Coastal Cultural Centre/Kystkultursenteret and other Asker, Norway Things to Do Tips

The Coastal Cultural Center (Kystkultursentret) is located near Arnestad Bruk (factory) at Vollen and houses some collections of local coastal culture.
The main buidlings are the "Selvikvillaen" from 1881 and associated houses and other houses collected for the museum purposes.
Models, text and photos serve to tell the story of Vollen. Main elements are boatbuilding, shipping, trade, fishing, and ice cutting (see a travel tip later on this).
During summer there is a cafe here also, and good swimming possibilities on the small, local beaches.
The Coastal Cultural Center is located on the Coastal Trail

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Address: Arnestadveien, Vollen, Asker
Directions: On the shoreline at Vollen. Follow directions on the Coastal Trail map if in doubt.

The Coastal Trail is a trail (good guess, yah?) that starts from Oslo and follows the coast (another good guess, yah?) all the way to Larvik and beyond. However, it is not yet continous, so check local advice before you set out...

It is a recreational long-distance trail more than a challenging hiking trail, and winds its way between houses, harbours, patches of forests, beaches and cliffs. Can also be biked, but do so with care, it's a walkers trail. You can walk any part of it, of course, accessed by public transport as it is here and there. There is a continous trail section through Asker's shoreline which is well signposted and easily accessible. Local places of interest are signposted.

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Directions: In the north, start out from Holmen Fjordhotell.

"Kystleden" is a "trail at sea", a system set up for travellers by canoes, kayaks, rowing boats (any non-motorised sea faring craft with shallow draft) to facilitate multi-day journeys. The main deal is that you book the accommodation consisting of a number of non-serviced cabins (about 20) around the shores and islands of the Oslo Fjord, and it may include boat rental as well. Some of the most exciting lodgings are very near Oslo in fact, but very interesting and beautiful places. The accommodations are sometimes historical buildings, lighthouses, old dwellings, odd cabins etc. They are hired out for short term stays on a non-service, self-catering basis, mostly en bloc i.e. you hire the entire cabin or house. There are tiny 2-bed cabins as well as bigger accommodations available at a very reasonable price. Rowing/boating along the coast, the system is much like the hiking cabin system in the mountains.

You have to sign up for the most popular accommodation via Oslofjordens Friluftsråd. Check out the web site for locations, facilities and availability at www.oslofjordnes.friluftsrad.no and also info at www.kystled.no Unfortunately there is no English language text on these web pages.

The cabins for rent are located at Kjeholmen, Langårasundet, Ytre vassholmen, Fyrsteilene, Vestli and 5 more cabins.

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Address: Oslofjordens Friluftsråd
Directions: I contact a friend, you may have to search the web for "Oslofjordens Friluftsrad" and look for "Kystleden".
Website: www.kystled.no
Other Contact: www.oslofjordens.friluftsrad.no

As it's too early in my stay here to have "seen it all" I have only so far identified the following museums here - and it's a mouthfull for a small community:
The Asker Museum - Valstads Collections,
Blakstad Hospital Musum,
Dikemark Hospital Museum,
Jansløkka School Museum
Labråten - author Garborg's home at Hvalstad
Sem Sawmill museum
Strandsitterhuset at Konglungen,
Vollen Coastal Cultural Centre.

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Address: All these are located in Asker
Website: www.askerkommune.no
Other Contact: See individual tips as they come

In the right season of wild berries you should absolutely get off the main road(s) and into the woods to pick berries.
The earliest will be the wild strawberries, then blueberries, after that cowberries and raspberries into the autumn. In certain warm spots you may also find blackberries in the Oslofjord area.
The lazy ones can find a "selvplukk" farm ("pick the berries yourself") and not bother with the big search for the berry spots.Normally signposted for strawberries. Local inquisitiveness may be required for black and red currants, raspberries, plums, apples etc. But you will find such places between Vettre and Slemmestad along the 165 coastal road. Look out for Åby Gård, and Østenstad and places around Vollen.

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Phone: 22151768
Directions: You will find berry farms between Vettre and Slemmestad along the 165 coastal road. Look out for Åby Gård, and Østenstad and places around Vollen. Wild berries outside main roads and population.
Website: www.nyttevekstforeningen no
Other Contact: www.oslopuls.no "bær i marka"

Tired of being a tourist?
Maybe Asker Cinama can offer a respite. Films are not dubbed in Norway, so if you find your language film, you'll have a field day hearing your mother tongue again.

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Phone: 82009070, info and tickets
Address: Asker centre
Directions: By bus or train to the station, just a few minutes away from there.
Website: tickets: www.billettluka.no
Other Contact: Or just walk up to the entrance

Huset i Vollen ("The House" at Vollen) is a cultural heritage-protected building and remains an active commercial trading house. It used to be the main trading post in Vollen. Nicely preserved wooden architecture. You can go in and chack out the art and crafts shops, a little gallery etc here.

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Phone: +47 95765867
Address: Vollen centre

If you are from the south you may not be very impressed by the trees and bushes and general plant life at Øverland Arboret. However, the place has a significant number of species, some exotic (more than a 100 foreign trees), and it is very well designed. Best of all - it is always open.
Good place for a walk, with children, a pram or even good for wheelchairs.

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Address: Gamle Ringeriksvei 123, at Murenveien intersection
Directions: Strictly speaking, not in Asker, but in Bærum municipality...

"Lommedalsbanen" is a small, special train museum with trains and railway gadgets from construction, industry and defense in Norway. Tracks are 600 mm.
Considered an "open air museum" it runs once in a while. I have to find out exactly and will update this info later. As it is winter it seems to be closed for the season.

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Address: Lommedal
Directions: It's actually just outside Asker, in Bærum municipality - but never mind... Up the valley of Lommedalen to the north you will find this odd collection of railway thingies.

Konglungen is a beautiful, small community on the coast very close to Asker centre. It is the first place with a true and traditional coastal image, architecture and identity and is a complete idyll.
Walk around here and have a look for yourself. You can take a swim in the sea.
For aquiring more indepth knowledge of Konglungen, visit Strandsitterhuset, the oldest house at Konglungen (1820) which has an exhibition relating to the place. Just look for the signposting.

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Directions: Take off from the Slemmestad road (No 165) at the Kiwi Shop just south of Holmen. Follow the main road until you hit Konglungen settlement.