Nesgrenda

The romantic Lunden landscape park brings nature and industry together in its history: it was laid out between 1810 and 1825 as an extension of Næs Jernverk. If you are looking for more than a single excursion during your stay in Nesgrenda, you will find several ways to explore local history here—from the parkland to technical collections, crafts and mining.

Discover Lunden and the ironworks

In summer, a rowing boat is available free of charge to everyone at Lunden landscape park. This is a special way to experience the park from the water; the boat trip pairs well with a visit to the historic ironworks buildings. The order in which you plan these experiences depends on whether you would like to focus on the landscape first or begin with the technology.

The Næs Jernverksmuseum at Nes Verk also shows how railway history can unfold on a small scale. Its Gauge 1 model railway exhibition is considered the largest of its kind in the country. It is housed in a 460 m² hall and features locomotives and carriages modelled on real trains. The tracks run for a total of 375 metres, including a main line, branch lines and sidings. This scale and the different track sections give the subject more space than a single model railway line.

The museum’s Hammerbygningen houses three hammers, the middle one of which has been restored. Visitors can also experience the blast furnace, crucible steelworks and hammer building at “Opplev Hammeren”. A blacksmith shapes 10 kg of white-hot steel with rhythmic blows. The ironworks thus puts both preserved historic technology and an engaging demonstration of a work process in the spotlight.

Crafts, mining and trails

The annual Smed- og håndverksdagene complement the museum’s themes with demonstrations of traditional crafts and guided tours at the Jernverksmuseum. If you are particularly interested in making and working with materials, these days can provide a fitting focus for your visit. The demonstrations and tours are part of this annual event.

Mining is also part of the ironworks’ history: Solberg gruve is about 3 km from the Næs Jernverksmuseum. The iron ore mine was in operation in the 18th century, closed in the 1860s and supplied the blast furnace in Nes with iron ore. Solberg gruve is accessible to wheelchair users. A visit there can therefore be combined with a look at another part of the region’s iron production.

At the Næs Jernverksmuseum, marked trails lead to the old workers’ houses. You can extend your museum visit with a walk to the homes of former workers. For access by car, the museum has a signposted car park on Riksvei 415 at Nes Verk.

When choosing your holiday apartment in Nesgrenda, your interests can help you decide: should your stay focus mainly on the landscape park, a visit to the historic ironworks buildings, or the subjects of model railways and mining? The facts about the area give you a reason to choose a focus based on your own interests, rather than trying to fit every experience into a single itinerary.

Other places: Tvedestrand, Borøy, Gjeving, Songe.

Back to the main travel overview: Tvedestrand.