Høvik: Industrial History, Park and Activity

Høvik has several facets: the history of Høvik Glassworks is present in its historic buildings, while parks, a coastal and forest path, and activities around Høvikbanen reveal other sides of the area. When planning your trip, you can consider whether you mainly want to discover historic buildings and landscape history, or also set aside time for exercise and sports.

Traces of Høvik Glassworks

Høvik Verk is one of the twelve priority cultural heritage areas in Bærum municipality. The historic group of buildings in Høvikstranden recalls the industrial community and works community of Høvik Glassworks. Rather than focusing on just one building, you can explore the history of the area here through various structures.

Among the notable buildings is the old Høvik Verk School. Completed in 1894, it is a two-storey red-brick building in a traditional style. Its clear description in terms of year built, material and form makes it a concrete example of historic architecture in Høvik Verk. The wooden villas Østre and Vestre provide a different accent: they are designed in the Swiss style. Østre dates from the 1890s, and Vestre from the 1870s. Both are among the oldest and few surviving wooden buildings on the works site.

The gymnasium also forms part of the history of the works site. It was used for theatre performances and concerts. This brings earlier cultural uses into view alongside industrial history. If you are interested in the area’s architectural past, you can see the school, the villas and the gymnasium as distinct examples without reducing them to the same function or period.

Parkland and Coastal Path

The landscape park in Høvik Verk offers a different perspective. It was laid out in the 1870s and later developed further by Veritas. Changes included a fountain, new planting and retaining walls for the large trees. Parts of the landscape park are now part of the Veritas site. The old park trees help convey the history of the area; Veritas Park is registered as a cultural monument.

In Høvik Verk, you will encounter not only buildings but also a designed landscape that has evolved over several phases. Those interested in cultural history can focus on the buildings; those who prefer to be outdoors can find a hiking trail in the Høvik Verk–Veritas area that runs along the shore and through the forest. The trail brings together two distinct landscape settings in its description: the coastal area and the forest. No specific route length is given, so plan your outing according to your own preferences.

Activities around Høvikbanen

Høvikbanen adds sports and community activities to the historical and landscape themes. The facility is used as an artificial ice rink; there are also gravel pitches for bandy and football. Families gather at Høvikbanen for ice-skating discos, tournaments and shared activities. This offers a different focus from exploring the older buildings or spending time in the park area.

If you are looking for a holiday apartment in Høvik, these different interests may influence your choice of where to stay: the key question is whether you want to focus your trip more on cultural history, landscape or activities around Høvikbanen. The local pages for Lysaker, Haslum, Snarøya, Stabekk, Sandvika and Fornebu offer more destinations to explore.

For the broader travel overview: Bærum.