Take a tour along the cultural trail that goes through beautiful scenery and exciting historic buildings or book a tour in advance. At Hovedgården you can find out how the owners of the Jernverket lived while strolling through the partially restored baroque garden. There are people living in the three well-kept working areas today, and in some of them there are galleries and museum exhibitions.
In the summer both Eikern and Bergsvannet offer nice places for a swim.
Landhandelen is Norway’s oldest of its kind, which is still in operation, and here you are taken back to a time when the shop on the corner had it all.
At the Jernverket museum you can learn more about the 250-year history of the industrial company A / S Eidsfos verk and the local community that grew up around it. The well-preserved workers' homes form a historic framework form all the events that are held every year.
Together with his family, Olav Duun moved to Holmestrand in 1908 to work as a teacher.
Olav Duun's house is a red painted Swiss villa in Olav Duun's road 20.
Also when the house itself is closed, the garden is worth a visit.
In addition to communal swimming, Holmestrand swimming hall offers; sauna, swimming lessons, training and exercise for adults.
Note that the swimming pool is closed in summer and on public holidays.
For prices and opening times, see Holmestrand swimming pool.
Bathing in salt water:
Dulpen
At Dulpen you will find an area with a large lawn located in the north end of the city. Here is a sandy beach and floating dock with diving board. The area has beach volleyball, toilet, kiosk and fast food.
Hagemann
At Hagemann you will find a lawn with a small sandy beach located in Hagemannsparken south of the city, next to the small harbor.
Bathing in fresh water:
Vikestranda by Vikevannet in Hof
Equipped with a toilet.
Eikern in Hof
Eikern is Vestfold's largest lake, but half the water is located in Buskerud. It is one of two main sources of drinking water in Vestfold, but the water is so deep that it is still allowed to swim and drive a boat there. The water contains several coves suitable for swimming and there are public bathing areas – Verkstedsstranda by the power station at Eidsfoss and at Thorrud Camping.
Bergsvannet in Eidsfoss
Bergsvannet is called "the warm water" by locals, as it is shallow and can therefore offer mostly pleasant bathing temperatures all summer. Right next to Eidsfoss ironworks worker's area "Gata", there is a sandy beach with a nice grassy spot. Parking and toilet only 25 meters from the beach.
Bergsvannet in Vassås
At the north end of Bergsvannet in Vassås, there is a municipal beach with a floating dock, diving board and public toilet.
Hajern in Hof
This is a nice swimming area with a connecting road for cars. Remember money for the tollgate.
Bathing in salt water:
Sandviken
Child friendly sandy beach, toilet facilities with handicap toilet. Limited space and parking.
Haga Sand
Child friendly sandy beach, handicap toilet and parking facilities.
Bekkestranda
Small bathing areas. Toilets and two parking spaces nearby.
Kverntangen
Small sandy beach. Toilet. Main parking by the house Fremad, handicap parking by the beach.
Skjervika
Recreation area with lawn, rocks and bathing dock. Parking and toilet.
Nordre Jarlsberg Brygge
Child friendly sandy beach with playground, toilet. Good parking facilities nearby.
Swimming in fresh water:
At many of the forest waters in Sande there are nice swimming areas.
Kalmovannet
Nice swimming opportunities and benches and tables. Follow signs from the railway station towards Kalmoskog, park your car by the road and follow the marked path up to the water.
Suluvannet
Lensmannsodden and the beach below the cabin (speiderhytta) are popular swimming spots.
Holmestrand Church is located in Botne Parish, and is one of Norway's only four remaining Y-churches.
The church had most of its furnishings replaced in 1829-30, including a new altarpiece, pulpit and new galleries. In 1911, the benches were also replaced.
P. Peterson's "Women with the angel at the empty tomb" adorns the altarpiece, inspired by Eckersberg's work from 1814 in Sem church.
The church is protected, and has 300 seats.
The owners of Eidsfoss Ironworks converted the business from a producer of raw material to a foundry based on scrap metal. Now new products, spanning everything from small kitchen equipment (such as pots, pans and baking irons) to railway carriages are produced there. The ironworks used to be most well known for its cast-iron oven production, which stopped in the 1960s.
The buildings in Eidsfoss form a unique cultural historical backdrop, which includes Bråtagata, Gata and Hauane, together with the ironworks area comprising the power station and Eidsfos Manor House.
The Aluminum Museum in Holmestrand welcome an exhibition as modern and forward-looking as the aluminum industry is. The Aluminum Museum, which is a department of the Vestfold Museums, opened in 2002 and is the only one in Norway to have told the rich Norwegian tradition of further processing aluminum. The museum also communicates the industry's value chain and product development from the very beginning to today's high-tech business.
In an exciting exhibition architectural environment with parallels to innovation and development, the metal's properties and Holmestrand's history are communicated in a national and global perspective.
With the help of modern dissemination methods, digital solutions and updated design, the audience, regardless of age and gender, ethnic background and knowledge, is welcomed by the Aluminum Museum.
You can read more on their website.
Harbour hosts are based at the harbuor office, this is the sign and is located in Tordenskjoldsgate.
There are breakwaters in the area and service buildings. The beach Dulpen is also nearby.
Updated prices
Prices for guest places 2025 (per day) this summer (15.04 – 15.10) including electricity
Boat up to 30 feet: NOK 260
Boat between 31 and 40 feet: NOK 345
Boat between 41 and 50 feet: NOK 450
Boat over 51 feet: NOK 575
Prices for guest berths 2025 (per day) low season (16.10-14.04) including electricity
Boat up to 30 feet: NOK 130
Boat between 31 and 40 feet: NOK 170
Boat between 41 and 50 feet: NOK 225
Boat over 51 feet: NOK 285
Motorhome
NOK 230 per 24 hours + electricity (NOK 5 per hour)
Holmestrand guest harbour is operated by Holmestrand boat harbour.
Holmestrand marina is operated by HSDA and has approximately 1.100 permanent boat places. There is also good capacity at the winter port, in whirlpools.
HSDA also operates the guest harbor and motorhome parking, on behalf of the municipality of Holmestrand. Here you will find plenty of space, and servicebuildings. In the area there is a breakwater which is a popular for fishing.
In walking distance you will find Dumpen, which is a very popular spot for swimming.
Inside the train station you can take the elevator up to the top and get a spectaular view of the city, the barbor and the fjord.
Here you will also have access to boat fuel.
See an overview of prices on the website of Holmestrand marina (Norwegian only).
