"Welcome to Asker!" Asker by Saagar

Asker Travel Guide: 147 reviews and 107 photos

Explore Asker!

I moved to Asker some years back, and still enjoy exploring my new home community.

I did some initial research on Asker prior to moving here, of course, and the good things I have by and large been able to confirm, and the negatives, too. Despite clinging to the term "bygd" (something like an independent community with a separate, village-like identity), Asker is very much the sleeping quarters for an Osloite workforce. The bumper-to-bumper traffic on the road to Oslo every morning confirms this. However, people here keep insisting that Asker is on a different planet... I'll agree to this: Asker is sufficiently far away from Oslo to have some interesting urban niches, services, plenty of rural scenery and even wilderness at the edges. And the place does indeed have a separate and wholesome identity.

Asker isn't much of a tourist destination as such. But it is a community with a lot of international families, workers and businesses, and it is within easy day og half day excursion reach of Oslo. You will find several business and conference hotels and facilities here, and they often have offers and activities, such as family dinner special nights, SPA etc. geared toward casual visitors and locals as well during the slack periods - and that is normally during the holidays and weekends. So, it is worthwhile looking at Asker for a stopover, or even as an alternative to staying in Oslo.

In the process of collecting info for my Asker VT page that the info served quite neatly as my own resource pages for Asker. Easy to look up phone numbers, opening hours etc. Since Asker isn't really a prime tourism destination in itself I might as well keep utilizing the VT Asker pages for my own purposes? So if these pages on Asker are boring, then be it - it's like this by design!

If you want to check out how things are here, check these web sites:
Statistics of Asker: Statistics
Skiing and snow conditions Skiing
Maps of Asker (and elsewhere): Asker Map
Asker's museums: Asker Museum
Local news and info (Norwegian language) Budstikka
Traffic situation liveTraffic
Basic info about Asker: Wikipedia info and Asker web links
Visitors' information in English: : Asker&Bærum tourist
About Asker Municipality in English: About Asker in English
Need official info about Asker municipality?: Asker kommune
Local services, phonebook, civil society, business: Asker directory
New in Asker?: New in Asker
Cultural events calendar for Asker: Events, search for Asker and Bærum
Local ads, buy and sell, real estate, boats, map search Finn.no, choose Akershus, Asker
The light and weather in Asker just now? Check the web camera: Webcamera in Asker
My personal local issues blogs; check Askerbloggenfor thougths and opinions.

Asker - the dry facts

The coastal part of Asker.

Asker is a municipality just to the west of Oslo proper. The indented western coastal strip of the Inner Oslofjord belongs to Asker. About 55.000 people and increasing live here, and work in the local area or commute to Oslo. Communications with the rest of Oslo and the country are good: Asker is on the E18 highway west, on the train mainlines to Skien, Stavanger and Bergen. There are direct bus/rail connections to the airports of Oslo and Torp. The internal bus services are good. Sports facilities and cultural institutions of all sorts are excellent. It's a bit of an artists' community, too. Culturally speaking, however, Asker is much less colorful and multiethnic than closer to the core of Oslo, but as 2nd and 3rd generation immigrants increasingly expand business and living out of Oslo centre, these benefits reach Asker, too.
Living costs here are fairly high, but matched by a higher per capita income than the average of Norway, and excellent local social and educational services. You find this relative wealth reflected in expensive housing and an odd assortment of terapeutic institutions, cosmethic surgery business, pet grooming stores, five (5!) baby massage places, swimming aerobics parlours and the like.
Asker centre - a town in it's own right - has some 5500 inhabitants and functions as the service, communications and commerical centre. It is small and compact, and easy to walk around. It is far enough from Oslo to have a good number of intact shops and commercial services.
Most people live along the key roads, the coast and in some smaller communities. That leaves a fairly large hinterland of forests and smallish mountains and lakes for nature's own benefit, and for recreation and exploration. Agriculture is still on the list of images of Asker, especially berries and fruit and lettuce growing.

