Interested in history? Or rather prehistory, as it happens? At Høgnipen, on the border between Skjeberg (Sarpsborg) and Rakkestad are remnants dating back 10,000 years. These are the eldest traces of human life found in Østfold, discovered by two brothers, Alf and Odmund Schie, in 1961. The site was excavated by local archaeologist Erling Johansen.

Back in the Stone Age Høgnipen was an island, used in summer by local people who fished and hunted here. Today the walk to Høgnipen, 191m over sea level, is clearly signed, and makes for a pleasant walk. The first part of the walk follows an easy path through the forest (the bit that would have been under the sea all those years ago), and will take you to an information board (in Norwegian) and a stone marking the place where the first settlement at Høgnipen was found. The path then continues onto more rocky terrain and sparse vegetation at slightly higher altitude – just follow the small orange-painted wooden panels attached to the pine-trees to find your way. You will pass a little lake, Høgniptjernet, to your left before reaching the small observation tower at the top. From there you can see Borregaard in Sarpsborg and Isesjøen in the distance. The path makes a loop back to the settlement, so you won’t have to retrace your steps all the way.

How to get here: Follow Rv22 north from Halden towards Rakkestad. About 6km south of Degernes, the road forks out. Take it left past Ertevannet, towards Sørby. After a few kilometers you should see a sign for Høgnipen on your left. Follow the dirt road through the forest for about 4km, until you reach a small parking lot and another sign for Høgnipen. This is the beginning of the walk. It’s about 4km from here to the top. If you’re coming from Sarpsborg on Rv111, take it right at Ytterskogen School (the one with the black horse sign) a few kilometres south of Rakkestad, where you will find the dirt road on your right.