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Holmestrand museum

Holmestrand Museum – A window into the towns rich history

The museum is open on Sundays during the summer season, and here you can experience exciting exhibitions in unique, historic surroundings.

The museum is housed in a beautiful house from the 18th century, originally built for the Holst family – a prominent family that ran shipping, trade, and farming in Botne. Later, the building housed both the Citizens’ School and a school for the deaf before it became the home of Holmestrand Museum in 1932.

Discover the museum’s many treasures:

Holststuen
An authentic journey back in time to the 1840s, where the Holst family once lived. The room has been faithfully recreated and offers a glimpse of life in a patrician home.

Explore traditional crafts in the craft department, with everything from a watchmaker’s and optician’s workshop to an authentic hairdressing salon and tailoring business. See how a female photographer ran her own business – a rarity in her time!

The Painting and Photography Collection
Enjoy beautiful paintings by Holmestrand’s own artists – a tribute to the town through the eyes of art.

The Kitchen and the Living Room
Experience the contrasts between a stately patrician kitchen and a simple living room, which shows how seafarers’ families lived while waiting for their loved ones.
In the maritime department, you can be impressed by the history of Holmestrand as a maritime town, with insight into shipbuilding and the glory days of the sailing ship era. Here you will find something for both history enthusiasts and curious souls.

Holmestrand Museum is more than a museum – it is an experience. Visit the museum and join a journey through time!

The Pilgrim Paths in Vestfold

Tunsbergleden takes you through beautiful cultural landscape, past small farms, towns, rivers, forests and coast. On historic paths and roads, you pass several famous cultural monuments like Kaupang, Istrehågan, Gokstadhaugen, Vikingodden in Tønsberg, Borrehaugene, Midgard Viking Center and Gildehallen on Borre.

The pilgrim route is suitable for anyone who wants to go for a walk and is especially adapted for long walks. The tour is suitable for both those who want to walk alone or for those who want to share their experiences with others. The terrain is simple and suits most people. There are also several accommodation and dining options along the Tunsberg Trail.

The pilgrim route through Vestfold starts in Larvik and goes 110 kilometres north towards Haslum church in Bærum. There the Tunsberg trail meets Gudbrandsleden, which goes on to Trondheim.

Herr & Fru

In the café, you get dishes from the fresh produce counter and freshly ground coffee that you can also take with you!
Food service in the café is from 11:00.

In the shop you can buy beautiful gift packs and gift cards, and you can buy lunch, dinner or dishes for parties from the fresh produce counter with home-made products. Herr & Fru has a large selection of Italian, French and Spanish products, and has daily fresh pastries. The selection varies according to the seasons and access to raw materials.

Catering
To order catering, parties or food gifts, contact Herr & Fru at post@herrogfru.no or 40 00 99 60. See the website for menus and more info.

Banquet facilities
If you need a nice little room for company parties and other events, Herr & Fru offers function rooms and facilities that are suitable for up to 60 people. Tailor-made menus are served, and wine packages are also offered. Get in touch for a look at the cozy premises, or send an enquiry.

For events like food and wine evenings, keep an eye on the website or the Facebook page for more information.

Hotell Karljohansvern, Sjømilitære Samfund

The hotel has several great conference rooms for 2 to 200 people. All meeting rooms have good daylight, equipped with modern AV equipment and the rooms have co2 meters to ensure good air. Various packages are offered for one or more day conferences. The hotel's staff are highly qualified in the field of planning and conducting meetings and conferences and they are happy to help you tailor the package that is perfect for you.

Horten Storstue is perfect for all types of companies. If you want a small company with your business associates, a large gala dinner, wedding or other private events, the hotel is ready to welcome you and your guests. They have capacity for up to 144 people for dinner in the King's Hall, as well as several rooms for smaller parties.

In the basement you will find a beer brewery, where 14 different types of beer are brewed.

Stavern Dykkersenter

Stavern Dive Center performs all types of diving services, search and salvage as well as various boat services.

Diving equipment and boat supplies and own service workshop are sold in the store.

Offers PADI diving courses and diving trips all year round.

