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Fugleleiken
In Østfold there are 22 so-calledutsiktstårn or lookout towers.Located in the middle of the forest, they also perform fire and observation functions, but I do not know if during the greatest fire risk, i.e. during drought in summer, some forest guards or fire brigades are assigned to the towers.I would have to go to one of them during the summer months and not in the winter, as so far.In the summer, however, I am much more attracted to a different direction of travel, so the chances of solving this mystery are rather slim.But who knows, never say never as they say. Fugleleiken is one of the towers on the outskirts…
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Blücher
Walking through the streets of Oslo, you might come across a ship anchor set up on the Aker Brygge quay(formerly an industrial district of the capital of Norway, now a place famous for its good restaurants, shops, nightclubs and high-standard apartments). I was curious what an ordinary anchor in the city center does, but it turned out that it is not so ordinary. In addition, it is related to the story of a certain German ship. I assume that the story is an obligatory subject of history lessons in Norwegian schools, but probably not many people outside of Scandinavia have heard of it (maybe except of historians and naval battle…
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Historisk Museum
The Historical Museum in Oslo was on my list of places to visit this winter. I was mainly interested in the Vikings and archaeological exhibition from that period, but I wasn’t going to ignore the other exhibits. My visit coincided with the unveiling of the newest exhibit, which had been decided to show visitors only a week earlier, the oldest runestone that had been found so far. I was hoping to take a look at that as well. The museum is located in the center of Oslo, a stone’s throw from the royal residence. I got there just before opening on Sunday morning. An adult ticket reduced my wallet by…
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Kon-Tiki Museum
Thor Heyerdahl was born on October 6, 1914 in Larvik in the south of Norway. His father was a brewer. Mother helda high position in the association of museums in the city. It was probably she who awakened in her son a love of science. Thor studied zoology and geography, and was also interested in anthropology. On Christmas Eve 1936, he married Liv Coucheron Torp. A day later, the young couple sailed to the islands of French Polynesia, wanting a escape from Western civilization. There, on the islands of Fatu Hiva and neighboring Hivoa, they made several scientific discoveries. It was then that Heyerdahl came up with the idea that…
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Mjærskaukollen
It’s the beginning of December, which means that there are already winter in the mountains. Norwegians take the opportunity to go skiing. Those who do not like snow and would only like to wander around must look for available routes elsewhere. I found mine near the town of Ytre Enebakk. Over 4 km forest trail leading to the Mjærskaukollen peak (300 m above sea level), where a wooden observation tower was erected in 2020. The route is quite easy, but don’t expect spectacular views on it. The area south of Oslo is rather flat and elevations of more than 300 m are rare. So even from the top of the…
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Fram Museum
What can you do when the weather offers only cold, rain and in the mountains you find winter already? Well, you can stay at home all weekend or go for a walk somewhere in the woods. Living near Oslo has the advantage that you can also explore the capital of Norway. For some time I was planning to visit the Viking Ship Museum (Vikingskipshuset), unfortunately I decided to go there too late. In September it was closed and reconstruction started. A completely new, larger building is to be built and all the exhibits will be moved to a new location. The planned opening will be (watch out, don’t fall off…
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Hardingnuten
My another mountain destination was located about three hours drive, so I started sometime after five in the morning. The sun was supposed to rise a few minutes after eight, and I got there when it got light. My goal was called Hardingnuten (1,296m above sea level), lied a few kilometers behind Rjukan. When I got there, I noticed that the surrounding hills were already covered by snow. I got to Frøystaul where I found a quiet spot to leave my car between summer houses. I checked the ut.no app on my cell phone about the right path and when I found it, I just started to walk. The network…
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Steinfjellet 1398m asl
Mælfjell is the name of the mountain massif and its highest peak (1,413m above sea level) in the Telemark region, just outside the town of Seljord. On the south the much larger Lifjell Massif rises, and the two mountain formations are separated only by the Grunningsdalen Valley and the Grunåi River running at the bottom. On the eastern side of the Mælfjell massif are the Blåtønnfjellet and Heksfjell mountains (another Heksfjell was visited by me last year), both also separated by valleys. Out of all the hiking possibilities available, I chose Mælfjell for my next mountain trip. The reason was quite prosaic: it was the highest mountain in the area.…
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Hardangervidda & Nøtingshovda
Hardangervidda. The largest plateau in Europe (6500km², with average height 1100m above sea level). It is characterized by a cool, alpine climate. One of the largest Norwegian glaciers – Hardangerjøkulen is located on the Plateau. In addition, the extensive net of trails, holiday cottages and tourist lodges makes it an ideal place for outdoor enthusiasts. I realized that this year my foot has never stand on the Plateau. In the previous one, I took two one-day trips in different locations (here and here). Now, summer is over and soon the weather conditions will not be so favorable for mountain hiking. So I decided it was time to go to Hardangervidda.…
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Numedalshovda & Skirveggnuten
Skirveggnuten, 1381m above sea level, is located in Tinn community. The trail is about 7km one way, but the difference in altitude between the beginning of the trail and the summit is just over 200 meters. On the way there is one more, lower hill, Numedalshovda (1164m above sea level). To get there, I had to go to the northern part of Lake Tinnsjå. A few months earlier, I was climbing Haugefjell and Gjuvhold in almost the same place. Skirveggnuten is only 10.5 km in a straight line from Haugefjell. Encouraged by the forecasts, I prepared myself far too lightly for this trip. I was wearing short pants, light shoes…
