Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
name at 18 when he was blinded by an enemy in Bergen. A later owner of the farm, Erling
Stordahl, who was also blind, developed a monument to King Magnus, as well as a centre
dedicated to the blind and people with other disabilities.
The most intriguing feature is the
Ode til Lyset
(Ode to the Light), a 'sound sculpture' by
Arnold Haukeland and Arne Nordheim, which, using photo cells and a computer in the
farmhouse, transmutes the slightest fluctuations in natural light into haunting, ever-chan-
ging music. To get here, follow Rv110 east for about 9km from Fredrikstad; the centre is
2.1km north of the main road.
Borgarsyssel Museum
adult/child Nkr40/20; noon-5pm mid-Jun-mid-Aug)
lies in the town of Sarpsborg (14km
northeast of Fredrikstad). The open-air display contains 30 period buildings from various
parts of the country and includes a vast collection of cultural art and artefacts. It also has a
herb garden
, a
petting zoo
and the
ruins
of King Øystein's St Nikolas church, construc-
ted in 1115 and destroyed by the Swedes in 1567. From Fredrikstad, trains and buses run
frequently to Sarpsborg.
Oldtidsveien
People have lived and worked in the Østfold region for thousands of years, and numerous
examples of ancient stone works and rock paintings lie along the Oldtidsveien (Old Times
Way), the old sunken road between Fredrikstad and Sarpsborg. At Solberg, there are three
panels with around 100 figures dating back 3000 years. At Gunnarstorp are several 30m-
wide
Bronze Age burial mounds
and several
Iron Age standing stones
. The site at
Begby includes well-preserved renditions of ships, men and animals, while Hunn has sev-
eral
stone circles
and a series of
burial mounds
dating from 500 BC to AD 800. The
rock
paintings
at Hornes clearly depict 21 ships complete with oarsmen. The sites are signpos-
ted off the E6, just south of Sarpsborg, but they may also be visited on a long day walk or
bike ride from Fredrikstad.
