collections in the museum, before it passed into private hands again. These now want to display the mill for public viewing again.

The stable, which is connected to the mill, was repaired in 2019, and stands today as it was when it was new, and the horses needed a place to rest.

The Møller house is in original condition, and is used today as a summer residence.

Timber experiences

The great importance of the area for migratory birds is the background for Ramsar status, which was granted in 1985. Nordre Øyeren is an eldorado for nature experiences and contains a great diversity of species. The island has 25 fish species and is the lake in the country that has the most. The area is rich in aquatic botany, amphibian species and insects. Several mammals live on the islands.

In addition, the area contains an exciting history of one of Norway's first key industries; timber floating and lumber industry. Timber was the most important export item for Norway from the second half of the 16th century and up to the 20th century. The oil of the time – timber – has played a crucial role in growth and development, both for the areas around Nordre Øyeren and for our country. Cities in Europe are built on timber that was cut on the many saws in Lower Romerike. Glomma was the country's most important flotation watercourse after 1860 and Bingen and Fetsund booms testify to this time of greatness. The authentic timber floating plant at Fetsund Lenser is unique, also in a global context. The huge stone vessels on Bingen Lenser can only be found here. Along the "Timber Route" you can get to know the exciting history of timber, floating and sawmilling and take deep dives into the cultural monuments that still exist. At Sagelva on Strømmen you can visit the upswing and mill in Mølleparken, in Lillestrøm coffee and waffles are served in the old workers' home Lurkahuset on the banks of Nitelva, at Rælingen bygdetun the story of sawmills and small industry is told, in Gansvika a visit to Gansbruket museum can be combined with a restaurant visits at Gansvika restaurant and inn and at Sørumsand you can travel back in time with the museum railway Urskog-Hølandsbanen Tertitten.

The road between the cultural monuments is short and you can use a bicycle, train or boat. The natural values can be experienced on foot from land, in a kayak on your own or from the tourist boat MS Øyeren. At Besøkssenter wetland Nordre Øyeren you can learn more.

Member of Visit Greater Oslo

Drøbak

Drøbak, which got its name due to its many steep hills, has an interesting coastal cultural history and is one of the best-preserved wooden house towns in the Oslofjord area.

The trading post was built before Christiania (Oslo) and was an important export point for lumber from the beginning of the 17th century. Since it was difficult to navigate large sailing ships all the way to the capital in the winter, and there was often a thick layer of ice in the fiord, the skippers chose to load and unload in Drøbak. In the 18th century, Drøbak was in fact the place in Norway with the most registered sailing ships.

At the end of the 19th century, Drøbak developed into an important seaside resort with several bathing facilities in Badeparken. With its close location to the capital, Drøbak also became a summer place where artists drew inspiration.

Hvalstrand bad

Public swimming in the fjord was only for men. Swimsuits were unknown garments and men and women could not swim in the same place. The first public baths for women were built in the 1840s. At the end of the 19th century, it was discovered that light and sun had a positive effect and young women in particular began to sunbathe. It became more accepted to show off their bodies and from the 20th century, many baths were built around the Oslofjord.

During the interwar period, bathing life as we know it today gained momentum: – Sea bathing as "free bathing", i.e. where both sexes bathed together, gained momentum in the 1930s.

Hvalstrand bad was established on June 7, 1934 on a property separated from the Hval farm. The farm's owner, Wilhelm Roede, and shipowner Rudolf Olsen joined forces to establish a modern bathing facility with a diving tower, a slide, and an elegant restaurant.

Hvalstrand bad and Ingierstrand bad were the two most important, publicly accessible baths on either side of the Oslofjord from the interwar period and in the first decades of the postwar period. A steamboat was set up from the center of Oslo that ran shuttle services throughout the summer season.

Existing public baths were mostly used by wealthy people, who took a bath for the sake of cleanliness and health, while ordinary people bathed in the open air. This was a time when recreation and sports were seen as something that gave meaning to life, and Oslo's inhabitants wanted to get out of the city and into beautiful nature in search of "the good leisure life" as a result of most people starting to have more free time.

Eventually, the place became unprofitable, was bought by Asker Municipality and stood in disrepair until it was protected and restored in 1997. Now Hvalstrand Bad is operated as a restaurant during the summer months.

Løkenes Farm

The sailing ships came with ballast, often in the form of round flint tubers, and had to get rid of this before unloading. The seabed and the beach below Bryggebakken are covered with such ballast stone.

