The Ancient Trail - Visitoslofjord.no

The Ancient Trail
Late one summer evening in 1958
the cows at Kalnes in Sarpsborg were
returning from the meadow. A group
of them took a detour up a slope and
one cow slid and fell, scraping away
moss that covered the rocks. The man
who was herding them rushed over
and discovered that the rock face was
covered in carved figures of ships,
animals, and people. The cow was no
worse for wear and had inadvertently
exposed 3000 year old rock carvings.
There are many traces of prehistoric
people in Østfold’s landscape,
particularly near the fertile Ridge.
This spine of sand and gravel running
through Østfold is formed by moraine
from the Ice Age. Today’s E6 motorway
follows the Ridge. At exit 4 you will find
the Solberg Tower rest area. This is the
perfect starting point for exploring the
Ancient Trail, a series of twelve heritage
sites open to the public. Here you will
find rock art and burial cairns from the
Bronze Age, stone circles and burial
sites from the Iron Age. Several sites are
accessible by wheelchair.
– a journey through Østfold’s Bronze and Iron Ages
SALUTE: Rowers salute with their paddles to other boats. From rock
art at Kalnes, Sarpsborg.
Photo: Linda Nordeide
STARTING POINT: ”Solbergtårnet” is a good starting point to the
Ancient Trail. Here you can find a lot of information about the heritage
Photo: Terje Rakke/Nordic life
sites.
Did you know that ...
there are almost 500 rock art sites in Østfold?
rock carvings are painted red to make them easier to see
for today’s visitors? Originally they were not painted, the
carved grooves standing out against the dark rock face.
the oldest wheel found in Norway is from Sarpsborg and
ca. 400 BC was part of a wagon?
A STRIKING SITE: The Hunn stone circles in Fredrikstad – one of
Norway’s most striking heritage sites.
Photo: Linda Nordeide
Would you like to know more? You can get the book «Ships of the
sun – a round trip of Bronze age Østfold» by Andrew J. Boyle and
Ann-Jorid Pedersen at the Visit offices in Sarpsborg and Fredrikstad.
552
581
553
591
Høysand
Ingedal kirke
Tosekilen
Løkkevika
12
!
(
92
Berg
E6
Thorsø
Husvik
925
Ørbekk
5
7
10
1
592
2
53
Tose varde
Rog
596
593
455
53
Torsnes kirke
Holm
Lilleby
Skjeberg
590
Glosli
Nes
Alshus
!
(3 !
(2
110
!
(1
118
2
107
S
4
Rock carvings. The ship is 4,5
metres long, the largest Bronze Age rock
carving in Northern Europe. Wheelchair
accessible. 300 metres from parking. GPS: UTM32: X:622730 Y:6569355
Hunnebotn
53
Øra
Vesterelva
Storedal
598
11
4
9
10
2
43
11
1
Begby
±
Gamlebyen
Kongsten fort
±
Skjærvika
Sandås
599
60
art. In the manor park there is an Iron Age
burial site, and further south several fine
Bronze Age rock carvings. 1,5 km round trip.
GPS: UTM32: X:621831 Y:6572407
0
11
!
(!
(4
5
Vik
Hauge
585
381
114
359
!
(7
!
(6
Fredrikstad
Hunn
110
11
!
(
6
526
Sandbakken
Skjelin
Borge kirke
1
Tveter
11
8
53
Gressvik
Manor house farm, graves,Fredrikstad
and rock
11 The Bjørnstad ship
Årum
E6
GPS: UTM32: X:616459 Y:6577014
10
60
Hafslund
hovedgård
583
Sellebakk
±
!
(
Borregård
1
Lisleby
1
11
52
Rock art. Many ships with rowers are
carved into a small rock face. Wheelchair
accessible. Heritage site right by the
road.
Ørebekk
1
Iron Age burial site. The nine circles
form one of Norway’s most striking
heritage sites. 100 metres from parking.
GPS: UTM32: X:618439 Y:6565947
Moum
Torp
45
4
Hunn, stone circles
±
Roald A.
minne
111
9 Kalnes
10
Greåker
109
Isesjøen
Sarpsborg
Hannestad
Holt
602
535
Bronze and Iron Age graves. The hill,
crowned by Gunnarstorp burial cairn, has
also stone circles, megaliths, and stone
settings. 1,5 km round trip.
GPS: UTM32: X: 621486 Y:6565306
Rolvsøy
Kjølberg
GPS: UTM32: X:616411 Y:6574543
Hafslund Manor
Vister
4
3
Gunnarstorp
Rostad
Veum
Bronze and Iron Age burialFosse
site. One
of Østfold’s largest sites, over 100 burial
mounds, two stone circles, and an impressive
avenue of megaliths. Drive in: heritage site
Solgård
by the road.
Berby
Tune kirke
!
(8
Seutelva
1
11
Sekkeland
Ise
11
8
55
8
Visterflo
¯
Hasle
Tunevannet
Kalnes
Eid
52
Rock art and croft. An idyllic path leads
to a rock face with 22 carved ships. Along
the way the ruins of a crofter’s cottage can
be seen. 1 km round trip.
GPS: UTM32: X:623338 Y: 6565347
8
11
523
2 Hornnes
8 Opstad
!
(9
E6
E6
Rock art. Two carved rock faces with
ships and wagons, people and animals.
Wheelchair accessible. Drive in: heritage
site right by the road.
GPS: UTM32: X: 623814 Y: 6565991
Rock art and graves. The Begby Man
and 170 other figures are to
be found
Skinnerflo
here. In the trees above the carvings are
clusters of burial mounds. 650 metre
Ørmen
round trip.
GPS: UTM32: X:614702 Y:6566523
2
11
1 Solberg
7
Vestvannet
Solli 555
2
11
A rest area with an 28 metre tower
providing views of Østfold’s beautiful
landscape. There is a wealth of information
provided about the heritage sites of the
Ancient Trail. Solberg Tower is by exit 4 of
the E6 motorway.
GPS: UTM32: X:623524 Y:6565598
Revhaug
Begby/Gullskår
622
S
Solberg Tower
Rock art. A rock face with carvings.
300 metres from parking.
GPS: UTM32: X:614837 Y:6565830
S
!
(
Grimsøy
Solbergtårnet
Kulturminne
21
Oldtidsruta
Røsneskilen
Europavei
Veier
Jernbane
Kommunegrense
Øgarden
Skjelsbu
Østa
4
Karlsøya
59
±
Severdighet
Hvaler
0
1375
2750
Halden
4
5500 Meter
93
Kartdata: Geovekst/Norge Digitalt 2012
Singlefjorden
Sponvika
118
6 Begby School
Iron Age burial mound. Norway’s
second largest burial mound rises from the
flattest part of Østfold. Drive in: heritage
site by the road.
GPS: UTM32: X:628788 Y:6558501
Skjebergkilen
2
Iron Age burial site. Over 60 burial
mounds in idyllic grazing pasture. Drive in:
heritage site right by the road.
GPS: UTM32: X:617950 Y:6566303
12 Jellhaug
53
5 Hunn, burial mounds
Svin