- There are several hydro-electric power stations along the River Glomma, and the ones in Indre-Østfold are among the oldest in Norway. Vamma in Askim is the largest of its kind in the country.

- Saxophonist Jan Garbarek, one of Norway’s best-known musicians, was born in Mysen in March 1947. He was the only child of a former Polish prisoner of war and a Norwegian farmer’s daughter.

- Traces of settlements found at Høgnipen in Degernes, Rakkestad, date back to the Stone Age (around 10,000 years ago) and are the eldest found in Norway. Sea level was then much higher, and Høgnipen was an island – local people used to fish here.

- Risen Grotte in Marker is a very special place. The cave, which took 10 years to build, is made or rock and timber only, and there is no electricity – instead the cave is lit up by no fewer than 600 candles. www.risengrotte.no (Norwegian only)

- Linnekleppen and Haukenesfjellet may be better known, but it’s Slavasshøgda in Rømskog that is, at 336m (1,102 ft), the highest vantage point in Østfold.

- Indre-Østfold has been a centre for motorsport in Norway for many years, and the area has some of the best facilities in the country, including Rudskogen Motor Park in Rakkestad. Michael Schumacher is one of the shareholders! www.rudskogen.no (Norwegian only)