Travel Guide Fredrikstad

The most interesting thing to see in Fredrikstad is undoubtedly the old town. Founded in 1567 by King Frederik (after whom the town takes its name), Fredrikstad is one of the most beautiful fortified towns in Norway. Traces of settlement date back over 4,000 years. The town's fortress, built between 1661 and 1701, was in use until 1903, as Norway only gained independence in 1905. The town's museum is housed in the former arsenal. The town is famous for its sports teams, notably soccer, handball and field hockey.Leaving Fredrikstad, take Route 110 to Skjeberg and Sarpsborg. In this region, near Tune, you'll find Norway's oldest surviving settlements: stone burial mounds and cave paintings. Back on the E6, we pass through some of Norway's most important industrial centers, such as Sarpsborg (Fredrikstad also belongs to this group), located at the mouth of the Glomma. This river, the longest in the country, has its source 600 km further north, in the province of Trøndelag. But before it gets there, the Glomma first flows through peaceful farming villages, into the great solitudes of the immense pine and fir forests of the Østerdal valley, bends around the town of Kongsvinger, and finally reaches the county of Østfold, crosses Lake Øyern and empties into the Oslo fjord.