Hvaler: National Park, Coastal Culture and Art Venues

Hvaler can be explored through a range of interests: the coastal and underwater landscapes of Ytre Hvaler National Park, as well as traces of coastal culture, church architecture, stone monuments and art venues. Whichever of these aspects you choose to focus on will give your trip its own emphasis.

Sea, Archipelago and Trails

Ytre Hvaler National Park covers 354 km² of coast and archipelago and is Norway’s first marine national park. The park’s archipelago includes large, connected areas with a rich diversity of species both on land and underwater. Tislerrevet is considered one of the world’s largest coral reefs within a skerry landscape. The park’s nature can therefore be viewed as a coastal and underwater landscape, without treating the two perspectives as the same.

The national park has a network of trails suitable for hiking. The Coastal Trail (Kyststien) is part of the adapted trail system. If you would rather spend your time on foot, you can make these trails a focus of your trip planning. For information about the national park, visit the Ytre Hvaler Visitor Center in Kornmagasinet in Skjærhalden. There you’ll find an exhibition, brochures, paper maps, digital mapping services, information and literature, as well as tips for excursions and activities in the national park. Visitor information about the national park, nature, culture and outdoor activities is also available in Skjærhalden and Storesand. Visitor center services and opening hours may vary seasonally.

Coastal Culture, Museums and Art

Brottet Kystkultursenter is a visitor attraction on Hvaler where you can experience coastal history in a beautiful seaside setting. The Hvaler Coastal Museum also focuses on coastal culture. It is located at Nordgården Dypedal on Spjærøy. The museum includes the “Hewn in granite” exhibition in a protected quarry, along with the associated workers’ barracks. Museum access is seasonal; check the latest visitor information before your visit.

Quarries also provide the setting for two other art and cultural venues. Stenkunst Hvaler displays works of art in an old quarry with views stretching far out to sea. Brottet Open Air Theatre was also built in an old quarry. These places offer different experiences: one focuses on visual art in a quarry, while the other is a theatre built in this kind of setting.

On Vesterøy, the Art Road near Hauge includes studios and galleries by local artists. The works on display range from ceramics, glass and jewellery to wood carvings, textiles and tapestries. Some galleries are open seasonally, so it’s worth checking visitor information for the places you’re interested in when planning your trip.

Church Architecture, Monuments and Getting There

Hvaler kirke is one of Norway’s oldest churches; it was probably built sometime in the 11th century. On Herføl, Langrøsset is considered Norway’s longest burial cairn and is around 100 metres long. The church and the stone monument offer different historical points of interest: the church is notable for its long building history, while Langrøsset stands out for the scale of the structure.

The Hvalerferga carries passengers and bicycles free of charge from Skjærhalden to the eastern islands of Herføl, Lauer, Søndre Sandøy and Nordre Sandøy. Check the latest ferry timetable before travelling. Vy6 express buses connect Hvaler with Oslo and Fredrikstad all year round, several times a day; here, too, it’s a good idea to check the latest timetable.

If you’re looking for a hotel in Hvaler, first consider which themes you’d like your trip to centre on: hiking and the national park, coastal history and museums, or art and cultural venues.

Discover more destinations: Hvaler, Skjærhalden, Nedgården, Vesterøy, Skiptvet, Marker, Eidsberg, Trøgstad.

Return to the main travel overview: Østfold.