by: Horten & Åsgårdstrand
Bella Vista Horten
Experience the Italian cuisine in Horten!
Bella Vista offers high-quality dishes from fresh ingredients and a large selection of Italian wine in a pleasant atmosphere.
On the menu you will find a wide selection of antipasti – Italian starters, stone oven Neapolitan pizza, pasta dishes, risotto, grilled meat and fish as well as several other great dishes and desserts. All the dishes are made in the Italian way, from short-traveled ingredients from Italy and Norway.
Bella Vista also offers takeaway! You can also have food delivered at the door through Foodora.
See the website Bella Vista Horten for the menu and detailed opening hours.
Book a table directly on the website or by sending an email to booking.horten@bellavista.no or call 33 07 08 80.
The Oslofjord Visitor Center
The Oslofjord visitor center will inspire measures so that we can have a clean and rich Oslofjord in the future. Visit their interactive and exciting exhibition.
Right in the heart of Karljohansvern in Horten you will find the Oslofjord Visitor Centre. This is an experience center for the whole family that will both inspire, delight and create curiosity about life in the Oslofjord.
Here you can collect plastic in the microplastic catcher, color your own fish, and then send it out into their large digital aquarium. The center has creative workshops, marine games, quizzes, posters and much more! Here, both children and adults can learn something, while having fun.
Into the yard at Tufte Gård
At Tufte Gård, products are made for sale.
In the farm shop you can buy:
– Juice
– Ginger shot
– Pickled tomatoes and plum chutney
– Applesauce and pickled red onion
– Soap with coffee and lemon
– Soap with lavender
– Lavender oil in glass (5ml)
– Caramelized walnuts – Carrot jelly
– Calendula ointment
Tufte Gård also sells some products in its online store.
The farm has a free offer on Thursdays from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. The aim is to initiate measures to prevent and reduce loneliness. In addition to improving people's health and quality of life.
Contact aina@tuftegard.no for registration.
Coastal trails Åsgårdstrand – Tønsberg
Start the tour at the guest harbour and Grand Hotel Åsgårdstrand. The first hundred meters from Badeparken in Åsgårdstrand can be walked along the beach, before the trip continues along national road 331 a bit past the bathing area from Feskjær to Saltkopp. From Saltkopp there is a footpath to Essoskogen in Tønsberg municipality. At Bliksekilen there is a sign for the Essoraffineriet at Slagentangen. Continue about 600 meters past the exit. At the large high-voltage masts, it is possible to cross the ground. Then keep right and follow Jordbærveien past the settlement. Here you enter Essoveien, which takes you down to the wonderful hiking areas in Essoskogen.
From here, the coastal path continues through the forest and along fine pebble beaches to Karlsvikodden and Karlsvika, where you follow the beach to Skallevoldstranda, Ringshaugstranda and Furustrand Camping. The coastal path then continues a short distance to Vallø marina.
A nice walk in flat and easy terrain. If you want to cycle, the stretch is part of national cycle route no. 1.
Sykkeltur Horten – Tønsberg – Hvasser
Horten – Borre – Åsgårdstrand – Ringshaug- Tønsberg
The surroundings are varied with forests, cultural landscapes and small towns. The substrate changes slightly on the way to Tønsberg with both wide and slightly narrower trails through idyllic forest areas. Once at Hvasser, there are various food options and hiking opportunities. It is also possible to take the bus back to Tønsberg.
Challenges: You have to follow the signs along National Bicycle Route 1 to find the way. There may be some car noise along the way on the road beyond Nøtterøy, especially during the public holidays. Separate bike paths next to it still make the route safe.
Start point / end point: Horten harbor / Hvasser v / Tjøme
Distance: 56 km
Estimated time: Two days
Substrate: Approx. 85% asphalt, 15% dirt road / wide path
Total climb: 440 h
Difficulty: Easy
Suitable for: Families with cycling children from 9-10 years
Recommended bike type: Most bike types can be used, but road bikes are less suitable here.
Digital map link: here
Karljohansvern
Karljohansvern is a national fortification in Horten, on the western shore of the Oslofjord, a good hour's drive from the capital Oslo. The fortress is beautifully situated on a peninsula between the fjord and the inner harbour, and consists of both big storage buildings from the mid 19th century and ordinary houses from the 20th century. The oldest house that remains at Karljohansvern were a part of Horten farm built in the 16th century. There are also nice recreational areas along the fjord.
Parts of the area are preserved in order to protect birds and plants.
Karljohansvern developed from a ferry place to a naval base, and subsequently to a civil society. The architecture is peculiar and follows the different style periods. Many of the buildings were erected shortly after the Navy established its main base here in 1818. The construction of the buildings has followed the technological development and is typical of its time. Karljohansvern may be defined as a living museum, where you can watch the growth of a modern town. Here the past and the present are brought together. Before parts of the area were unavailable to the public, whereas today you can walk freely around in most parts of the military historical area of Karljohansvern.
Karljohansvern also offers cultural experiences, for example The Naval Museum with exciting collections connected to the naval history through war and peace, and the Preus Museum with exhibits within photography and visual art.
The peninsula of Karljohansvern has three bridge connections across the beautiful Horten Canal separating the Naval base and town. Along the canal you can walk in peace and quiet, only occasionally disturbed by the soft humming of a typical Norwegian small boat called “snekke” – using this shortcut between the inner harbour and the Oslofjord.
Throughout the year various cultural events take place at Karljohansvern, such as concerts, music festivals and other features.
Karljohansvern rundt
Start at the Marine Museum, and follow the path south along the canal to Fyllinga. Here the trail continues on the east side of Karljohansverk and through Hortensskogen. Continue to Møringa bathing area, cross over and follow the beach edge south where it is possible to return to the Marine Museum.
Løvøya
You pass, among other things, the Løvøy Chapel from the 13th century and Jesusbukta. You will then reach the swimming area and campsite.
The hiking trail around the island is sometimes rough and difficult to traverse. The trip is approx. 4 km long.
There are good parking options below Løvøykapellet and at the beach right nearby.
Coastal trails Horten – Åsgårdstrand
From Falkensten, follow the cycle and footpath along the Falkenstens road for a few hundred metres. Here the main road is crossed, and we follow Gamleveien to Kjølhaleskogen. If you cross the parking lot, you can take a walk outside the nice forest that also leads to the Reverumpa swimming pool. Out of the forest again, you have to walk between the blocks and follow the Kjølhalstien to Tordenskjoldbukta. From there you walk all the way to the water's edge to Selviken boat harbour.
The coastal path continues along the jetty, past the old Keisermarkens Brygge and Badehus from 1853 and Bromsjordet Næringsområde to Karljohansvern. If you wish, you can also take the trip out to Møringa and around Karjohansvern (approx. 4 km). Here we cross the canal and follow the canal to the footbridge in the south at Fyllinga marina. (When we walked this bridge was closed. Alternative path on the other side of the canal).
From here we walk along the harbour past Horten guest harbour, Bastøferjekaia and Strandparken to Steinsnes boat harbour. From Rørestrand, the coastal path runs along the sea and partly at the edge of the forest past RS Noatun and Borre National Park with the Borrehaugene and the Midgard Viking Centre. At Borre family camping, we follow the gravel road further south and through a beautiful forest to Åsgårdstrand. Here we enter Edvard Munch's gate, past Edvard Munch's house. Here we walk through the garden and continue along the guest harbor to the Bathing Park below the Grand Hotel Åsgårdstrand.
Link to the Horten and Surroundings Tourist Association's map of the Coastal Path in Horten.