Kategori: Ancient monuments

Torås Fort

Historical guided tours for groups
Guided tours with knowledgeable guides are held in connection with events and when the museum is open during the summer. The tour takes about 2 hours. Suitable for groups of minimum10 and up to 50 people. This history lesson costs NOK 200, – per person. Children below 12 years for free.

Tours for groups can also be booked on request.

Torås Fort! World history in Færder municipality. Vestfold's largest intact war memories from World War II!

It has been military operations in the area from the Viking Age until 1999.

The fort as it appears today was begun by the Norwegian authorities in 1938 and completed by the Germans in November 1941. 

After the war, the fort entered the coastal artillery again. During the Cold War exciting and secret things happened on the fort when a group partly funded by the CIA moved in. The name of this group was "Stay behind" and used Torås as the educational center for secret agents. In 1999, the fort was closed down and the tunnels were sealed by bricks.

In 2008, there was established a interest-group for Toras fort, with the purpose of preserving the fort. In recent years, the group has opened 5 of the 12 tunnels that were bricked again and in one of the tunnels, a military-historical exhibition opened in this tunnel. The museum is open every Sunday in June and July.

In 2018, the group bought the bow of the historic ship "Pol 3" and will establish a national memorial on Torås with the bow as the centerpiece. Artistic responsible for the project is Vebjørn Sand.

During 2019, the group got access to more buildings in the lower camp, and in the next few years filled these with historically interested groups, including Historical military vehicles. In this way, the interest group created a national cultural-historical center at Torås, where the public can experience living history all year round.

Throughout the year there are several events at Torås fort. 

The Kjærra Waterfalls Park

The Kjærra Waterfalls Park is situated in one of the most spectacular sceneries of Lågendalen you find the Kjærra Waterfalls Park. The Park, covering both sides of the river Lågen, derives its name from the famous Kjærra Waterfalls. Here, the river splits into two separate courses: The Eastern Falls and The Western Falls. The waterfall park is famous for its salmon and the historical fishing methods used are well documented.

In the waterpark you have the opportunity to go for a nice hike, admire the birds singing, go fishing or just find peace in the beauty of Kjærra Waterfalls Park. The park offers benches to sit and eat your lunch, as well as bonfires around the area.

The industry of fishing at Kjærra waterfalls park can be documented all the way back to the 1300, and lasted towards the end of 1958. After a while the plant was restored and opened for tourism in 1992. This brought tourists from all over the country to experience the Kjærra waterfalls, salmon fishing and summer concerts. It is also quite popular to visit Kjærra with kayaks.

The salmon trap is opened every Thursday during the season. There's usually a lot of fish and if you're lucky you get to buy a wild salmon on the spot. The fishing season for salmon is 10.06 – 26.08. Fishing license is bought online.

The Kjærra-bridge extend over Lågen with its 132 meters. The bridge is an architectural masterpiece surrounded by the outstanding natural beauty of the forest, waterfalls and leaping salmon. This project started in the fall of 2000 and was opened by county governor Mona Røkke July 5th, 2001.

The exhibitions around the park makes it interesting and creates a unique experience when walking around. In the park you will find 5 different spots that displays 5 photographs of Kjærra waterfalls park during winter time. The placement of the pictures is aligned so that the photographs shows the same landscape as behind the photographs. The photographer is Kjell Harangen. When walking around the park you’ll also find sculptures within the nature, by the artist Trond Fredriksen. 

The Anagama kiln is both an art piece and a ceramic oven. The oven is inspired originally from Japan and it can hold up to 500 figures. This project is a cooperation between Stiftelsen Kjærra Fossepark, sculptor Trond Frederiksen, ceramist Ole Krongaard and the college of Telemark. 

Toilets and drinking water are available on site for the visitors. If your looking for more excitement, speed and climbing its perfect to combine it with Høyt og Lavt Climbing Park.

The burial area of Istrehågan

The cultural monument Istrehågan consists of five stone settings and two ship settings. The biggest one is 25 metres long and consists of 18 single erect stones.

The Istrehågan burial ground is clearly visible up on a ridge. It is strategically located along the ancient road that runs through Tjølling from Sandar over Istre and on towards Tjodalyng (Tjølling church). Along the ridge there are several burial monuments from the Iron Age. Traces of the road are still found, among other things in the form of the path east of the burial field and several so-called hollow ways, which appear as ditches in the terrain south of the stone deposits.

Archeological excavations were undertaken in the early 1960s, and the restored burial ground is considered one of the best preserved cultural monuments of its kind.

Discoveries nearby indicate that there were settlements in this area as early as the Stone Age and the Bronze Age. 

Practical information
Its forbidden to have bonfires in the burial area
Camping is not allowed
Horse riding only on the path
Clean up after your self – don’t leave food or garbage
Show respect, this is a burial area and our heritage.

Thank you for showing respect!

Brunla Burial Area

Close to 90 graves, wells and hollows are found on this area, totalling more than 120 decares.

Following extensive restoration to re-create vegetation like it once was,
quite many new graves and traces of old agricultural cultivation has been found on the Brunla and Agnes burial area.  

Information board at site.