SOUTHERN spectacularly formedmountainofGausta.spectacularly NationalParkto someofNorway’smostscenichighcountry–theHardangervidda andthe foritsepichistoricalstories,butmorethe region’s asthegateway inpart interior isRjukan, at Dalenandtroll-haunted ,isalsobeautiful.Buttheplacewelove above allothersin silver mines,whilenearbyNotoddenhasNorway’slargest stave ., especially as white-water rafting. atitslegendary promisesajourneydeepintotheearth ley ofSetesdalen isrichinforested hillsides,traditionalculture thrillssuch andhigh-energy insummer.the massesoftouriststhatgravitate towardsthewestandnorth The quietval- the coastinsistoninsummer. really theNorwayyoucametosee,especiallygiven thatmosttownsalong thepricehikes you’re planningtobeinthecountryforalongvisit,thinkcarefully aboutwhetherthisis them toKristiansandDyrepark, oneofNorway’sbestchildren’s themeparks. However, unless larger willnever fromeverything towns. forgive else,thekids Apart youifdon’ttake andespeciallyArendalanywhere are elseinthecountry., alsoagreeable thatyou’reto mentionthefact more tomeetNorwegians likely onholidaythanjustabout also offers achancetoseedifferent ofNorwayfromfjordsandhighplateaus –not kind forpicturesqueand canmake stepping stonesenroute fromOslotoStavanger. The region studded . difficult tosee why, withcoastalvillagesalldressed outacrossanisland- inwhite looking Norway’s southerncoastlinehasalwaysdrawnNorwegian touristsinsummerdroves. It’snot 128 © LonelyPlanetPublications „ Venture inlandandyou’ll begin toexperienceincreasingly dramaticlandscapesbutwithout Many ofthevillagesare quite KragerøandFlekkefjord, beautiful,especiallyGrimstad,Risør,

„ „ „ „ „ HIGHLIGHTS

POPULATION: 652,000 Scour the surface of Scourthesurface Admire the exquisite rooflinesandpaint- Climbtothe summitof Take thequietbutbeautiful Strollthroughthenarrowstreets ofthe mountain boxed text, p157 ), Norway’smost beautiful ings inthestave churchat ( p147 andEgersund) betweenFlekkefjord ‘white town’of search ofSelmathe Serpent Seljordvatn Gausta ( p138) Heddal coastal (see the 18) in ( p158) (p152)

from „ Coastal Road to HIGHEST ELEVATION : GAUSTA 1881M Seljordvatn Grimstad Gausta Heddal SOUTHERN NORWAY , , the 129 10am- guard This ) h , a five- i King Magnus 33 31 29 19; www County Vestfold Church of St Olav 33 31 21 75; tonsberg % and various and various Viking ship (now Viking ship Church of St Michael % ( of kings Olav and and Olav kings of

33 34 49 00; www.thonhotels 33 32 44 03; fax 33 32 74 03; Campers should head , the old royal court of , the old royal court of % % (

( Oseberg

This exceptionally well-run ) , the 1191 pi Kongsgården (Vestfold Fylkesmuseum;

