Bærum
Municipality · Akershus
About Bærum
Henie Onstad Art Centre on the fjord at Høvikodden, the old ironworks village of Bærums Verk, and climbers on the Kolsås cliffs.
What to do and where to stay in Bærum
Places to stay are run locally, with no hotel or campsite chain behind them.
1Henie Onstad Art Centre (Henie Onstad Kunstsenter)History & culture
Opened in 1968 by skater Sonja Henie and collector Niels Onstad on a headland in the Oslofjord; over 8,000 works, Kusama's mirror room and Henie's prize collection.
Høvikodden, by the E18 between Lysaker and Sandvika · 2–3 h · All year (closed Mondays – check)
2Henie Onstad sculpture parkSight
About 30 sculptures stand on the grassy headland and shore around the art centre, with views over the fjord and a bathing spot below.
Høvikodden, around the art centre · 30–60 min · All year
3Kolsåstoppen (Kolsås peaks)Hike
Two flat-topped peaks, Nordre (379 m) and Søndre (342 m) Kolsås, with views over Oslo and the fjord, a small tarn between them and a Migration-period hillfort at Gråmagan.
Kolsås, above Bærums Verk; start Stein gård parking by Rv168 · About 4 h (8 km loop, 314 m ascent) · March–October (paths can be icy in winter)
4Kolsås climbing cliffsActivity
The Kolsås cliffs are one of the largest climbing areas in the Oslo region, with walls a short walk from the metro – for climbers with their own gear and experience.
Kolsås massif, Bærum · Half day · Spring–autumn
5Bærums Verk ironworks villageHistory & culture
Ironworking began here in 1610 and it was Norway's largest ironworks in the early 1700s; the lower blast furnace and old workers' houses on Verksgata remain.
Bærums Verk, by the Lomma river · 1–2 h · All year
6Vertshuset Bærums VerkFood & drink
An old inn of the ironworks, now a restaurant that calls itself Norway's oldest eating place, serving classic French cooking that follows the seasons.
Vertshusveien 10, Bærums Verk · 1.5–2.5 h · All year
7Kalvøya and KadettangenSwim
A wooded island joined to Kadettangen in Sandvika by a suspension bridge, one of Bærum's most popular bathing spots and home of the Kalvøya rock festival 1971–1998.
Sandvika, footbridge from Kadettangen · 1–3 h · Summer for bathing; walks all year
8Rigmor island ferryLocal oddity
Norway's oldest scheduled wooden ferry, protected in 2022, runs a 1.5-hour summer loop from Sandvika through the islands, stopping at Borøya, Langåra and Brønnøya.
Rigmorbryggen, Sandvika · 1.5 h round trip, or hop off on an island · School summer holidays (check Ruter route 711 timetable)
9BorøyaNature
A small island with a sandy beach, meadows, a grill, a toilet and Iron Age burial cairns in the middle, reached on the Rigmor ferry or by kayak.
Bærum archipelago off Sandvika · Half day · Late April–mid October (Skjærgårdstjenesten season)
10OstøyaNature
Bærum's largest island, much of it a nature reserve, with a public beach facing Store Ostsund towards Brønnøya.
Bærum archipelago, south of Sandvika · 2–4 h · Summer