Bærum – Fjord, Nature and Culture

Fjord shores, wetlands, hiking trails and cultural sites give Bærum many different faces. When planning your holiday, you can decide whether you would like to spend most of your time by the water, enjoy the outdoors or discover art and history. You can also give these interests different priorities during a single trip.

Fjord, Beaches and Nature

At Fornebu, fjord landscapes and biological diversity meet. The peninsula is surrounded by fjord and beaches; the Storøykilen wetland is one of the area’s most species-rich natural areas and one of the last remaining wetlands in the inner Oslofjord. Rare birds live there, and many bird species use the area as a stopover during migration. If you would like to focus particularly on nature and birdlife during an outing, you will find a different kind of experience here than at the bathing spots.

Storøyodden Beach is at the far end of Storøya on Fornebu and has been awarded the Blue Flag. Kadettangen combines a beach with a park and recreational facilities. There is also a bathing cove that makes swimming easier for people with physical disabilities or who feel unsure in the water. Kalvøya, meanwhile, offers child-friendly beaches and is a popular place for walks. These different locations give families several options for days by the water and walks.

The route to Kolsåstoppen also has a clear connection to nature: it passes through the Kolsås-Dælivann Landscape Protection Area and the Kolsåsstupene Nature Reserve. The coastal trail in Bærum is 23 kilometres long and runs from Bjørnsvika to Lysaker. You can take this specific distance into account when planning your day. The pilgrim routes Gudbrandsdalsleden and Tunsbergleden offer another way to explore Bærum on foot: both pass through the municipality and meet just northwest of Øverland.

Art, History and Discovery

The Henie Onstad Art Centre at Høvikodden is an important institution for international contemporary art. A large sculpture park surrounds the site. Høvikodden Park also has a bathing area with sculptures, toilet facilities and a barbecue. This lets you make an art-focused outing or a stay by the water the centre of your plans, without treating the two as the same thing.

The Grini Museum tells the story of the Grini prison camp through film footage, photographs, audio recordings, artefacts and digital technologies. Bærums Verk offers a different perspective on history: its market square is set in the authentic surroundings of an ironworks that shaped Bærum from the early 17th century. The trading centre includes around 50 shops, craft businesses, workshops, galleries and dining establishments. Bærums Verk’s sculpture park features 28 sculptures by Norwegian artists; the collection is expanded with a new sculpture each year.

At Kalkstien, signs explain the limestone rock in Bærum and the hard manual labour once involved in quarrying it—both before and after the introduction of gunpowder in the 18th century. Lommedalsbanen was established in 1978 as Norway’s first narrow-gauge museum railway. If you would like to combine different topics for children, the Engineerium in Fornebu offers an interactive introduction to natural phenomena and energy sources; admission is free.

Excursions and Where to Stay

A circular bike tour is a good way to explore the Fornebu area. You can use your own bike or a rental bike from Tier, provided by the municipality of Bærum. Bærums Verk has a direct bus connection on route 150 from central Oslo, as well as bus route 210 from Sandvika. This connection can be useful when planning a visit to the historic market square.

When looking for a holiday apartment in Bærum, your preferred focus for excursions can help guide your choice: Fornebu is known for beaches, fjord and nature, while Bærums Verk brings together public art, crafts and the history of the ironworks. Guided tours at the Fornebu control tower were offered on the second Sunday of the month during most months of the year; please note that this refers to the guided-tour schedule at the time.

Places in Bærum include Lysaker, Sandvika, Haslum, Høvik, Stabekk, Fornebu and Snarøya.

For the regional travel overview: Akershus.

More destinations

More places in the same destination:

Enebakk.