. The park is always open. . The park is Thon Hotel Brygga Tønsberg Vandrerhjem 5pm Mon-Sat, noon-5pm Sun mid-May–mid-Sep) Nkr475/625; is well equipped, clean and and friendly hostel walk from the train tidy and just a five-minute good breakfast. station. Prices include a Langgate 40; s/d from Nkr770/970; .no; Nedre has pleasant hotel (if modern waterfront a collection of historic period-furnished farm historic period-furnished a collection of whal- buildings, and a section on Tønsberg’s both a of ing history, including skeletons The latter, sperm whale and a blue whale. whale skel- measuring 23m long, is the largest the world. eton on display in Sleeping Camping Furustrand bus 111 or 116 to take the centre; 5.5km east of location Tolvsrød (Nkr20). It has a beachfront facilities. reasonable and [email protected]; Blancasgata 22; dm Nkr195- Dronning bathroom Nkr375/525, s/d with bathroom 220, s/d with shared monastery and several Viking-age graves. and several graves. monastery Viking-age to make imagination You’ll need a lot of it all. sense of VESTFOLD COUNTY MUSEUM SlottsfjelletAt the foot of (Castle at Rock) town is the northern end of Museum 30; adult/child Nkr50/10; Farmannsveien .vfm.no; Highlights include displays on the excavation the impressive of ), p102 Museum, Viking Ship shown in ’s the tower there’s a bronze model of how the how the of model a bronze there’s the tower the 600m-long of Parts in 1500. looked castle intact, while the extant me- wall remain outer dieval include stone foundations Lagabøte’s Keep hall of King Håkonsson Håkon towers RUINS the are district Atop the hill in the Haugar Viking-era grave mounds lie the Sigrød. In the park off Kongsgaten ruins of the kings of where King Håkon Håkonsson 17 while at Storgaten elected; were Vestfold the medieval the ruins of are which dates from 1207, as well as St Olav’s as St Olav’s from 1207, as well dates which Tareveien 11, Tolvsrød; tent sites Nkr110 plus per car/person 11, Tolvsrød; tent sites Nkr110 plus per Tareveien Nkr40/30, cabins from Nkr500) minute walk northwest of the train station. the train walk northwest of minute

, at provides a a provides ( p30 ), Snorre

(Castrum Tunsbergis; (Castrum Tunsbergis; •• Tønsberg THE COAST . 9am-7pm Mon-Sat, 9am-3pm 33 35 45 20; www.visittonsberg h %

( Tønsberg Castle Slottsfjellstårnet tower Tønsberg Guide Tønsberg

tourist office Saga of Harald Hårfagre Harald of Saga

, spread across the 63m-high across hill behind , spread 33 31 18 72; admission free, tower adult/child Nkr20/10; 33 31 18 72; admission free, shortertower noon-5pm late Jun–mid-Aug, hrs rest-of-

The

TØNSBERG TØNSBERG THE THE COAST good viewpoint over the ruins. In front of the ruins. In front of good viewpoint over 17m-high h year) The remains of of The remains % Sights Sights TØNSBERG CASTLE tury the town had recovered and by 1850 and by 1850 tury the town had recovered in fleet merchant had the largest Tønsberg Norway. Norway, with ties to northern . The Norway, with ties to northern Germany. The in 1535, after town was destroyed by fire By the 17th cen- into decline. it fell which as one of three Hanseatic trading posts in trading posts in Hanseatic three as one of Farmann, to rule over Vestfold and the and the Vestfold to rule over Farmann, became the seat royal court at Tønsberg of medieval In the late period it served power. Harald Hårfagre divided the kingdom in in divided the kingdom Hårfagre Harald his son, Bjørn the 9th century, he appointed took place in 872. Tønsberg celebrated its its celebrated took place in 872. Tønsberg in 1971. When King 1100-year anniversary Sturluson mentions that Tønsberg existed existed Sturluson mentions that Tønsberg which Hafrsfjord, prior to the Battle of In the Tønsberg Brygge waterfront, produces the the produces waterfront, Brygge Tønsberg excellent History .com; Nedre Langatte 36; .com; Nedre Sun mid-Jun-early Aug, 9.30am-3.30pm rest-of-year) as you head along the coast. as you head along few Viking-era ruins and a decrepit castle that Viking-era ruins and a decrepit few worth a brief detour Tønsberg make together largely modern town. There are nonetheless a are modern town. There largely Tønsberg is the oldest town in Norway, al- Tønsberg in- its origins that few distant are though so is now a in what remain remnants teresting pop 37,493 You probably didn’t come to Norway for the come to Norway for the didn’t You probably you did, expect to be accom- but if beaches, tourists drawn by local panied by masses of islands. and picturesque beaches reasonable if way pretty, the coast are The towns along in summer. overpriced Book your stay at lonelyplanet.com/hotels your stay Book the town, was the largest fortress in Norway fortress the town, was the largest in the 13th century. In 1503, the Swedes de- the of and little remains stroyed the fortress castle itself. Nonetheless, the modern (1888),