Kategori: Other attractions

Bronze Age cairns

The sea was important for all traffic and contact with the outside world at this time. By boat they could travel far and with heavy, valuable cargo. What characterizes the Bronze Age is the new metal bronze. Bronze replaces to a large extent tools made of stone, which characterize the period before, namely the Stone Age. Bronze is an alloy of tin and copper. We have no known tin or copper mines from Norway from this period. It shows that there were extensive trade links with countries such as England and Spain where they had copper and tin mines, but also from other places in Europe.

In the Bronze Age, burial customs also changed. People were now mainly buried in stone piles, but also in earthen mounds. Most often, the dead person was burned and placed in a small stone coffin which was covered by a mound of stone or earth. A few times the dead person brings a bronze object with them. In Hvitsten, a bronze dagger has been found in one of the burial mounds. It is quite unique in its kind and testifies that an important person has been buried there. There is a lot of work involved in creating the burial piles, so it is possible that several people were buried in the same grave at a later time, so-called secondary graves.

Many of the burial mounds were considerably larger and more visible than today. People have picked stones from the piles to use for bonfires and other things, which has meant that several of the burial piles have become smaller and messed up. Bronze Age burial mounds have previously been important monuments in the landscape and still are. They have been here for thousands of years and we want to preserve them for future generations as well.

All burial mounds are protected and it is not legal to take or move stones from these.

The Bronze Age in Norway lasted from 1700-500 BC.

Christmas Market Bærums Verk

Every year before Christmas, the traditional Christmas market is held at Bærums Verk. It is considered one of the best and most charming in the Oslo region and there are a number of activities for kids and adults. Get the good Christmas feeling, experience handicrafts in the old workers' houses, a fantastic Christmas market and delicious local delicatessen from the Farmer's Market. Learn the stories of Christmas at Verket 1814 from the guided tours. And the kids would love to go for a tour with the Horse and Cart. There is a total of six eateries to enjoy a delicious lunch or dinner, and 40 exciting shops where you can do your Christmas shopping.

Join a historical walk or a sculpture park tour when you admire the country´s largest expo of Norwegian three-dimensional art : Let the little ones take part in fun Christmas workshops. The last four Sundays before Christmas Eve, you can buy locally-sourced treats – for yourself or to put under the Christmas tree at the Farmer’s Market. In beautiful surroundings by the Lomma river, Bærums Verk has rows of old wooden houses housing artisan workshops, art- and jewelry galleries, the iron smith (22nd July monument in Oslo), glass blowers and restaurants. At Klart Glass discover how the most exquisite glasses are being blown, or maybe blow your own!

We recommend to enjoy a gourmet meal at the charming historic Værtshuset Inn, the oldest eatery on historic ground. For informal dining we suggest the Pizza- or Pancake restaurant. Bærums Verk is easily accessible by bus from Oslo. 

Horse and carriage
Sit in the carriage behind the horse and join us for a short trip up the river Lomma. the sound of tinkling bells and lights from torches will get you in the Christmas spirit.

Member of Visit Greater Oslo

Street Art: The craftsman in Gjøvik

Follow urban artist Martin Whatson on his creative tour of the Oslo region
Urban artist Martin Watson creates street art all over the world, but for a period of eight months, he has travelled in his home region and created art works inspired by the stories he found and the people he met there. Taking in the contrasts between local traditions, mighty nature and urban life, he has created seven murals in different places along the way. Together, they make up a playful portrait of the Oslo region.

The craftsman in Gjøvik
In the town of Gjøvik, Martin Whatson pays tribute to the craftsman. Gjøvik was home to the first private glass factory in Norway, and it's only fitting that a three-story-tall glassblower now decorates one of the town's walls. Whatson's glassblower reminds us of the Oslo region’s long-standing traditions of artisan craftsmanship, which are still very much alive.

Martin Whatson's guide to the Oslo region
Explore the different artworks and the places where they were created.
– Asker, a child's paradise
– Løten, birthplace of Edvard Munch
– Vinstra, land of Per Gynt's
– Oslo, city of innovation
– Fredrikstad, home to a king
– Horten, viking village

The sculpture Signum

Gino Scarpa (1924–2022) was an Italian-Norwegian painter, printmaker, and sculptor. He was born in Venice in 1924 and was originally trained as an architect. Since his debut exhibition in his hometown in 1946, he worked as a painter, printmaker, and sculptor.

