NorskArt experiences in the borderland of Norway and Sweden
Day 1 – Karlstad
Sandgrund Lars Lerin – the once legendary dance palace that has now become a must-visit for culture enthusiasts. Lars Lerin is one of the foremost watercolorists in the Nordic region and Sweden's beloved artist. In the art gallery, you can see his magnificent paintings along with various guest exhibitors.
Värmland Museum
Värmlands Museum is just 2 minutes walk from Sandgrund Lars Lerin. Experience art and culture for both young and old, from local to international, modern to classical, at Värmlands Museum. Take the opportunity to enjoy a delicious lunch in the museum's restaurant.
Overnight at this beautiful manor – Approximately a 30-minute drive from Värmlands Museum to Deje.
Dömle Manor is a morning gift from the year 1446. It offers everything from fine manor rooms to modern hotel rooms with views of Småriss Lake.
Day 2
Old Power Station in Deje About a 10-minute drive from Dömle. Experiencing the exhibitions in a well-preserved industrial environment like at the Old Power Station adds another dimension to the experience
Rackstad Museum Approximately 1 hour's drive from Deje. Continue your cultural journey through Värmland and visit Rackstad Museum. Here you'll find a unique part of Swedish art history in cozy surroundings. Enjoy coffee and delicious food, and shop in their store
Magnor About 40 minutes drive to magnor from Rakstad museum
After crossing the border, Magnor Glassworks awaits, established in 1896, where several generations of skilled glassworkers have shaped the history of the glassworks. Here, you can experience glass art and design.
Next, the journey takes you to The Plus, Vestre Furniture Factory – one of the world's most environmentally friendly furniture factories.
Vestre's furniture can be found all over the world, and The Plus, as the factory is called, is a gem in itself. Here, you can take a guided tour of the factory, walk on the roof, and enjoy furniture placed in nature, tailored for Hans Børli's poetry path. It's an exciting and different world in the deep forests right by the Swedish border and Magnor.
For lunch, you can choose to eat at Vestre or at Magnor Glassworks.
The next stop on the tour is Kongsvinger Fortress – here, you can take a well-deserved rest and stay overnight at the old fortress from 1673. Dinner and a tour here are an experience. At the same time, you can watch the Glomma River flow by and overlook the vast forests towards Sweden.
Day 3
The day begins with a visit to Finnetunet in Svullrya, in the heart of the Norwegian Finnskogen (Finnish forest).
Here, visitors are given a tour of the traditional crafts such as birch bark weaving. These deep forests were populated by Finnish immigrants from the late 1500s, and a large part of Norway's population still has roots from this community. Along the way, one can visit PAN Treetop Cabins. These steel treetop cabins, designed by architect Espen Surnevik, have won several awards for their distinctive architecture and attract many international guests. Located in the middle of the forest with only the rustling of the tree canopies for company, it's a fantastic place for relaxation and closeness to nature.
Gravberget Church is designed after the tall form of a spruce tree and is related to both old stave churches and contemporary architecture. The church is a distinctive artwork – a national treasure. It's considered one of the ten rarest church buildings in the world. Artists Dag Frogner and Thorstein Rittun are behind the fantastic decorations in the church. Another uniqueness is the sculpture "Mary with the Child" by Arnold Haukeland. It stands on the altar, – and is the only one of its kind as a symbol in a Lutheran church.
After visiting this church, we enjoy a delicious lunch at the idyllic Gravberget Farm before heading to yet another unique church. When the old Våler Church burned down in 2009, it was decided to build a modern church designed by architect Espen Surnevik,(same architect as Pan Tretopp Cabins) which was inaugurated by Bishop Fiske in 2015. It was nominated for the Architecture Prize in 2015 and was awarded the State Building Award for 2016. Våler Church is clad in wood, both inside and out. Våler is a forest municipality, and therefore has chosen wood as the primary material for the church.
Then, the journey continues to Elverum and Thon Partner Hotel Central in the heart of Elverum.
Day 4
The day begins with a walk among Skule Waksvik's works in Elverum. Waksvik mainly used motifs from nature, animals, and women in his art. Many of his works were commissioned for public spaces. In 2000, Elverum acquired its 370-kilo heavy "Skiløpersoldaten" (Skier Soldier) in the roundabout at Glomma, and a herd of moose can be found in front of the ANNO Forest Museum.
The tour then proceeds to Løten, the birthplace of Edvard Munch.
In Hamar, we visit Domkirkeodden, a cultural history museum on Domkirkeodden in Hamar, consisting of Storhamarlåven, the Hamar Cathedral ruins with a glass conservatory, a folk museum, and a herb garden. Storhamarlåven was in use until 1963 when it was decided to convert the 18th-century building into a modern museum according to drawings by architect Sverre Fehn. The renovation was awarded the Betongtavlen (Concrete Plaque) architectural prize in 1976.