Posts Tagged Sarpsborg
Østfold in Pictures: Skjeberg Church
Posted by admin in History and architecture, Photos and videos on August 17, 2010
Skjeberg Church
Posted by admin in History and architecture on August 17, 2010
One of the largest Medieval churches in Østfold, dating back to the late 12th century, Skjeberg Church is also arguably one of the prettiest. Built in stone, in the Roman style, it boasts a gothic portal, as well as a runic inscription on one of the walls. The baptismal font in the church, made of a special kind of stone called ‘kleberstein’ in Norwegian, is one of the finest in the country. It was carved by an English craftsman in the first half of the 1100s. The font, which is square, stands on five pillars. It is big, as in the Middle Ages infants had to be totally immersed in water during the christening ceremony. Images of Christ, the four evangelists and the apostles adorn the bas-reliefs on the sides of the font. The church is surrounded by a colourful graveyard overlooking the surrounding fields.
How to get there: From Sarpsborg, follow Rv118 (Skjebergveien) south towards Skjeberg Stasjon. You’ll see the church on your right 2km before you reach the railway crossing.
For info on other Østfold churches see www.elusivemoose.eu/2009/12/top-5-churches-in-østfold/
The Borgarsyssel Museum, Sarpsborg
Posted by admin in History and architecture on July 7, 2010
Borgarsyssel Museum, located next to the Borregaard factory and Sarpsfossen, Sarpsborg’s famous waterfall, is the largest open-air museum in Østfold. Centered around the ruins of St Nicholas Church, a medieval church dating back to 1115, the museum has a collection of over 30 buildings from all over the county, as well as artefacts and exhibits from the Stone Age to the present day. These include, among others, silver and faience from Herrebø stoneware factory in Halden, and Østfold’s largest collection of high seat panels, displayed in the Østfold Gallery. The Sørnes Clock, one of the world’s most technically advanced astronomical clocks, in also on display here. The buildings themselves range from a 18th century courtyard (complete with dwellings, stable, cowshed, barn, storehouse, oats house and smithy) and crofter’s house to the bourgeois home of a chief local judge. You can also see how industrial workers employed at the nearby factory and their families lived until as recently as the 1950s, and visit the St Olof Chapel, the reconstruction of a medieval church based on three existing churches in the district. There are children’s activities in summer, and a glass blowing studio on site.
The museum is open Tues-Fri 10-16, Sat-Sun 12-17 from 1 June to 31 Aug. Free entrance to the museum, access to collections and guided tour (on the hour every hour) is 40Kr. Times vary outside peak season. Gamlebygaten 8, Sarpsborg. Telefon: 69 11 56 50, www.ostfoldmuseet.no
More info on the Sørnes Clock at www.elusivemoose.eu/2009/12/17/
Famous locals: Hans Nielsen Hauge
Posted by admin in History and architecture on June 24, 2010
Hans Nielsen Hauge (1771-1824) was a lay preacher who created the largest religious mass movement in Norwegian history. He was born on a farm in Tune, near Sarpsborg, Østfold, and it was in a nearby field that, on 5 April 1796, he had a profound religious experience, ‘a spiritual meeting with God’, that was to influence him throughout the rest of his life.
Hauge started preaching the gospel, a radical move as lay preaching was illegal in those days. He was imprisoned for the first time in Fredrikstad in 1797. He was released just a few weeks later, but in 1804 he was put to jail again, and he spent most of the next decade behind bars. By that time he had developed a lay religious movement with branches all over Norway and had therefore become a force to reckon with.
Unlike many lay religious preachers, Hauge called on his followers to take active part in society and not withdraw from it in puritanical fashion. He helped establish several businesses, and he also inspired his followers to share material goods according to their needs. One of Hauge’s aims in getting the movement involved in various businesses was to create wealth to break the business monopoly of the rich, and thus stop their exploitation of the poor.
He empowered ordinary Norwegians by making them more independent in religious matters, and by inspiring them to look after each other, he also helped to create a new social awareness, and political interest. A central ambition was to make sure that ordinary people should not have to beg or suffer from hunger and that everybody should have work. This is the reasoning behind Hauge’s endeavours to establish industry and trade for his followers.
Hauge died 29 March 1824 and was buried at Old Aker Cemetery in Oslo. In the decades after his death many kinds of organizations were formed for the first time among common folk in Norway, and Hauge was undoubtedly a decisive impulse behind this social and politically important development.
You can visit the Hans Nielsen Hauges Minne at Hans Nielsen Hauges vei 39, Rolvsøy, between Fredrikstad and Sarpsborg. Tel: 91 35 65 61 (no website, but they do have a page on facebook). Open May to Aug.
Budget hotels in Østfold
Posted by admin in Travel and practical stuff on May 26, 2010
Norway may be expensive, but you don’t have to break the bank to stay in Østfold. Here are some budget options up and down the county.
