Ringerike: Cultural Sites, Trails and Lake Landscapes

Ringerike: Cultural History and Lake Landscapes

Ringerike is characterised by long, wooded hills and large lakes. In the north, two short mountain ranges and valleys shape the landscape. Hønefoss is one of the region’s historical landmarks: the town developed around the 21-metre-high Hønefossen waterfall on the Ådalselva River. The region thus brings together natural features and traces of human history.

The Ringerikes Museum is housed in the old Norderhov rectory, next to Norderhov Church. Its exhibitions include several hundred items from Jørgen Moe’s private household. Another exhibition at the Hjemmestyrkemuseet displays equipment and weapons used by both sides during the occupation years. The site thus combines a historic rectory with exhibitions on a range of subjects.

The Kjerratmuseet is a cultural and natural history museum for Åsa in Ringerike. The museum’s topics include a chainsaw museum and a 13-metre-long scale model of the landscape. It shows the historic Kjerrat installations as well as old farms and mountain pastures. The model’s details provide an overview of these installations and the landscape in which they played a role.

Ringerike’s industrial history is also tangible. The Ringerikes Nikkelverk in Tyristrand began operating in the mid-19th century and was a leading nickel producer. At the site near Åsterudtjern, mine entrances, slag heaps and building remains can still be seen. These visible remains offer a different way to explore the past than the museum exhibitions.

Archaeological Sites and Historic Buildings

Veien Cultural Heritage Park is centrally located in Ringerike, just outside Hønefoss town centre on the E16. It is home to one of the largest burial grounds from the Early Iron Age in Eastern Norway, with more than 100 burial mounds. A reconstructed longhouse from the Roman Iron Age complements the archaeological site. The burial mounds and longhouse illustrate two different aspects of the site: its extensive burial ground and the reconstruction of a building.

In Hønefoss, Riddergården was developed from the 1780s onwards as an urban farm or town estate. The former Hønefoss hjelpefengsel, preserved as a complete former prison complex, is also part of the historic heritage. All the buildings and the prison garden are protected. Fengselet in Hønefoss is also a venue for concerts, exhibitions and other cultural events.

Trails, Nature and Activities

The Kjerratstien trail mostly follows the former timber transport route and has several information boards. If you are interested in the history of the Kjerrat installations, you can explore the subject through the information at the museum and the signs along the trail.

The Pilegrimsleden through Ringerike is a marked trail for modern pilgrims. It passes through cultural and natural landscapes in Hole and Ringerike to Norderhov Church, and was opened at Olsok in 1995. The trail is part of the pilgrimage route from Oslo to Nidaros and partly follows the Den Bergenske Kongevei. Near the point where the trail enters Ringerike, the Juveren nature reserve lies beside the route. Juveren is an oxbow lake formed by the meandering of the Storelva River.

The lake landscape also offers specific natural attractions: Sperillen has good stocks of vendace, trout, pike and crayfish. The Juveren nature reserve and Sperillen represent different landscape features—an oxbow lake formed by river bends, and a lake with the fish and crayfish species mentioned above.

Ringeriksbadet in Helgelandsmoen is located in Ringerike and Hole and is a combined swimming and wellness facility. It offers water aerobics and swimming lessons for children and adults. When planning your trip, you can weigh up the different options: archaeological remains and historic buildings, museum and industrial history, or trails and landscapes. This lets you plan your stay around the subjects that interest you most, without treating the individual places and experiences as interchangeable.

Discover more destinations: Hallingby, Hønefoss, Ask, Sokna, Øvre Eiker, Hol, Nes, Sigdal.

For the broader travel overview: Buskerud.