by: Horten & Åsgårdstrand

Horten Church

When the navy's main base started moving to Horten in 1818, the place belonged to Borre parish. In 1852 the naval station got its own priest and in 1853 the construction of Horten church began. The church was finished in 1855, and was consecrated on 22 August of the same year.

Architect L.H. Grosch designed the church. In 1865, Horten was separated from Borre as its own congregation, and the church has belonged to Horten municipality since 1962. The painter Harald Kihle painted the church interior in 1925.

The large stained glass windows in the back of the choir with motifs from Christmas, Easter, Pentecost and the New Jerusalem were installed in 1992, and were a gift to the church. The original stained glass windows were destroyed after a German bombing raid on 9 April 1940.

The baptismal font is made of Nordland granite and made by penitentiary prisoners from "The Slavery" at Akershus fortress in Oslo.

The church's first organ (15 voices) was built by organ builder Brantzæg. In 1914, an 18-voice organ was delivered by organ builder Olsen-Jørgensen. The facade from the first organ was kept as it is today. In 1958, the organ was restored by Jørgensen. The instrument then got a new playing table, pedal keyboard and stool. The voices were retained, except for two changes in pedal and 2nd manual.

The church has 900 seats.

Lystlunden Park

Lystlunden Park is Horten municipality's largest park and sports facility. The park has a unique combination of enchanting nature and cultural attractions. The park's 150 hollow oak trees make it an exotic area. The many benches in the park to settle on, the park's duck pond were you can feed the ducks and its old pavilion makes the park a wonderful recreational area. Furthermore, you will find sculptures by Arne Durban and Ørnulf Bast here. Horten municipality has put a lot of effort into developing the park. You will also find new grills for general use – so just bring coal, food and blankets – and let the picnic start. In the evening you will be able to experience the park's special lighting.

Playground and adventure world
The park also has an exciting playground with old oak trees where the elves live. If you walk carefully and look around the trees, you may just discover them.

Multiple sports facilities
The sports center in Lystlunden Park has stadiums for football, rugby, archery range, and several training courses for football.

Gift from the Navy
Lystlunden was given as a gift to Horten's population by the Navy in 1852 for recreation and amusement. Most of the inhabitants of Horten were then part of the workers at the Navy's main yard (Karljohansvern).

Today, Lystlunden Park has its own association, which actively works to preserve the park's landscaping and distinctive features for the public's best interest.

Fishing in Horten

Fishing from quays and rocks is popular. Løvøya is well suited. 

Nykirke church

Nykirke church has an unknown year of construction, but it is assumed that it is the same age as Borre church and that it was built around the year 1100. In 1686, the church was completely restored. After this, the congregation at Nykirke took over responsibility, and since then several restorations have been made to the church. Both in the 1880s and 1950s, and most recently in 2003.

Coastal trails in Horten

History, culture and nature all in one
Horten is a coastal municipality with a 40 kilometer long coastline from Tønsberg municipality to the south, and to Re municipality in the north. 

Popular trails
* Sandsletta – Frebergvika – Slettefjell – Varnestangen
* Falkensten – Varnestangen
* Løvøya around
* Karljohansvern around
* Coastal Horten – Borre – Åsgårdstrand (Signed as Cycle Route No. 1)
* Coastal road Åsgårdstrand – The border to Tønsberg municipality

17 km long hiking path
The coastal path in Horten is part of the North Sea Route, and extends from Falkensten / Løvøya in the north to Åsgårdstrand in the south. Along the 17 km long trail you can wander in surroundings characterized by silence, peace and quiet. Nature here is diverse. It has large features of Edelløv forest and many nice places to sit down with a snack to listen to birdsong and waves.

Maps of historical trails
Detailed maps of historic hiking trails in Horten municipality are available at ut.no.

Bicycle Paradis
Are you interested in cycling in beautiful nature, Horten has great cycling trails. Horten city is surrounded by breathtaking scenery with both flat stretches like the ones between Åsgårsstrand and Horten, and with more wavy stretch over hills and fields.

16 shelters in Horten
The geography, climate and landscape of the geography has a rich diversity of animals and plants and has 16 protected areas. These will take care of rare, vulnerable and pristine landscapes, plants and animal species.

Borre Church

Borre church is 1 of 160 preserved stone churches in Norway, and is a listed medieval brick church. The church is a long church built in the 12th century, in a Romanesque style. Inside the church there are 300 seats.

The church has undergone several changes throughout its long history. In the years 1926-28, restoration work was carried out which still characterizes the interior today. At this time, all of the furnishings were replaced, except for the altar and pulpit from the 17th century. The altarpiece was carved by Abel Schrøder.

Inside the church there are several older paintings of foreign origin.

Note: there is neither parking nor toilets on site.

Løvøy Chapel

Stone church from the Middle Ages
Løvøy Chapel is beautifully located on the idyllic Løvøya in Horten, surrounded by lush forest, exciting trails and beautiful views of the Oslo Fjord. The chapel is a cozy and romantic stone church from the 13th century, and the smallest and most distinctive of Horten's three medieval churches. In the summer the pilgrimage goes by this medieval church, and there is a service every other weekend there.