- St Olav’s Hotel in Sarpsborg. Central location in downtown Sarpsborg. Glengsgate 21. Tel: 69 15 20 55, www.hotelstolav.no. Double rooms from 695Kr, breakfast extra.
- Tuneheimen: Sarpsborg’s youth hostel, located near Tunevannet (lake). Open year round. Tuneveien 44. Tel: 69 14 50 01, www.tuneheimen.no. Double rooms from 670Kr.
- American College in Moss. In Mollerbyen in central Moss. Verket 22. Tel: 69 24 20 40, www.americancollege.no. Rooms from 350Kr, houses from 750Kr, summer only (1 June til early August).
- Moss Youth Hostel: Located in Nesparken, by the shores of lake Vansjø, within easy reach of the town centre. 44 beds in 11 rooms. Tel: 69 25 53 34, www.hihostels.com. Double rooms from 700Kr, family rooms 900Kr. Open year round (booking necessary outside of the summer season).
- Hotel Valhalla in Fredrikstad. On a hill overlooking the town. Valhallsgate 3. Tel: 69 36 89 50, www.hotelvalhalla.no. Double rooms from 895Kr.
- Grand Hotel in Halden. Central location by the station. Jernbanetorget 1. Tel: 69 18 72 00, www.grandhotell.net. Double rooms from 750Kr.
- Kaserna in Halden. On the grounds of the fortress, a short walk from downtown. Generalveien 25-27. Tel: 92 86 47 97, www.kaserna.no. Double rooms from 800Kr.
- Solstrand Terrasse in Ørje (Indre-Østfold). 32 rooms including family rooms, right by Øymarksjøen (lake). Haldenveien. Tel: 69 81 21 37, www.solstrand-terrasse.no. Double rooms from 600Kr.
Canoe and kayak hire in Østfold
Posted by admin in Nature and the great outdoors on May 20, 2010
With hundreds of lakes and miles of coastline, Østfold is a great place to try kayaking, or canoeing. Whether it’s for a couple of hours after work, or a long weekend outing with friends and/or family, a fun time is guaranteed.
- You can hire canoes and kayaks at Børtevann, east of Sarpsborg, an idyllic, sheltered location ideal for beginners. Canoes are 250Kr for a day (50Kr an hour), kayaks 350Kr for the day (75Kr an hour). Grinerødveien 2, Ise. Tel: 69 16 01 73 or 90 83 33 11, www.kanoutleie.net
- Moss Kajakklubb has canoes and kayaks for hire in Nesparken. You must book in advance as the premises are not manned. They also organise guided tours. From 300Kr a day. Tel: 99 56 12 10, www.moss-kajakklubb.no
- Rømskog Kanoutleie: Rømsjøen is the largest lake in Rømskog, and arguably the prettiest in Østfold. Hire a canoe for the weekend, and explore the area! Canoes are 250Kr for a day (50Kr an hour). Here too you must book in advance. Tel: 95 91 61 75, www.kanoutleie.no
- Aursmark Natur in Kroksund have canoes for hire. From here you are ideally located to paddle on the Halden Canal. They also organise tours. Canoes are 180Kr for the day, 220Kr for 24 hours. They will come and get you if you don’t have your own transport. Kroksund, Ørje. Tel: 69 81 31 47, www.aursmark-natur.com/kano
- Olseng Marina on Ullerøy, Skjeberg, have sea kayaks. Rental is 400Kr a day (150Kr per hour). Ullerøyveien 628. Tel: 69 16 95 95, www.olsengmarina.no
Østfold in Pictures: Tunevannet
Posted by admin in Nature and the great outdoors, Photos and videos on May 1, 2010
Tunevannet, Sarpsborg
Posted by admin in Nature and the great outdoors on May 1, 2010
A great place for swimming, jogging, cycling, or even indeed just a walk, this lake just outside Sarpsborg is a popular recreational area, particularly in summer, when it buzzes with activity. There are several sandy beaches and creeks here and the main one by Prestegårdstangen, which boasts floating pontoons and a diving board, is accessible for wheelchairs. Personally, though, I prefer looking for a green patch on which to lay my towel – nothing beats lying on the grass by the water, looking at the clear blue sky through the branches of the tall nearby pines if you ask me. There is a playground with several climbing apparatus a bit further in under the trees, as well as BBQs, toilets, and a kiosk (open in season only) near the big car park to the southeast of the lake. If you want to take a rod and try your luck at fishing (or ice fish in winter) – you might get a pike, or perch. Tune Church nearby, rebuilt after a fire in 1908, is worth a visit, and there is a youth hostel nearby if you like the area so much you decide to stay.
How to get there: Off Rv 118 (Tuneveien) opposite Tune Church, itself just off the E6 north of Sarpsborg.