Eidsfoss: Gardens, Industrial Heritage and Boat Trips

Eidsfoss brings together garden and industrial history, craft activities, and seasonal experiences on the water. When choosing a hotel, it may help to consider which themes you want to shape your stay: historic sites, a workshop, or a boat trip. The following stops provide an overview of the destination’s different facets. For courses and seasonal trips, be sure to check the current dates.

Gardens and Setting

Within the wider destination of Holmestrand, Eidsfoss lies between the lakes Bergsvannet and Eikeren. At Eidsfos Hovedgård, the gardens include a formal, symmetrical parterre with flowers and herbs, surrounded by a landscaped park. Geometric order in the flower beds meets the design of a landscape park.

Industrial History and Exhibitions

In front of Snekkerverkstedet stands a restored G2 10332 freight wagon, manufactured in 1910 at the Eidsfoss works. In the adjacent Snekkerverkstedet, the exhibition Fremtidstoget explores both the importance of the railway to Eidsfoss and the importance of the Eidsfoss works to the development of the railway. The wagon and the exhibition offer different perspectives: one focuses on a specific freight wagon, the other on the history of the place, the works, and the railway.

Jernverksmuseet is housed in a former ironworks warehouse at the outlet of the Eidselven. The Bettum workshop is now the best-preserved example of an industrial building from Eidsfoss’s ironworks era. In Hauane, the Old Schoolhouse houses a school museum and an exhibition about Rakel Seweriin. These places offer different ways to explore the area’s history, from industrial buildings and railways to schools and exhibitions.

On April 11, 1923, the then antikvariske bygningsnævnd placed Eidsfos Hovedgård under heritage protection. The committee was chaired by Harry Fett, the National Heritage Director.

Crafts and Experiences on the Water

Eidsfoss Ceramics Workshop offers courses and workshops in the Kavalerfløyen at the Eidsfos Hovedgård estate and produces its own ceramics. For a trip that includes hands-on crafts, it offers a different kind of stop from the historical exhibitions.

Aktiv i Eidsfoss offers nine canoes and two SUP boards for rent. Rentals are seasonal and must be arranged in advance. During the summer season, M/S Eikern runs boat trips, including shrimp trips, concerts, sing-along evenings, and a free summer school for children. Schedules are published separately; check the current dates in advance. The ceramics workshop’s course program may also change.

Holmestrand as a Regional Context

Beyond Eidsfoss’s local attractions, the wider destination of Holmestrand offers other themes to consider when planning a trip. The Kyststien between Holmestrand and Sande is about 13 kilometers long and can be explored on foot or by bicycle, for short or long outings. About seven kilometers of the route follow a disused railway line through the forest, along the water, and across rocky coastal terrain. At Smørstein, the disused railway tunnel on the Kyststien is now illuminated and is an attraction in its own right. These route and landscape features belong to the Holmestrand context, not to the Eidsfoss stops described here.

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