The sacred St. Olav's source
Next to the chapel is the "wishing well":  The sacred St. Olav source which people believed to have had a healing power since the 13th century. The source is one of the 23 famous Olav sources in Norway. The water from the sources is said to be holy and give blessing and strength to those who drink or touch it. Characteristic of St. Olav's sources is that they are sources that do not dry out when other sources go out in dry periods.

Popular chapel to marry
The Løvøyapellet is a perfect place to marry in the summer, and a very popular chapel for this purpose. The church has 100 seats and a simple yet adventurous atmosphere.

History
Pilgrims from all the Nordic countries came here. The Reformation in 1536 put an official stop to the catholic pilgrimages to Løvøya but people continued to come to the well and church for years on. The church was in ruins for many years until preservation and restoration was initiated in 1882, and it was reopened in 1950.

Tufte Farm (for groups)

Team building is a fantastic activity to strengthen the cohesion of the group. Tufte Farm's activity package is very popular, and many people talk about it!

Team building at Tufte Farm offers a shared experience where the group is divided into teams. Here, everyone must cooperate with each other, step outside their comfort zone and compete together.

You can choose between 2 different packages.
x Package 1 focuses on collaboration, communication and smart solutions.
x Package 2 focuses on physical activity and tough exercises.

Feel free to combine the activity package with Tufte Farm's unique premises, tasty food and good drinks.

Tufte Farm

About the farm
Tufte Gård is a 350-year-old farm located outside Horten. The operation has been different throughout all these years. From olden times, one of the operations was to cut blocks of ice from Borrevannet. Today's operation is grain and wood – and not least it now accommodates many kinds of activities and merry teams. There have always been a lot of animals here. Today there is only one dog and one cat on the farm, which is run by Olaf, Aina and the children with the help of family and friends.

The lavvo
The lavvo was completed in November 2013. It is a double lavvo, where two lavvos are joined together with a roof bridge. This can accommodate up to 160 people. If there are fewer people, it can be divided to only use a lavvo.

In the basement there are tables, benches and chairs. In addition, there is also a stage, music system, projector and screen, microphone, bar with all rights and toilet facilities also adapted for wheelchair users.

Storehouse
The storehouse was fully refurbished in 2013. This has also become a small piece of Tufte history. On all the tables there are medals and other things from the Olympics and competitions Olaf has taken part in. On the second floor there is a long table and the possibility of a projector, on the first floor there are 3 booths with a table and a bench in each. The storehouse is charmingly furnished with farm-produced seating mats and felted slippers with slipper fastening. Combine subjects and fun! Suitable for gatherings of up to 15 people.

The sawmill
The original sawmill at Tufte Gård was refurbished in 2005. The building stands as it has been and both charm and furnishings have been retained. The walls at Saga have been covered again, to make it cozier. Here there are benches with reindeer skins to sit on. Perfect for teams of up to 30 people in the summer months.

Outside there is a large patio and barbecue area. A lovely place when the sun is shining!

The barn
Great course and party room for all occasions with a magical view over meadow and forest. If you are planning a corporate event, the barn is a perfect starting point. Tufte Gård tailors plans according to wishes. The barn has meeting rooms, party rooms, training facilities with changing rooms. The meeting room has everything you would expect from technical equipment for a conference. The barn will also be a perfect arena for an anniversary, wedding, confirmation or other special occasion and the barn has its own bar with all rights and serving until 2am. The barn was completely renovated and renovated in late summer 2019.

Frøy brewery
The brewery is built primarily so that the customers who come to the farm can taste good local beer, and the brewery helps to give the customers a total experience of Tufte Gård. Frøy is the god of good harvest, agriculture, fertility and prosperity and therefore phallus depictions are often interpreted as depictions of him. The most extensive myth about Frøy is the Eddaquade Skirnismål, which tells of Frøy's love and marriage to the Jotun maiden Gerd. This formed the basis for the name Frøy brewery. The close connection between Frøy and agriculture, which is the backbone of Tufte Gård. The brewery saw its young origins in October 2020, where they started with test brewing on an 80 liter home brewing device. This resulted in good feedback from friends and acquaintances who got to taste the noble drops. In parallel, a brewing machine that brews up to 300 liters at a time was ordered from Schultz in Bamberg, Germany. Together with 11 fermentation tanks, Frøy brewery aims to produce a minimum of 20,000 liters of beer a year. This would not have been possible without the financial support that Innovation Norway provides, as well as good helpers who have guided everything from production to handling of finished beer. With this, the product can hopefully reach as many people as possible who like well-produced beer of various kinds.

Of the types that have been test brewed, 22 different types have been developed. The names represent typical farm names and fairy tales. For example, the farm's light lager is called Budeia and the red ale became Rødhette. Are you wondering about the name of the pale alen? Take a look at the website. Or better than that, take a trip to Frøy Bryggeri at Tufte Gård.

Tufte Gård can offer
Food and drink
Band/Troubad
Lecture
Illusionist
Activity pack
Time for own work, etc.

Get in touch for further information and a tailor-made plan!

Banqueting – Thon Hotel Horten

Thon Hotel Horten ensures that your event is successful and is involved in the planning phase from beginning to end, whether it is a wedding, baptism, confirmation, party, anniversary, Christmas party, birthday party or memorial service.