NORWAY - Scandinavia - page 446

Near Oslo
▲Eidsvoll Manor —During the Napoleonic period, control of Norway
changed from Denmark to Sweden. This ruffled the patriotic feathers of Nor-
way's Thomas Jeffersons and Ben Franklins, and on May 17, 1814, Norway's
constitution was written and signed in this stately mansion (in the town of
Eidsvoll Verk, north of Oslo). While Sweden still ruled, Norway had more
autonomy than ever.
To get ready for the bicentennial of Norway's constitution, the manor itself
is undergoing restoration and will be closed until February of 2014. However,
a brand-new visitors center in the nearby Wergeland House tells the history of
Norway's march to independence with 21st-century high-tech touches.
Cost and Hours: Wergeland House—75 kr, includes guided tour; May-
Aug daily 10:00-17:00; April and Sept Tue-Fri 10:00-15:00, Sat-Sun
12:00-17:00, closed Mon; Oct-March Wed-Fri 10:00-15:00, Sat-Sun
12:00-17:00, closed Mon-Tue; tel. [phone], www.eidsvoll1814.no .
Getting There: Eidsvoll is 45 minutes from Oslo by car (take road E-6 to-
ward Trondheim, turn right at Eidsvolls Bygningen sign, free parking) or bus
(direct bus #854 runs hourly from Oslo Airport). You can also take the train
to Eidsvoll (hourly, 45 minutes plus 15-minute walk). If you're driving from
Oslo to Lillehammer and the Gudbrandsdal Valley, it's right on the way and
worth a stop.
Drøbak —This delightful fjord town is just an hour from Oslo by bus (95 kr
one-way, 2/hour, bus #541 or #542 from behind the train station) or ferry (70
kr one-way, sporadic departures usually Wed and Fri-Sun, check at pier 1 or
ask at Oslo TI). Consider taking the 1.25-hour boat trip down, exploring the
town, having dinner, and taking the bus back.
For holiday cheer year-round, stop into Tregaarden's Julehuset Christ-
mas shop, right off Drøbak's main square (generally Mon-Fri 10:00-17:00,
Sat 10:00-15:00, variable hours on Sun, longer hours in Dec, closed Jan-
Feb, tel. [phone], www.julehus.no ). Then wander out past the church
and cemetery on the north side of town to a pleasant park. Looking out into
the fjord, you can see the old Oscarsborg Fortress, where Norwegian troops
fired their cannons to sink Hitler's battleship, Blücher. The attack bought