Uncategorized
-
Kjøkøya
I was a bit tired from recent travels, so for the next trip I decided to go somewhere closer. I found a book recently about Norwegian national parks. I read from it that the nearest park is Hvaler, near Fredrikstad, less than an hour drive from Oslo. Hvaler is an archipelago of islands with unique flora and fauna, and the park itself is mostly focused on the underwater area, but to a lesser extent extends along the coastline. On the mentioned islands, however, there are paths along which you can organize a quite pleasure hike. And that was my goal. However, I did not reach the archipelago. Looking for a…
-
Lærdalsøyri
The Lærdal Valley is situated where Norway’s longest fjord, the Sognefjord, reaches its farthest eastern end. It connects to three more branches there: the Lustrafjorden, which goes north, the Årdalsfjorden in the east, and the Lærdalsfjorden, the shortest of all three, which goes south-east. At the end of the latter is the beginning of the Lærdal valley, which stretches all the way to the vicinity of Maristova and the King’s Road (Kongevegen) through the Filefjell Mountains. The valley is often linked to the historic route connecting western Norway to the rest of the country, especially the capital. In the past, when the network of roads and communication connections was not…
-
Urnes stavkirke
Among all 29 stave churches preserved to our times, the church in Urnes (Ornes) is the oldest and has the most valuable, unique monuments.It was inscribed on the UNESCO cultural heritage list in 1979.Located on a hill above Lustrafjord (the farthest branch of the Sognefjord), the church looks really impressive against the landscape of western Norway. The church in Urnes, or rather in Ornes (Norwegian O is pronounced like U, hence someone decided to change the official name of the temple to make life easier for visitors) was built approximately in 1130. Like other structures of this type, it was built on the basis of vertical, woodenpillars, supported on stones…
-
Nordfjellet 559m asl
After returning from the Easter break, I found Norway bathed in sunshine.Spring came unexpectedly, together with it my desires to go outdoor.Finding the perfect spot for the first trip this year turned out to be quite a challenge.Most of the available routes were still under a thick layer of snow, even though the snow in the lowlands of south-eastern Norway was just a memory.Webcams showed that on the roadsides, even beyond Drammen, you can come across the white remainings of winter.But finally I managed to find a place that seemed to have long forgotten about winter.This is the western part of Norway, a land of fjords and spectacular views.Rainfall is…
-
Skånevik
Skånevik is a small town perched on the shore of a fjord in western Norway. According to data from January 2022, the settlement has 547 inhabitants.In the summer, the Blues Festival is held there, where, apart from local Norwegian performers, you can also listen to artists from abroad.The town center is located around the ferry quay and connections to Matre and Utåker.Right next to it is a small island with a sandy beach, connected to the mainland by a wooden footbridge.An ideal place to rest, swim in clear water or have a picnic. Skånevikfjorden, over which the town is located, is one of the branches of the larger Hardangerfjorden.In the…
-
Naturhistorisk Museum Oslo
Another museum and cultural attraction in the capital of Norway. Natural History Museum is quite an interesting place and a must-see family trip if you have kids who love dinosaurs (and which kids don’t). The museum is located at Sars’ Gate 1 and it is rather a complex of buildings surrounded by a large park or, if you prefer, a botanical garden.The whole thing, about 2 kilometers northeast of Oslo S station. The ticket price includes admission to several exhibitions: – Geological exhibitions, includes the evolution of plants, animals and human;minerals and rocks;history of the North Sea and the Barents Sea, information about the Solar System, Earth and meteorites. –…
-
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…
-
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…
-
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…
-
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…