Eidsfoss

Eidsfoss is located between the lakes Bergsvannet and Eikeren north in Vestfold. If you go there you will arrive at a charming village with an exciting history. Here you can enjoy the tranquillity, good food and drink and at the same time learn more about an important part of our cultural heritage; the iron works.

Take a tour along the cultural trail that goes through beautiful scenery and exciting historic buildings or book a tour in advance. At Hovedgården you can find out how the owners of the Jernverket lived while strolling through the partially restored baroque garden. There are people living in the three well-kept working areas today, and in some of them there are galleries and museum exhibitions.

In the summer both Eikern and Bergsvannet offer nice places for a swim.

Landhandelen is Norway’s oldest of its kind, which is still in operation, and here you are taken back to a time when the shop on the corner had it all.

At the Jernverket museum you can learn more about the 250-year history of the industrial company A / S Eidsfos verk and the local community that grew up around it. The well-preserved workers' homes form a historic framework form all the events that are held every year.

Ormen Våge

Våge means “to dare”
The Dragon, however, was not chosen purely as protection for the children. In old Norse literature dragons are portrayed as much as obstacles to fight and overcome, as well as symbols of strength.
It is this duality that Stig Skjelvik found intriguing, and it is the same duality that makes it a valid symbol for any child about to dare a few steps out of the comfort zone. Whether the challenge at hand is overcoming personal obstacles or to prove, or expose, something to the outside world, the dragon is there to remind them that they can succeed. The name of the dragon, Våge, is the Norwegian verb that means to dare.

Medieval inspiration
The shape of Våge is as modern as a dragon can possibly get – but the texture of the beast is deeply rooted in norse tradition, inspired by the stave churches. The bulk of the stave churches of Norway was built between 1100 and 1350. The few that still remain leave spectators in awe of the mythological ornaments and their artful shapes – yet Stig Skjelvik found the roofs of the stave churches to be the most magnificent work of art, as they were a integrated part of the dragon head decorations. The entire body of Våge is therefore built in the exact same manner as the roof of a stave church.

The roof shingles of the stave churches are all shaped as, and overlap each other like, reptilian scales. To endure they were made of ore-pine.

Contemporary magic
Every dragon holds a bit of magic – and magic is what Stig Skjelvik has created underneath the dragons tactile, handcrafted armour. All hand painted with pine tar oil. At night the play in light reveals new patterns in the body and creates the illusion that the already dynamic figure, is in motion.

Høyt Under Taket Tønsberg

No prior knowledge required
Høyt Under Taket is a unique climbing center with many different climbing activities for both children, adults, beginners, and for those who are more experienced. Climbing walls, themed walls, bouldering, climbing courses, training room and lots more! The climbing center has more than 60 autobelayers. Autobelay is an automatic fuse that makes it possible to climb on your own.

Climbing groups children and adolecents
Høyt Under Taket is offering a number of popular courses and groups for children and adolescents. Physical activity among children is important. Therefore, Høyt Under Taket is offering something for all ages. You can find activities for children and adolescents who want a different leisure activity, or for those who want to learn more about climbing. You can find courses year-round for children from 6 – 16 years old.

Membership – without binding contract
Buy a membership at Høyt Under Taket and get access to the whole climbing center during opening hours. Choose between a 12 – month membership or membership with monthly withdrawal, without binding contract. Also, get Høyt Under Taket’s uniq membership benefits:
– No binding contracts
– Applicable at all Høyt Under Taket’s climbing centers
– 20% in the climbing stores
– Free coffee
– 20% on equipment rental
– 20% on courses

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.

Dagros kafé

There are no cars on Veierland and you will find a lovely hiking area. Here both adults and children can easily cycle, and you will find nice free areas and beaches.

Dagros kafé is open during the season April / May to September, and also every day during school holidays and otherwise weekends.

At Dagros café, you will get good food and drinks in beautiful and quiet surroundings.

The café organizes concerts, children's day and other activities during the summer, and can also organize private parties.

Transport to Veierland
Jutøya is the main ferry route between Veierland and Tenvik in Færder municipality; but there are also daily departures from Engø in Sandefjord municipality. Both ferry trips take 10-15 minutes.

Alternative is taxiboat.