He had been living in Oslo since 1970.

Scarpa had a long career with numerous exhibitions both in Norway and abroad, and he received many public art commissions and awards. He was represented twice at the prestigious Venice Biennale and participated in a wide range of other international exhibitions.

 

Maud and Amundsens polar history

The story of the polarship Maud

101 years after Maud's launch in Vollen, the polar ship sailed home on the Jensen fleet (named after the boatbuilder from Vollen) into the Oslofjord in 2018, after a long journey from Cambridge Bay in Canada. Maud was salvaged, financed and organized by Tandberg Eiendom in Asker, and a Maud House is now being planned at Tofte in Asker.

The Maud expedition under the direction of Roald Amundsen from 1918 to 1925 was a scientific research expedition with the goal of reaching the North Pole by freezing itself in the ice and drifting northward. Harald Ulrik Sverdrup was the scientific director during the expedition and, together with the crew, carried out groundbreaking scientific collection work that became widely known around the world.

The dream of reaching the North Pole was not fulfilled and therefore this expedition largely ended in the shadow of Amundsen's previous achievements, the Northwest Passage and the South Pole in 1911.

The Maud expedition, which lasted 7 years, was a long journey in time and scope and finally this story will be collected and Maud will become a main attraction in a future Maudheim Tofte.

Maudheim

Maudheim will be ideally located for future visitors to southern Asker, along the coastal path that continues into the magnificent nature reserve along the fjord towards Østnestangen.

Maudheim can already be visited today and the harbor area has become a popular place to spend the days with a good view of the sea and good opportunities for recreation. Here Maud lies waiting for her house and there is also a small plane from 1920 identical to the one they had on board and made the first flights from the polar ice.

This area was previously the landing port for timber for Hurum Fabriker, which produced cellulose until 2008. There are a few elements in the harbor that testify to this time, which will also become part of the future story in Maudheim Tofte.

Amundsen – the first man to reach the South Pole

Roald Amundsen secretly planned the South Pole expedition after he heard that Robert Peary had reached the Pole Point. He had been allowed to borrow the ship "Fram" from Fridtjof Nansen and was afraid he would take the ship back if he told about the change in plans. The members of the expedition became the first in history to reach the South Pole point on December 4, 1911, five weeks before the expedition of Robert F. Scott made it there on his second attempt.

From Vollen to the North Pole

The polar ship Maud was built at Christian Jensen's ship wharf in Vollen. The client was Roald Amundsen who planned an expedition to the Arctic, where the goal was to do research in these areas and hopefully reach the North Pole. In June 7, 1917, Maud was completed and was launched where the Oslo Fjord Museum is located today. In  the summer of 1918, "Maud" finally sails from Oslo towards the northeast passage. Attempts were made to drift across the Arctic Ocean without success, and other attempts were made to reach the North Pole by plane. The boat remained behind, and after 80 years on the seabed in the northwest passage, the ship was transported home to Vollen in August 2018.
The scientific results from the expedition are still relevant, but Roald Amundsen encountered several obstacles and the ship never reached the North Pole. Amundsen went bankrupt in 1925 and Maud was sold at forced auction. She eventually sank in Cambridge Bay, Canada, where she lay on the ocean floor for 80 years. Maud is in storage in Sagene Båthavn on Tofte pending a permanent «Maud house».

The Oslofjord Museum

At the Oslofjord Museum, you can see an impressive collection of old wooden boats, learn about life in the sea and the history associated with leasure boats on the Oslo Fjord. The children find it fun to make an boat driven by elastics that can be tested in the pool.

Access to Vollen can be done by scheduled ferry or bus. The trip to Maud in Tofte is best made by car. Great day trip to combine with visits to local beaches, restaurants and coastal galleries.

Thank you to MiA/Oslofjordmuseet and Jan Wangaard for text and photos.

Member of Visit Greater Oslo

Ice production in Holmsbu

The market was large in Europe, especially in England. There, the breweries also needed large amounts of ice to cool down the light beers they produced. Since the conditions were right with cold winters in Norway, this became a market for farmers who owned ponds and ponds, including here in Holtnesskogen. For the owners, the profits could be good – it was said that ice cream had a higher price per kilo than sugar in England.