It was hard work where the workers cut blocks of ice with special saws. Each block weighed around 160 kilograms. The ice blocks then had to be lifted into a chute of wood, and were sent down to the harbour. In the early years, the ice was shipped out in the winter without intermediate storage, but the demand was greatest in the summer and the ice began to be stored in ice houses and later in large open ice bins/ice stacks. We can see the rest of the foundation of such an ice bin here. This was a large pile of almost 2000 m2 that could hold 14-17,000 tons of ice and the ice stack went all the way up to today's main road. It was a makeshift construction that would store the ice from winter to summer, and the walls could be 4-8 meters high and were held in place with external logs to prevent the ice from falling out.

A chute had been made and a pier had been made into the bay so that the ice could be loaded onto a waiting ship. Sawdust was often used between the blocks to ensure that they did not melt during the long transport.

Ice exports contributed to prosperity for the farmers who owned ponds and ponds and sailboat owners along the coast. It was associated with great risk. Several ships were wrecked on the voyage as the ice could melt along the way and the weight could shift to the side and overturn the ship.

Holmsbu town history

Today, Holmsbu is a beautiful white coastal gem around the harbour basin along the Drammensfjord. A favorite spot for visiting hotel guests and boaters with lively restaurants during the summer months.

It has not always been like this, but people have lived in the area for a very long time, from the time when the waterway was the main transport and most people were farmers and the animals grazed where the town is now located. From the 1500s, the term "docking place" arose. It describes a place where officials were engaged in timber exports. From 1720, timber began to be shipped from Holmsbu. The farmers did not like this. They wanted to trade directly with foreign buyers, who came with their ships, especially those from Holland.

From around 1865, fishing became a primary industry in Holmsbu. The inhabitants numbered about 400 people divided into 89 families, almost half of whom were fishermen. Salmon and sea trout were fished, as well as small herring and sprats. In the 1930s, there were two canning factories in Holmsbu where they packed small herring, meat and fish in cans.

Holmsbu attracted many well-known painters thanks to the great light. They spent the summer in the village with their easels and paintbrushes. Among them, Henrik Sørensen is the most famous, and today there is an art museum in Støa with his legacy and he was the main man behind the renovation and decoration of Holmsbu Church. H.Sørensen is also the painter of the beautiful murals in Oslo City Hall.

The summer tourists from Oslo and Drammen eventually came to Holmsbu with the steamboat, also called the "dad boat" since mothers and children lived here all summer, while the dads came with the boat on weekends.

Many guests returned year after year, creating a close relationship with the place, which was characterized by stable ties between visitors and locals, consisting of fishermen and farmers. From 1911, Holmsbu was also home to an artists' colony, which linked the hotel to the country's most famous artists. In addition, the hotel served as a party venue for residents during major occasions.

Today, Holmsbu Badehotell has become a place for conferences and individual guests. The restaurant offers a beautiful view of the Drammensfjord and is open all summer. The decoration in the dining room originates from Erling Clausen, an artist from the colony. He had possibly paid for his stay with works of art, a common practice among artists. The decoration depicts Holmsbu from the 1930s, with famous people and scenes from daily life, including the colourful fisherman Julius Iversen and the actor Erling Drangsholt.

The motifs capture the essence of life in Holmsbu before World War II, such as fishing and seafaring. A mysterious detail is the image of the passenger ship "Stella Polaris", similar to today's luxury cruise ships. Although the ship never visited the Drammensfjord, Clausen raises the question of whether he dreamed of Holmsbu as a cruise destination.

Tourism is still important to Holmsbu, but increased visits from cruise ships could have been overwhelming for the small village. This emphasizes a desire on the part of the locals to keep some secrets about the place to themselves. Holmsbu therefore remains a combination of historical memories and modern hospitality. In the center of Holmsbu you will find several protected wooden houses, including "Schulerudgården" where Anne Cath, later Vestly, and her brother Mentz spent their childhood summers.

Huser Farm by the river Vorma

Here you can rent the entire farm for yourself and your guests, or simply book a night or two to experience the tranquility and beauty of this historical place with your partner.

The farm was church property until 1850. In the period 1760 to 1850, the farm was a priest's widow's seat. Husersund was the old crossing point over the Vorma until 1910 when the bridge in Svanfoss came in 1910.