Autumn activities

Telemark offers a great variety of autumn activities. Enjoy the fresh air and activities such as mountain hikes, walking along the coastal paths, cycling, canoeing or visits to exciting museums. Kids love a visit to swimming or climbing parks. Here are the top 10 activities to do in autumn, as well as inspiration for various holidays in Telemark.

Hiking in Telemark

Telemark offers a wide range of hiking possibilities – everything from the beautiful coast line to gentle highlands in Vrådal and Nissedal, spectacular tours along the Telemark canal until the Hardangervidda mountain plateau. Popular tracks are for example Lårdalstigen in Tokke, top tours up to Mount Gausta at Rjukan, Hægefjell at Vrådal, Grygrestolen at Bø, hiking tours at Lifjell and last not least the stone laid paths Falkeriset at Rauland and Solstien at Rjukan.

Fishing in Telemark

Telemark has a great number of fishing lakes from the coast to the high mountains. Try pole fishing after mackerel at the archipelago along the coast. Here no fishing card is required. One of Europe’s best deep water fishing areas is located just outside of Langesund. Other fishing waters are Lake Fryresvatn, Lake Nisser, Lake Tinnsjøen, Lake Møsvatn as well as some other great and miner fishing waters within the Hardangervidda mountain plateau. Remember to buy a fishing card.

Museums that are open all year round

Exciting and informative museum visits can be arranged all year at some of Telemark’s biggest museums. We recommend a visit to the ski museum “Norsk Skieventyr” in Morgedal. Ski enthusiasts from all over the world are coming to Morgedal to visit the village that is known as the cradle of modern ski sport. Vest Telemark Museum Eidsborg with its small Eidsborg stave church. The museum was extended by a new modern museum building that shows a variety of interesting exhibitions. UNESCO: The Norwegian Industrial Workers Museum – The Rjukan waterfall was fundamental in order to establish Vemork, the world’s greatest power station in 1911. Today the station is a museum that shows different exhibitions about the industrial development in Norway and Rjukan.

Along the Telemark Canal

The Telemark Canal that extends over 105 km from Skien to Dalen offers a rich cultural history, a picturesque landscape and locks that are over a hundred years old.

Exhibitions and museums

Telemark has a large number of museums and cultural buildings. At the porselain factory Porsgrund Porselænsfabrik in Porsgrunn you can still admire the special straw pattern painting. Exhibitions and outlet in the premises.

Activities for children

Check out what kind of activities Telemark can offer to children. Visit one of the indoor swimming pools; “Rjukanbadet” offers warm-water basins, whirlpool and outdoor basin with up to 36 degrees Celsius. The “Skien Fritidspark” offers a 100 m long water slide, 6 different basins, whirlpool, slides, saunas and a water stream channel. In Langesund the Quality Resort & Hotel Skjærgården owns a tropical indoor waterpark with in- and outdoor basins and a water temperature of 31 degrees Celsius. At the “Fritidsparken” you will also find a new climbing park with 7 different runs in different difficulty levels, from light trails to more challenging trails  7-8 meters above the ground. An other climbing park "Høyt og Lavt" can be found in Bø. Høyt og Lavt climbing park consists of various types of courses in the trees, with varying lengths and difficulties. the park is next to the waterpark, Bo Sommarland and Lifjell hiking area. 

Exciting bicycling tours

In Telemark you will find a number of prepared cycling tracks over the entire region. Quite popular are cycling tours along the Telemark canal. There you can combine a cycling tour with a cruise on board of one of the canal boats. There are also marked tracks along the coast of Grenland, in Vinje/Tinn or “Midt-Telemark. Try off road cycling in Nissedal, terrain cycling in Vrådal or at the mountain plateau Hardangervidda. You can rent bikes at Lunde, Dalen, Rauland, Vrådal or Rjukan.

Events

Autumn is the time for some major events as for example the food festival “Dyrsku’n” in Seljord or the apple festival “Norsk Eplefest” in Gvarv.

Golf

Telemark has a number of golf courses, picturesquely located. The best golf courses are: Kragerø golf course, Vrådal Panorama golf at Vrådal and Norsjø golf course at the shore of Lake Norsjø.

Fruits, berries and mushrooms

During autumn it is quite popular to combine a forest or mountain hike with plucking of blueberries, cranberries, cloudberries and mushrooms which are at their best now. You will find berries and mushrooms within the most hiking areas. Did you know that 25 % og all appels in Norway are produced in Telemark? In the community of Sauherad you will find a variety of apple farms and farm shops.