What’s special about October?
In this region of Norway, the School Autumn Holiday Week is always week 40. In 2019 will be from the 30th September to the 4th October. Many families spend the week at mountain holiday chalets.
In October the trees take on the most beautiful autumnal colours. The days are crisper, there might even be an early fall of snow, and the air is really clear so sight-seeing is especially wonderful. We celebrate Halloween and the shops are full of fancy dress and all sorts of ghoulish goods.
However Norway’s biggest pumpkin farm is a 15 minutes drive away. You can visit Farmer Thor and choose one of his amazing pumpkins from the thousands harvested! Our grandchildren look forward to this every year – what do you think of their 2016 carvings?? The big one was enormous, the smaller one was normal, and the little one is an ornamental gourd!!!
Places especially worth going to in October
Drammen Spiral tunnel (Spiralen Drammen)
Please note: in 2020 the tunnel was upgraded. The spiral tunnel in the city of Drammen is a unique experience and in fact has been ranged by CNN Travel as one of the world's most special tunnels. You enter from the town and drive up 1650 meters in six and a half...
Asker Municipality’s Millennium Walk round Sem Lake
The people of Asker municipality voted the path around Sem Lake as the designated site for the year 2000. This is a pleasant walk of about 5 km. It is very popular with both the local population and visitors to Asker. A view of cows in a pasture on the...
Kongen’s Utsikt – The King’s Viewing Platform
The King's Viewing Platform is 484 meters above the Tyrifjorden and Steinsfjorden lakes. You can either start at Sundvolden and hike the 1300 meters up to Kleivstua or you can drive up to Kleivstua parking area beside the hotel (this is a toll road and...
Frisbeegolf course
There is a beautiful, and very varied frisbee golf course at Vollen. The whole course is found throughout the forest and down to the seaside at Vollen. This frisbeegolf course attracts keen adult experts who are amazing to watch in action, and also...
Bicycles: on- and off-road
Exploring the Oslo region and city is especially great by bicycle. There are lots of cycle tracks in and around the city and throughout the region. Norway has been enthusiastic in encouraging people to cycle to work or free time activities. Tourists to...
Children’s playgrounds and training apparatus for all ages
Every school and kindergarten in Norway has an outdoor playground. During school hours these are for the use of the children attending that place. However after 17:00 on weekdays, at weekends and during national or school holidays, most of these may be...
Magic Ice, Oslo
Magic Ice is found in four towns in Norway (and also in Anchorage, Alaska, Copenhagen, Denmark and Reykjavik, Iceland) The photos here were taken in Svolvær, in Lofoten in the North of Norway but the concept is much the same at each location. On entry you are given a...
Drive to the End of the World (Verdens Ende)
The name is perhaps a little dramatic, but that what the southernmost point of the island of Tjøme is called. Two of our guests from the Netherlands drove down one windy afternoon in March and thoroughly recommended making the trip. Verdens Ende is reached by...
Oslo Town Hall (Oslo rådhus)
The City Hall, Oslo Rådhus, is situated in Pipervika, right by the harbour where the ferry boat from Vollen docks. Oslo Rådhus has characteristic architecture, (known to the citizens as the blocks of goat cheese), artworks and the Nobel Peace Prize ceremony, held on...
Hiking in Asker (with maps and well marked routes)
Asker Turlag (Asker Municipality's hiking group) has made a website where a number of hiking trips of varying types are described in detail, with duration, length, elevation profile and map. You can use the automatic translation service on the site and giggle at some...