The beauty of living in Asker

Artistic maritim house decoration at Vollen, Asker

Asker's climate is among the warmest and best in Norway. The summer season is long. I actually grow grapes in my yard, at 51 degrees north! The disadvantage is of course that the winter proper is short, with snow conditions that leaves something to be desired. I already long back to Lillehammer's stable winter climate - a real white winter town!
The maritime image of Oslo's Westfjord is strong and reflected in restaurants, galleries, shops and boating and bathing. There are good bathing/swimming opportunities at several smallish beaches here, and some nice maritime theme restaurants and cafes.
Asker is a sports and outdoorsy community, with many ski tracks, foot paths, the coastal trail, bikers, sailors, kayakers etc. It is a bit of a green community as well, despite all the CO2 and NOxes produced in the logjam to Oslo; the world highest concentration of electric cars per capita is found here, and services and policies pertaining to going green are implemented.

Pros and Cons

Pros:Warm climate, fjord proximity, community feeling, small, but big enough
Cons:Too much part of Oslo's suburbia, little true wilderness
In a nutshell:Good living, easy to leave, to be missed only in the long run

Intro Updated May 9, 2013
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Reviews (161)

A restaurant guide to Asker and Baerum's eateries: - Asker

A restaurant guide to Asker and Baerum's... Restaurants (37)

Budstikkaguiden is the local resources info pages on the local newspaper's web page. By checking it out you will find a... more travel advice

Kystleden - coastal huts and boats Hotels (4)

Kystleden is an organisation doing what the hikers' association does in the mountains and forests at sea: the Kystleden... more travel advice

Hebbe Lilles Galleri Things to Do (28)

Hebbe Lille, or Øyvind Jordfald, has a small visual arts gallery at Vollen Handelssted. It's located in a small,... more travel advice

Ski bus to Solli Sports & Outdoors (22)

During winters until 11 March a ski bus travels from Asker Railway/bus station every Sunday at 10, 11, 12 and 13... more travel advice

Shopping (21)
See All Autumn book market at Holmen
Local Customs (11)
See All Picking mushrooms
Off The Beaten Path (9)
See All Hindu temple in Asker
Warnings and Dangers (6)
See All Climate change - will Asker be...
Nightlife (4)
See All Blues in Asker

Favorites (3)
See All Trouble with trees?
Transportation (14)
See All Special shipping, cargo needs?
Tourist Traps (1)
No tourist traps???
What to Pack (1)
Don't come without bathing gear during...
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Comments (9)

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Ainisoba Feb 23, 2010 at 4:08 PM

I'd like to visit again Asker, thanks for many information but I don't think so, there is warm climate.
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JonInNorway Nov 22, 2008 at 11:46 AM

I really can't recommend this company (Asker og Baerum Taxisentral). I was transferred to unanswered extentions (1930hrs 22/11/08) and the girl answering couldn't understand my Norwegian or my English.
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Lunaina Mar 9, 2007 at 7:46 AM

wow, many and good tips, thanks!!!
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Florida999 Jan 10, 2007 at 9:03 AM

Lots of snow! I am jealous.... huh?! Warm climate??? You listed that as a "pro"... Welcome back from your trip:) I looked at what I wrote on your Mongolia page...wasn't that nice lol!
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nomada May 7, 2006 at 1:34 AM

Lovely cute boy with blueberries :)
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Dancer_75 Nov 22, 2005 at 4:12 PM

Great page about your hometown! Very informative!
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Azhut Jun 4, 2005 at 3:26 AM

Next time I come you must be my guide :-)))
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grets Mar 13, 2005 at 2:01 PM

Some great updates here Olav. I don't miss the 'holke', but I do mis 'smultringer'. I used to go to the top of Vardåsen for skinny dipping quite regularly!
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Mariajoy Dec 28, 2004 at 4:55 AM

Useful shopping tips here Olav! If ever I am in this part of Norway and I need bread, carpets or kerosene lamps, I will know where to get them! :))