Top 10 Museums in Buskerud, Eastern Norway

Gallery Athene is one of Norway's largest privately-owned galleries in the 500 square meters, spread over five floors. The gallery displays art of the most renowned artists and the exciting coming yet to be nationally recognized for its work. We have three exhibition halls with eleven exhibitions a year, and two permanent venues by public exhibition displays over 80 artists in visual art, sculpture and crafts. Come and visit Gallery Athene and treat yourself to an artistic experience.

Lier Bygdetun is a gathering of old Norwegian houses. It is open all year and can offer different exhibitions and activities.

Gallery with exhibition and sale of art, watercolors, paintings, pastels and glass art. We also have a professional framework workshop with broad expertise in restoration and gilding of frames

The al Stave Church dating from the latter part of the 12th century was richly decorated at the time of its demolition in 1880. The main doorway and the ceiling painting can be seen at the medieval exhibition at the Historical Museum in Oslo. Some of the church's fittings as well as a copy of the al ceiling can be found at al Church. The site of the church was examined and planned and today it forms part of the church park. In the 1990s, the al Stave Church Museum in Prestegardslaven in the church park opened. The museum restores and displays decorative panels from stave churches and it has a copy of the al doorway. The exhibition provides information about al Stave Cchurch and about Norway’s other stave churches in Norway. Free admission for children up to the age of 16, when accompanied by an adult.

The painters Kris and Oluf Wold Thorne came to Stoa, Holmsbu together with Thorvald Erichsen in 1911, later joined by Gudrun and Henrik Sorensen. Scandinavian painters and poets came to this quiet part of Drammensfjord for over 50 years and the Holmsbu Art Gallery has been built to commemorate these artists, particularly Henrik Sorensen. This unique gallery was designed by Bjart Mohr and was opened in 1973. Henrik Sorensen's son, Sven Oluf Sorensen, had the idea of making the building an integral part of the natural surroundings. The gallery received an award for good architecture from Houens Fond, and in 1979 it became a listed building. Guided tours by appointment

al Bygdamuseum is built up around a listed farm yard from the 1600s. The museum has been supplemented with other buildings that could have belonged to the old farm, among others a cotters farm and a mountain farm with a stone cottage. Today, the museum has 30 buildings. The contents of the buildings tell the story of the everyday lives of previous generations. The museum has a beautiful location with a fantastic view over al. A museum brochure for the museum with a description of all the buildings can be found at al Tourist Information. The brochure also describes the other outdoor museums connected to Hallingdal Museum. Guided tours outside normal opening hours can be arranged after agreement.

Stop for a rest at Sigdal’s amazing open air heritage museum in Prestfoss. The museum is open in the summer, from June to August. An idyllic farm setting with several old timber buildings that represent the building style and traditions of Sigdal. There are permanent exhibition of traditional costumes and folk music instruments, and a new summer exhibition every year. Guided tours on the hour. The museum cafe and store sell locally produced food, traditional handicraft, books and folk music from Buskerud.

Blaafarvevaerket, or the Royal Cobalt Works of Modum was established in 1773 for the extraction of cobalt ore from the local mines in the surrounding hills. Today Blaafarvevaerket is one of Norways best known tourist attractions offering historical insight into the extraction and production of cobalt, guided tours of the mines and surrounding area and annual art exhibitions. Other attractions at the museum are the Theodor Kittelsen museum. The artist that created the troll as we know it! Children's Farm, several shops and eateries makes us a complete destination for all travellers. The museum and surrounding area is a popular tourist destination in central Eastern Norway with the Vikersund Ski Flying Arena, the worlds largest, and several other destinations for active tourists near by.

Veien Cultural Heritage Park is centrally situated in the district of Ringerike, just north of Tyrifjorden and Honefoss, is one of the biggest burial grounds from the late Iron Age in eastern Norway. Today the burial grounds consist of 107 barrow graves. Traces from the past tell a much bigger story. In the fields, south of the burial ground, excavations have uncovered several flat graves, cooking pits, fireplaces and four longhouses. One of the longhouses is reconstructed the way we believe houses looked like back in late Iron Age. The burial ground is dated back to late Bronze Age and early Iron Age (ca 900 B.C. to 550 A.C). In June 2009 a brand new museum opened housing exhibitions (permanent and temporary), a cafe and a shop.