Route 3
Vikingveien
The route is defined as normal
Routes defined as normal are suitable for most people who have experience with somewhat demanding partiesTime
3:30 hours
Length
178 km
Popularity
6out of 10
From Engø Gård, take a small detour to Vestveien, to pick up a delicious latte from Tjøme Kolonial (and maybe a good packed lunch?), before continuing towards Tønsberg and Slagendalen. At Klokkeråsen School there is a separate parking lot for Osebergrunden (see sign). Take the apostles' horses and follow the short path to Oseberghaugen - the mound that has actually given us the world's richest Viking Age burial finds. Then head south on Vikingveien for new discoveries.
This is a drive that can be enjoyed regardless of the season - the colors of the historic landscape change with the seasons, the light changes with the weather, the sea rises quietly or roars loudly. Just as it did when the Vikings roamed here. From Oseberghaugen you continue on the E-18 towards Sandefjord, ready for the next Viking grave; Gokstadhaugen, also known as "Kongshaugen". The remains of the Gokstad ship are now on display in the Viking Ship House in Oslo, but if you continue your trip to Strandpromenaden in Sandefjord, you can see the eager boat builders of Oseberg Vikingarv working on a large-scale replica of the mighty Viking ship.
Another "ship" worth stopping at is the stone ship at the Istrehågan c emetery in Marumskogen. Here, an ancient stone setting, shaped like a ship, guards the remains of the deceased chieftain. The site dates back to 4-600 AD. Enjoying your packed lunch in the forest here, with history whispering around you, really gives you room for reflection. The next stop along the Viking Road is Norway's oldest trading post, Kaupang, which was established in the early 800s. Guided tours are held here in the summer. When you arrive back at E-18 in your "iron horse", you can choose to return to Tjøme, or you can head out of Mølen - one of Norway's most beautiful burial grounds. Here, on the country's largest pebble beach, there are a total of 230 burial mounds, beautifully situated with the sea as a mighty guardian. In June 2008, the Nordic region's first UNESCO European Geopark opened at Mølen, and the entire area is protected.
On the way home, we recommend a stop in Norway's oldest city, at the landmark Slottsfjellet and the iconic tower from 1888. If you want to wander even further back in time, head down to Vikingodden. Here you can see several of the skilled traditional boat builders at work, as well as admire full-scale archaeological replicas of several famous Viking ships, including (of course) the Oseberg ship! When you roll back into the yard at Engø Gård, you'll be full of impressions, but hungry for the temptations of the chef.
Support
How can I navigate the route?
This depends primarily on whether you have installed a GPS, navigate by App on your mobile phone or prefer paper printouts. Here we describe the most common workflows:
- Download the GPX file for the route you want to your computer
- Import the file to your route planning tool (e.g. Garmin's Basecamp or Tom Tom's MyDrive)
- Export the route to your GPS in the usual way
- Check that the route is calculated correctly in your GPS (It is recommended that the GPS is set to select the fastest route and any avoidance turned off for the route to be calculated as described).
- Have a great trip!
- Download the GPX file for the route you want to your mobile phone
- Send/open the file in the App that belongs to your GPS model (e.g. Garmin's Drive or Tom Tom's MyDrive)
- Send the route to your GPS (follow the instructions that come with your GPS and App)
- Check that the route is calculated correctly in your GPS (It is recommended that the GPS is set to select the fastest route and any avoidance turned off for the route to be calculated as described).
- Have a great trip!
Many of the routes on Hubriding use the app Ride with GPS app for route planning and navigation of the routes. You can download this as a free version or pay for extended use. Click on the Send to Device link on the map on this page, when the app has started and you see the current route, click Navigate and then just follow the route.
- Click on the link in the map on the page and the map will open in a new window
- Print the map, with or without description
- Have a great trip!
