Discover culture, nature and trails in Øvre Eiker
Accommodation in Øvre Eiker
Øvre Eiker offers many ways to experience culture and nature: An 18th-century manor house, glass art and contemporary art sit alongside hiking trails, lakes and protected landscapes. When choosing a holiday apartment for your stay, you can decide whether to focus on exhibitions and history or on trails and experiences in nature.
Manor house, glass art and art in historic spaces
Fossesholm Herregård, an 18th-century manor house with a long history, is located near Vestfossen. The museum there is open daily during the summer season; outside this season, visits are available by appointment. The grounds are also home to the Nedre Buskerud Hjemmefrontmuseum. It presents local conditions and events from the occupation years of 1940 to 1945.
The Nøstetangen Glassmuseum displays glass art from Norway’s first glassworks at Nøstetangen, as well as from other glassworks and by other glass artists. Vestfossen Kunstlaboratorium offers a different artistic focus: it is a contemporary art centre in the former Vestfos Cellulose factory, which operated from 1886 to 1970. Guided tours and educational programmes cater to different age groups and levels of experience—a concrete starting point if you would like to include shared art and cultural experiences in your travel plans.
The Norsk Motorhistorisk Senter at Burud is also devoted to a specific period: its exhibition features vehicles and other objects from the 1950s and 1960s. Gamle-Hokksund, meanwhile, has historic wooden buildings worthy of preservation. Those interested in architectural history will also find a cultural landscape of national interest in Aker-Smørgrav-Berg, with well-preserved buildings typical of the late 19th century.
Hiking, cycling and time by the water
Ullandsåsen has a marked 4.3-kilometre circular trail. There is a hikers’ logbook box at the highest point, and the route passes through wet terrain. There is also a hiking trail around Lauvtjern, with access from Lerberg/Harakollen, Ullern or Kolbrek. This information can help you choose a specific area and route for a day of hiking.
Other trails offer different starting points and destinations: a hiking trail leads from Fiskum gamle kirke to Anfindshølen. A route from Fredfoss leads to Røkebergtjern; there are also marked hiking trails from there towards Mjøndalen and Konnerud. A walking and cycling path runs along the river from Loe Bruk towards Steinberg and onwards to Mjøndalen and Drammen. If you enjoy planning longer journeys on foot or by bike, you can consider these trail options when choosing the focus of your holiday.
There are also circular routes by the water: Eikern can be circumnavigated on foot or by bike. Hoensvannet can be walked around and is suitable for swimming. Other destinations to consider include Myrehogget on Holtefjell—the highest point in Øvre Eiker—and protected natural areas. Kolbergtjernmyra nature reserve preserves an untouched bog with varied vegetation and an important bird habitat. Fosseteråsen nature reserve is a protected woodland covering 2,111.3 dekar and was designated a nature reserve in 2015.
Places and local history
Fiskum gamle kirke is a well-preserved medieval church worth visiting. For a local history perspective, Eiker Arkiv is also of interest: the archive was established in 2003 as a collaboration between Øvre Eiker Municipality, Drammen Municipality and Eiker Historielag. It is staffed on Fridays from 11:00 to 15:00 at Øvre Eiker Library.
To explore more of Øvre Eiker, you can also discover the places Skotselv and Hokksund.
For the broader travel overview: Buskerud.
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