A Cultural-Historical Walk Through the Centuries in Telemark

At Bolkesjø Gaard in Telemark, history has never been far away—it’s woven into the landscape itself and into the old timber. The same family has run the farm since at least the 1500s, and on this guided walk, the current owner will take you through a cultural landscape that few other places can match.

We’ll visit Årestua, dating from the 13th century—one of Norway’s oldest preserved wooden dwellings—and talk about how people lived here long before tourism was even a concept. We’ll see the coaching inn, which provided travelers with a bed to sleep in as early as the 1700s, and hear about Bolkesjø’s heyday as a hotel destination. Guests such as Fridtjof Nansen, Prince Eugen, Anne Lister, and Golda Meir found their way here—and we’ll discuss the National Romanticism movement that made Telemark famous throughout Europe.

The hike concludes with a light meal featuring local delicacies, tailored to the season and weather.