Excursions & Sports

Participants and accompanying persons are invited to join one or more of the excursions designed exclusively for the conference.

Hadeland Glassworks

Saturday 14 June 0900 - 1500 and Monday 16 June 0900 - 1500  NOK 850

Hadeland Glassworks, beautifully situated on the edge of the Rands Fjord, is both the oldest existing industrial company in Norway and the longest existing glassworks. It has its roots in Det Kongelige Allernaadigst Octrojerede Nordske Compagnie which was granted its privileges by King Christian VI in 1739. Hadeland Glassworks started its production in 1765. Skilled workers were brought in from Central Europe, and still today there are people at the works who can trace their ancestry back to the first German glass-blowers. Over the last years, leading Norwegian and international designers have contributed to Hadeland’s exquisite glass production, including small designer glass and crystal figures. Admire the history of glass in the Glass Museum and visit the factory shops. The bus drive to Hadeland will take you through typical Eastern Norwegian countryside with wooded hills, meadows, farms and lakes. Lunch will be served at the Glassworks.

«Skibladner» - The World´s oldest Paddle Steamer

Launched in 1856, “Skibladner” is the world’s oldest paddle steamer in scheduled service. Every summer, she draws her broad, creaming wake across the expanse of Lake Mjøsa, the largest inland lake in Norway, 100 kilometres long. This venerable old lady plies between small villages and towns around Mjøsa: Lillehammer, Moelv, Gjøvik, Hamar and Eidsvoll.

The tranquil scenery and the unique experience of this veteran ship leave lasting memories in anyone who sails on her. During your stay on board you will be served the traditional lunch of poached salmon and fresh strawberries for dessert. Before returning to Oslo you will visit Eidsvoll Verk where the Norwegian Constitution was signed 17 May 1814.

Blaafarveværket - The Cobalt Mines - Valley of the Artists

Blaafarveværket includes the cobalt mines and factories that from the mid 18th century supplied leading European china industries, such as Maissen, Royal Danish and Delft Blue, with the precious cobalt blue pigment. Blaafarveværket was in the early days the largest industry company in Norway and had more than 1,000 employees. Today Blaafarveværket is a museum where you can study the history of the works and enjoy the exhibition “From Cobalt Ore to Blue Pigment’. You will join a guided tour into the mines and experience the special atmosphere of tunnels and chambers inside the mountain. In its historical timber frame buildings Blaafarveværket has annual exhibitions showing the works of earlier and contemporary Scandinavian artists. In the nearby Eggedal, also called the Valley of the Artists, you will visit the Theodor Kittelsen Museum, where you can see this extraordinary artist’s paintings and drawings of trolls. Kittelsen (1857-1914) was the first artist to depict the trolls as deeply rooted in Norwegian tradition and landscape. He painted them with elegance and a sense of humour. The bus tour will take you through wooded hills, valleys, farmland, rivers and lakes.
Lunch will be served at Blaafarveværket.

City Tour 2 - including the Munch Museum and the Vigeland Park
The Munch Museum contains the expressionist artist Edvard Munch’s (1863-1944) vast collection of paintings, drawings and graphic works. Through changing exhibitions, the museum demonstrates the wide scope of his artistic output.
Next stop is the Vigeland Sculpture Park, Norway’s most visited attraction with over 1 million visitors every year. The park contains around 200 sculptures by Gustav Vigeland (1869-1943), who also designed the layout of the park. A monumental artistic creation in a beautiful park, with a human message that is well worth seeing. The tour includes a drive through the City of Oslo where your guide will introduce you to the history of Oslo, its street life and architecture, and point out monuments, buildings and other main attractions. Lunch will be served in a local restaurant.

Museum Tour of Oslo
The tour includes visits to some of the most interesting museums of Oslo. In the Viking Ship Museum you will find three well preserved wooden Viking ships built in the 9th century. Enjoy the beautiful and artistic lines of these ocean-going vessels, capable of crossing the Atlantic to North America and sailing along the European coast down to the Mediterranean. The museum presents interesting archaeological finds from the Viking Age, such as small boats, sledges, a cart with exceptional carvings, tools, harness, textiles and household utensils.

In the Kon-Tiki Museum you can see the Kon-Tiki raft built by Thor Heyerdahl for his voyage across the Pacific Ocean in 1947. The museum includes exciting collections of archaological finds from Easter Island, East Polynesia, the Galapagos Islands and Peru.

In the Fram Museum the polar exploration ship “Fram”, built 1892, is exhibited with its original interior and inventory. The ship was used for expeditions to the Arctic and Antarctic by Fridtjof Nansen, Otto Sverdrup and Roald Amundsen. Amundsen and his men were the first to reach the South Pole in 1911. Lunch will be served in a local restaurant.

Fjord Cruise
A cruise on the Oslo Fjord is recommended for those wishing to see more of this beautiful fjord. An old wooden veteran ship will take you through narrow sounds, into idyllic bays and through a maze of islands with small cottages. From the boat you will enjoy the sight of Oslo and the wooded hills behind. The ship was built for the Norwegian Royal Navy in 1940. Lunch will be served on board.

Nordic Safari

Experience a Nordic Safari in the Oslo woods by Land Rover. The safari includes activities such as game driving, hiking, fishing, canoeing, bird watching or game tracking. A spectacular luncheon waits in a tent camp where you savour your delicious meal in rustic elegance and lush surroundings. This is a day which gives you a different experience and it is great fun!

Flea Market Visit/Walk
Take the ”trikk” to Majorstuen station and walk 1 km to a small west-end flea market. Look and shop for bargains. Walk 1-2 kilometres to a nearby cafe for snack lunch at own cost. Visit the Vigeland park. Tram to hotel, return around 15:00. Good walking shoes and shopping bag recommended. Tram tickets included. Maximum 12 participants. Your personal guide is Ms. Rut Alnæs.

Holmenkollen Hike
Ride the ”trikk” to the top of Holmenkollen hill, enjoying the spectacular view of Oslo and the fjord on the way. Easy walk downhill (3 km) , partly following the romantic ”lovers’ trail” to a nearby cafe for a light lunch at own cost. Weather permitting and if so decided, visit the ski museum and top of the ski-jump at own cost, for imaginary ski jumping. Walk 1 km to ”trikk”/subway and return to hotel around 15:00. Tram tickets included. Good walking shoes necessary. Maximum 12 participants. Your personal guide: Ms. Rut Alnæs.