Asker

Asker municipality has approximately 52.950 inhabitants and covers a area of 100,7 km2. Agriculture has always been one of the most important industries in Asker. The main attractions are Asker Museum, Sem Sag, Seheims Verksted, Norway's Bee keeping Association Museum, Vogelius-alleen (street), Vollen Coastal Culture Centre, Valstads Samlinger, Labråten, Hulda and Arne Garborgs home.

HISTORY

In the 1860s, a new era began: Technical developments, particularly the steam ship, paved paved the way for new opportunities. Fishing and Horticulture compered with agriculture as the most important activity because products could now be quickly transported by steam ship to the market. Asker was noted for its raspberries, and the area became affectionately known as the "raspberry coast".

The most important motorways and main roads to and from the whole of Norway go through Akershus. Travelers by train, coach, car and boat to and from the area around Oslo have to pass through Akershus. There is a very good public transport system carrying large numbers of passengers between Akershus and the surrounding area daily, facilitating travel around the county. This provides an alternative to the big city, whether it's for just an afternoon trip or a longer stay. You can get to all parts of Akershus within one hour from the centre of Oslo. The most modern airport in Europe lies in Akershus Oslo International Airport Gardermoen.

THE SKAUGUM ESTATE

Before the Second World War it was a typically agricultural area. Prior to the Reformation, the Skaugum estate, lying under the charac-teristic Skaugum hill, belonged to the Church of Saint Mary in Oslo and the Nonneseter convent. It subsequently had many different owners, the last being Fritz Wedel Jarlsberg, a government minister and Norwegian ambassador to Paris, who bought the estate in 1909.

Wedel Jarlsberg gave the estate to Crown Prince Olav when he married the Swedish Princess Märtha in 1929. The couple immediately moved into the main building. Unfortunately, it burned to the ground on 20 May 1930. The new building was designed by architect Arnstein Arneberg and completed in 1932.

The building, in the functional style, now stands below the Skaugum hill, approximately 200 metres above sea level. Covering an area of about 1,000 square metres, it is surrounded by a wonderful 38-acre garden and has magnificent views of the Oslo fjord. The building has been furnished as a home rather than a place for entertaining official visitors, although it has also been used for this purpose many times. The Skaugum estate also comprises farm buildings for livestock and agricultural and forestry production.

THE ROYAL FAMILY

Crown Prince Olav and Crown Princess Märtha lived at Skaugum both before and after the German occupation. During the war, the property was vandalised by German Reichskommissar J. Terboven, who resided there. After the death of Crown Princess Märtha in 1954, Crown Prince Olav continued to live at Skaugum with his children until he acceded to the throne in 1957.

When King Olav's son, Crown Prince Harald, married Sonja Haraldsen in 1968, the King gave them Skaugum as a wedding present. The royal couple´s two children, Crown Prince Haakon and Princess Märtha Louise, grew up there.

Today the Crown Prince Haakon and Crown Princess Mette-Marit´s family live here. King Harald and Queen Sonja have move to the Royal Palace.

ICE CUTTING

The production and sale of ice was another important source of income. Evidence of this activity may still be seen in the form of, among other things, artificial ice dams.

SHIPBUILDING

Around the turn of the century, Vollen in Asker had a thriving shipbuilding industry. Polar explorer Roald Amundsen´s vessel Maud was built here, as were the world-famous vessels built by Johan Anker. The Vollen Coastal Culture Center was opened in 1994. The centre, together with the shoreline walk from Slemmestad to Holmen, is an important element of the coastal culture in the inner Oslofjord. Vollen was once a centre for boat-building, hunting, trade, fishing, ice cutting, horticulture and market gardening.

THE VALSTAD COLLECTIONS

Asker Museum and the Valstads Samlinger, is located in Hvalstaddalen. The focal point of the museum is the home of artists Tilla and Otto Valstad and sculptures by Arne Grimdalen. The Valstads Samlinger has many artefacts and buildings worthy of preservation which the donors, Tilla and Otto Valstad, collected over many years. They include a Baroque-inspired museum garden, Tilla and Otto Valstad's residence and the Fusdallåven, a wonderful Norwegian barn. It stands today just as they left it. A visit here is highly recomended. The collections are exuberant and opulent. The museum has both permanent and guest exhibitions.

GOLF

Asker Golfclub is a golf course with 18 holes and a variation of difficulties. The course lies about 3 km from Asker center.