Great tips for a girls trip

Go island-hopping around Hvaler, spend the night in a lighthouse, and let the sunrise warm the naked rocks by the shore. For you and your girlfriends the stunning coastal islands are the perfect place to spend some lazy days and enjoy quality time with great food.

Fredrikstad’s Old Town (Gamlebyen) is living history – quaint shops, charming cafés, intimate galleries and 500 years of fascinating heritage. And all of this is a short (and free!) ferry hop from Fredrikstad’s pulsating city centre.

If beautiful surroundings are your kind of thing – this is a trip you’ll be talking about for years. We’ve got the perfect backdrop for unforgettable memories – just add your own stories, laughs, and a drop of craziness!

Why choose Fredrikstad and Hvaler?

• Did we mention our coastal paradise – with hundreds of small and large islands?
• Fredrikstad is a quick hour from Oslo, easy to get to by road and rail
• The attractions are laid out on a silver platter for you – with short distances between them you don’t waste time getting around
• Who have most sun days in Norway? We do, of course!

Get your bag packed and leave everyday behind! Give old memories a fresh lick of paint, or make some shiny new ones!

TRIP 1: Gils getaway with a bit of culture

GAMLEBYEN | ISEGRAN | FREDRIKSTAD

We don’t like to boast – but Fredrikstad’s fortress town, Gamlebyen, is listed as the best-preserved fortress town in Scandinavia. If you girls have been looking for some quality time together, look no further than the cobbled streets and picturesque houses of Gamlebyen. You can get a cultural recharge in idyllic surroundings, then chatter the evening away in one of the secluded courtyards. Yepp, you can even hire a flat here with its own other-worldly courtyard. Almost like being in a movie!

Where was art before it was art? In the artist’s head, of course! At Bastion 5 you can see art becoming art. Nine artists are at work in this charming environment. There are exhibitions and a vibrant café with live concerts. More art being made as you watch – at Glasshytta (The Glass House) just a stone’s throw away, at the moat bridge. In just a few minutes the glowing mass is transformed into beautiful collectibles! Ask nicely and you may even get to blow your own glass. 

Want to steady your pulse – alone or together? There’s nothing more relaxing than strolling by the moats and atop the ramparts of the Old Town. Maybe pick up a snack at Mormors Cafe and make a picnic in the shade of ancient trees and battlements.

Fredrikstad is a town with the heart of a city, and it’s just a short ferry hop from the old to the new town. Free of charge, the Town Ferry (Byfergen) takes you from Gamlebyen to Isegran and the town centre. It’s the loveliest little ferry ride in Norway! A great way to see Fredrikstad from the river.

And what a delightful town centre! Shopping, restaurants, stylish cafés – and, of course, Brygga. Along this riverside promenade, restaurants and bars jostle shoulder to shoulder to please you. Locals and visitors alike, they all flock down to the river to find a table and enjoy a couple of chilled glasses and a platter of shrimps. Nygaardsplassen is a secluded square in the bosom of the town – and has been called “Fredrikstad’s own little corner of Brooklyn”. There are several high quality restaurants to choose from. The “city heart” of the town beats strongest in its shopping – everything from specialist stores and unique interior and fashion boutiques to the Torvbyen shopping mall.

• How to get here? It is easy to get to Fredrikstad by bus, train and car. There is a free ferry service between the Old Town (Gamlebyen) and the town centre.

TOUR 2: Island hopping on Hvaler

HVALER

Do the round trip of Hvaler’s island paradise, hopping by foot or car, bus or boat. A skerry you can hardly find on the map might turn out to be your perfect secluded bathing spot. For you and your girlfriends the stunning coastal islands are the perfect place to spend some lazy days and enjoy quality time with great food.

Fish, swim, paddle, eat, hike, read or perhaps sail? Hvaler spoils you for choice. Get Alexander Hermansen to skipper you around the bay in his yacht, or go out aboard the fishing boat M/S James to get a taste of sea and salt. Too slow? OK, what about a seal safari in a rubber RIB?! We can pretty much guarantee you’ll snap a “seal-fie” or two with your phone. As generations before you have discovered: Hvaler is all about sun and sand and sea. 

Hvaler is a kingdom of islands and skerries – 833 in all. In other words, a lot of naked, sun-warmed beach rocks to get to know. You can go island hopping to several of the largest with the ferry route from Skjærhalden. There are 19 departures, so just buy a return ticket and you can get on and off all day long.

We also recommend a low-gear hike along the Coastal Trail (Kyststien) that starts in Skjærhalden. In the national park you will discover Bronze Age cairns, medieval ruins, a medieval church, Rødshue Sculpture Park, and Homlungen Lighthouse. Plot in a stop at the Outdoor House (Friluftshuset) on Storesand beach, where you can buy refreshments. But do remember that the local custom is to bring your own food along with you on a trip. There are several small grocery stores to choose from, most open late in the evening and on Sundays.

Hvaler is also known for its restaurants. In the maritime heart of Skjærhalden is Big Fish Café. At this family-run eatery all the food is prepared on site – with a love of good food as the principle ingredient. The café has become a favourite among people who prefer shrimps fresh off the boat and other low-mileage dishes. And if you like ice cream – well, treat yourself to their Italian gelato!

• How do you get to your coastal idyll? You can come by car or take the express bus from Oslo. Alternatively, take the train to Fredrikstad and pick up the bus there.