From the Mountains to the Sea
Great valleys stretch from the Norwegian mountains towards the south and the east. Along the river valleys people have found the basis for their existence and built their communities. Parishes become towns where the rivers meet the lakes, the inlets and the sea. This is South-East Norway. The distance is short to most things which can be experienced in South East Norway, whether you seek recreation, the countryside, culture or that you want an active holiday.
The region of Indre Østfold is just under one hour from Oslo. Here you can enjoy one of the country's most beautiful bathing parks and you can buy reasonably-priced Lannem ceramics after a visit to the factory's production locality. Along the Halden Watercourse you can experience timber floating and a steamship environment from former times. The tour buses roar into Lillehammer, eight years after the conclusion of the world´s greatest Winter Olympics.
Fredrikstad is a lively summer town! Whether it is the Glomma Festival - as here - or an ordinary summer day, the quayside promenade is teeming with people. Photo: Fredrikstad Kommune
The lifts of the ski-jumping hill are filled up even in the middle of summer, out of pure curiosity. Norwegians and foreigners alike flock to Rjukan, where Norway´s industrial adventure has its own museum. Here the story is told of how the Norwegian Resistance sabotaged the production of heavy water, which Nazi-Germany needed to develop nuclear weapons. The outcome of this story could have been more serious for Europe than we can imagine.
The coast along the south of Norway, and the Oslo-fjord attracts those who crave the sun. An unmatched coastline, with the towns of Nøtterø, Kragerø, Risør and Lyngør, to mention but a few names with a nice ring to them.
But it is inland beyond the coast that you will find the monuments of the past. This is where you feel closest to the cradle of Norwegian culture. The turfed roofs, the timber walls, medieval stave churches. This is where the fairy tales were born, and this is where the silversmith´s and the wood carver´s workshops are.
You might have heard about Morgedal, the cradle of modern skiing. Telemark is also a summer paradise. But have you heard of the Valley of Artist´s in Buskerud? Here painters like Edvard Munch, Christian Krogh, Tidemand & Gude, and Th. Kittelsen let themselves loose with their pencils and brushes. If you have not been there, do visit Modum, Sigdal and Eggedal. Off the beaten track, deep inside Norway. You get to see as well as taste.
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