Posts Tagged Walks
The view from the top of Sprinkelet
Posted by admin in Nature and the great outdoors, Photos and videos on June 28, 2010
Walks in the Fredrikstad area
Posted by admin in Nature and the great outdoors on June 28, 2010
- Mærrapanna: A short, pleasant coastal walk just west of Fredrikstad. Popular with local families. Child-friendly beach and facilities including BBQs, football pitch and toilets. Follow signs from Rv117 between Slevik and Vikane.
- Langvikkilen: A full-day tour in one of the prettiest coastal landscapes around. Path is not marked, but follow the coastline and you can’t really go wrong. Depart from Thorshøveien in Torsnes.
- Fredrikstadmarka: Recreation grounds used year-round by local dog owners, joggers, cross-country skiers, etc. Plenty of trails to choose from, right on the city’s doorstep. Start from behind Tara School, north of the centre.
- Elingård: Easy walk in pretty agricultural landscape around one of the county’s best known manors. Good picnic facilities by the river at the old mill ruins west of Elingård. There is a car park near the manor on Elingårdsveien, off Rv116.
- Sprinkelet: Great views over Fredrikstad and the surrounding area from the observation tower. The track starts from just behind Gressvik IF football pitch.
- Gamlebyen: Wandering around the Old Town’s atmospheric cobbled-stoned streets makes for a great walk, whatever the season, or the time of day.
- Blåsopp: A short, easy walk rewarded by fantastic views over the Oslofjord from the top of a rocky cliff. Follow the coastal path (kyststien) from either Oksrødkilen or Slevik.
Walking in Østfold: Høgnipen
Posted by admin in Nature and the great outdoors on May 19, 2010
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.
The Hvaler International Sculpture Project
Posted by admin in Art, culture and literature, Nature and the great outdoors, Photos and videos on May 2, 2010
Walking in Østfold: Rødshue, Hvaler
Posted by admin in Art, culture and literature, Nature and the great outdoors on May 2, 2010
This is another lovely walk on Hvaler. There is a sculpture park with several works by artists from both Norway and further afield (Italy, Japan and Sweden to be precise) interspersed along the coastline here. The most striking is probably Fortidens Vitner (Witnesses of the Past) by Alessandro Stenico, two grey stone columns (they look like metal from a distance) overlooking the ocean (see photo above). It was the first sculpture to be erected on the site in 2005. A new sculpture is due to be unveiled every summer, giving locals and visitors alike reasons to come back year after year.
Stone industry experienced a boom in Hvaler, as well as in several other parts of Østfold, during the latter part of the 19th century, and the area around Rødshue is a testimony to this, with discarded stone blocks of various sizes still dotting the landscape, and the remnants of quarry activity still visible in many parts. This makes for an interesting landscape to explore. Depending on how much time you’ve got on your hands, and/or how energetic you feel, you can continue on to Grønnebakke to the north, or Ørekroken to the east, both of which offer good swimming opportunities. Just north of the sculptures there is also a big stone cross erected in 1995 to mark 1,000 years of Christianity in Norway.
More info about the Stenkunst Hvaler project (the Hvaler International Sculpture Project) at www.stenkunsthvaler.no/english.html
How to get there: Coming from Fredrikstad on Rv 108, take the first road to your right once you get to Kirkeøy (after the Hvaler Tunnel). This is a small road that goes past many hytter (summer houses). Keep going straight for about 800m until you get to a small car park. There is no P sign but you can’t drive further on anyway, so you’ll know you’ve reached your destination. A path leads from the car park to the coast.
Østfold in Pictures: Asmaløy, Hvaler
Posted by admin in Nature and the great outdoors, Photos and videos on April 7, 2010
Walking in Østfold: Brattestø, Hvaler
Posted by admin in Nature and the great outdoors on April 7, 2010
Spring’s here (well almost), time to pack the skis in, and get the walking shoes out. And to warm up here is a walk on the island of Asmaløy on Hvaler that is not too strenuous, yet offers beautiful, varied scenery.
