Experience a great journey in literature, art, local flavors and nature on a short road trip!
Activity information
| Length: | 15 km |
If you head west from Åmot town center, you can experience many cultural and historical sites in a short distance.
Why not start your journey at Groven Camping and Hyttegrend in Åmot? The site has a beautiful yard with old houses from the area. Here you can spend the night in a tree, barn, firehouse, storehouse or at Loftet - which is probably one of the oldest camping cabins in Norway at 700 years old. In addition, there are 10 larger cabins of a high standard.
The first stop is the homestead Midtbø, the home of the famous writer couple Halldis and Tarjei Vesaas. The house and life there are depicted in several of their poems and books. Midtbø is still owned by the family, and has been open to visitors during the tourist season since 2016. Take in the surroundings where the two authors found inspiration to write world-renowned literature!
The journey continues westwards. In Bøgrend you can swing by Vinje Bryggeri, where you can get locally brewed beer that carries local culture and history in both name and taste.
Vinjestoga is located on Vinjeflaten, right next to the Vinje Center, the national center for poetry and journalism. Aasmund Olavsson Vinje, the pioneering journalist and poet who turned the national language into a living everyday language with the newspaper Dølen, grew up here. Many of Vinje's poems have been set to music, and several of them have become popular songs. You can take a guided tour of Vinjestoga during the tourist season.
Before you drive on towards Smørklepp, you can swing by Vinjesvingen Handel and buy some local food.
The next stop is Mjonøy Kultursenter, known among other things for delicious fresh yeast baked goods from stone ovens and an outdoor café serving generous portions of locally produced food. The courtyard is framed by a collection of old houses, and is idyllically situated by the river - with hammocks placed in the cool shade under the tree. With animals, an art exhibition and a craft exhibition, there's something for everyone! And even though many people stop here in the summer, the town is still characterized by peace and harmony. On Mjonøy you can stay in simple old Telemark houses, high-standard cabins or camp in a caravan or tent.
In the village of Smørklepp (15 km from Åmot) you are in the middle of the "painter's landscape" of the artist Henrik Sørensen, who was above all known for his evocative depictions of nature from Telemark. Here you'll find the distinctive, natural stone-built Smørklepp Art Museum, where you can study a large collection of Sørensen's paintings. You can also see pictures by the famous artist Harald Kihle here.
Have a great trip!