It was hard work. When the water had frozen, all the snow had to be shoveled away. Then the workers cut blocks off the ice with special saws. Each block measured 60 centimetres in all directions, and weighed around 160 kilograms. The ice blocks then had to be lifted into a chute of wood, and were sent down to the harbor where they were loaded onto a waiting ship. Sawdust was often used between the blocks to ensure that they did not melt during the long transport.

Strict quality requirements were set. The ice had to be completely transparent, and it was forbidden to spit tobacco that could stain the ice.

Accidents at work could easily occur while handling the heavy ice blocks. However, the major accident here in Holtnesskogen was due to something else, and happened after ice production had ended. Mass had been taken out from the bottom of the dam, which led to a dam break, and the water gushed downwards with a crash that could be heard to Holmestrand. The road to Rødtangen was destroyed – and at the bottom of the pond they found a lot of alcohol cans that had been thrown here during the prohibition era.

While the owners of the dams had good income from exports, the workers were poorly paid for the job. They were mostly paid on piecework, and in 1890 received around 2.5 øre per block they handled. The hourly wage could often end up at around 20 øre.

The market for Norwegian ice cream gradually declined. New ice machines made it possible to produce ice without natural winter cold, and quite early in the 1900s it became less profitable for the owners to export ice.

The idyllic ponds with water lilies and reeds we can enjoy the sight of  were once workplaces for many people.
 

Wergelandshaugen

The old Magistrate's Villa from the 1920s has been converted into a stately meeting place. Traditional craftsmanship and historical references have been central to the restoration.

Wergelandshaugen is a place for a festive occasion, wedding, baptism, confirmation, memorial service, seminar or meeting place for colleagues and friends.

Wergelandshaugen has a beautiful and peaceful location, here you will immediately notice the tranquility that rural surroundings can provide. In the associated English garden, you can see and smell the plants and flowers from ancient times, back to the Middle Ages. The historic garden has been painstakingly restored to the 1920s, according to photographs and with contemporary plants. New this year is the portal to the forest and the balance park for children and young people.

You are invited to art experiences both outside and inside. Twice a year, Wergelandshaugen has artists in residence and various art exhibitions are held. There is also a sculpture park on the property where the sculptures appear as surprises placed in the scenic surroundings of the ravine landscape.

Wergelandshaugen is accessible by train, 35 minutes from Oslo S or 10 minutes from Oslo Lufthavn Gardermoen, then a 5-minute walk from Eidsvoll station. If you drive and arrive by car, it takes 50 minutes from the center of Oslo, large car park at the end of the property.

Member of Visit Greater Oslo 

The Oscarsborg Opera

Welcome to an Opera you never forget!

Foundation Oscarsborg Opera is a non-profit organization that produces  opera productions of the highest class in the courtyard of the fortress of Oscarsborg. In historic surroundings, the Foundation has produced great works as Aida, La Boema, Tosca, Rigoletto Carmen mf.

Besides performance offered noon rentals, boat transport from Oslo, accommodation and dining before the show and during the show.

The Opera for 2023

Oscarsborg Opera is celebrating its 25th anniversary by commissioning "Kommandanten", a specially written opera about the events of 9 April 1940 and about leadership. The composer is Trygve Brøske and the lyricist is Marianne Meløy, and the premiere is 16 August. "Kommandanten" consists of a walking part and an opera part, and the audience can expect a unique, exciting and atmospheric experience in the historical surroundings.

Read more and buy tickets for this year's OscarsborgOpera here.

 

Member of Visit Greater Oslo

Gjess – Street Art Jessheim

Jessheim enthusiast Tore Kværner had long suggested decorating the wall of the Gjensidige building, which stood gray and dull, in the middle of the main street.

Together with the owner of the building Pelle Skedsmo, Tore Kværner enlisted muralist Caspari to create a painting based on sketches by Egil Nyhus. After several rounds of different proposals, the final design was chosen in May 2022. Just a few weeks later, the finished artwork was officially unveiled during the 10th anniversary celebration of Jessheim as a town on June 10, 2022.

You can find it centrally located in Jessheim town center at Storgata 9.

Visit Greater Oslo