From the car park (see how to get there below), head towards the sea, about 100m away (you’ll see it through the trees), and follow Asmalsund to Brattestø. This part of the walk is sheltered, and follows a small sandy path along the coast. The little marina at Brattestø is a good spot for a picnic, a swim, or a spot of crab fishing. I’ve seen quite a few shells there, although never a living crab, to be honest… but then again, I’ve never brought the right fishing gear with me. There is an utedo (rustic outdoor loo) nearby, on the way towards the little Pikesten lighthouse, which is the next landmark. Here the landscape is much more open, and it can get extremely windy at times. As a result, there is not much in terms of vegetation, apart for the low lying juniper-bushes clinging to the rocks, but the views over the Oslofjord are impressive. The two islands to the southwest are Festningsholmen (with what remains of the Akerøy Fort) and Akerøy Island, the largest of the two, home to many different sea bird species, behind it. They are both part of the new Ytre Hvaler Marine National Park.
Follow the coast over the rocky slabs (which in places are completely black, because of the algae covering them) and then over a grassy area with brackish water ponds. Many flowers, including wild orchids, grow here in late spring and summer, but they are protected, so refrain from picking them. There is a tiny wooden cabin further along, with a path leading inland towards heather-covered ground, and then fenced paddocks. The area is used for grazing in summer, so don’t be surprised if you encounter a couple of cows on the way. Follow the path until you get to a crossing with a small country road, and a handful of houses. Here you take it left, and then right after about 50m, past the low-rise white house with a big garden. There are many blackberry and raspberry bushes along that road, which goes through fields for the first 500m, and then continues into a pine forest. Keep going straight for another kilometre or so and you’ll be back at the car park where you started.
How to get there: From Fredrikstad follow Rv108 toward Hvaler and head for Asmaløy, the third island. Once on Asmaløy, drive on until you see the car park at Åsebu (sign-posted) on your right, about 1km after the bridge – this is the start of the walk. Total distance: 6km. Allow 2-3 hours.
Østfold in Pictures: Kuvauen, Hvaler
Posted by admin in Nature and the great outdoors, Photos and videos on November 29, 2009
Walking in Østfold: Kuvauen, Hvaler
Posted by admin in Nature and the great outdoors on November 29, 2009
Kuvauen is one of my favourite walks on Hvaler. I’ve been there in all seasons, and I always find something of interest, whether it’s bog cotton dancing in the wind in early spring, sailing boats on the shimmering sea in summer, or a storm brewing on the horizon in winter. The ever-changing landscapes fascinates me, and the views of the Oslofjord from the top of the rocky peninsula are just breathtaking. And while there can be quite a few people there on a hot summer day, in winter the place is all but deserted. Imagine – a bit of Hvaler all to yourself!
How to get there: Just past the Esso station on Vesterøy, take it right direction Hauge first, and then follow signs for Papperhavn. After reaching a little inlet on your right, and driven around it, you’ll see a large car park on your left. This is your starting point.
Follow the signs from the car park. The path goes through a wood before reaching the sea at Guttormsvauen. There is a little sandy beach here (ideal for kids in summer), toilets and a picnic table. From here make for the rocks to your right. Once on the rocks just head south (it’s easier to find your way if you stay high up on the rocks than if you try to get too close to the shore) and you’ll get to the tip of the peninsula. The views from here are absolutely stunning.
Then retrace your steps and head north following the coastline to your left. You’ll see the Søster islands in the distance. The wind can be quite strong here, which explains why the few trees that grow here are so bent – some of them seem to grow almost horizontally. After a while you’ll see the fishermen’s cabins at Kuvauen ahead of you, an idyllic spot that’s inspired many a local painter. Be careful as you reach the cabins, as there is no path to speak of, and finding a way down is not always easy. From Kuvauen a path leads back up to the Papperhavn road. Take it right when you get to the road – the car park is about 500m to the right. Allow 2.5 hours.