Asker in Norway has approximately 57.000 inhabitants and covers a area of 100,7 km2. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Asker. Although Asker is principally a rural municipality, the expansion of Oslo has resulted in its becoming an affluent suburb. Thus numerous celebrities now reside in the area. Asker ranks as the 2nd wealthiest municipality in Norway based on median household income.
Its main parts are Asker, Gullhella, Vollen, Vettre, Blakstad, Borgen, Drengsrud, Dikemark, Vardåsen, Engelsrud, Holmen, Høn, Hvalstad, Billingstad, Nesøya, Nesbru, and Heggedal. Agriculture has always been one of the most important industries in Asker municipality. Asker is a notably coastal place with many beautiful beaches, but it is also a place of hills and woods. The district is known for many important businesses. It is also known for gardening. The Skaugum estate, where Crown Prince Haakon lives with his family, is situated here. The first IKEA store outside of Sweden opened in Asker.
The main attractions are Asker Museum, Sem Sag, Seheims Verksted, Norway´s Bee keeping Association Museum, Vogelius-alleen (street), Vollen Coastal Culture Centre, Valstads Samlinger, Labråten, Hulda and Arne Garborgs home.
THE SKAUGUM ESTATE
The building, in the functional style, now stands below the Skaugum hill, approximately 200 metres above sea level. Covering an area of about 1,000 square metres, it is surrounded by a wonderful 38-acre garden and has magnificent views of the Oslofjord. The building has been furnished as a home rather than a place for entertaining official visitors, although it has also been used for this purpose many times. The Skaugum estate also comprises farm buildings for livestock and agricultural and forestry production. Today the Crown Prince Haakon and Crown Princess Mette-Marit´s family live here. King Harald and Queen Sonja have move to the Royal Palace.
Before the Second World War it was a typically agricultural area. Prior to the Reformation, the Skaugum estate, lying under the charac-teristic Skaugum hill, belonged to the Church of Saint Mary in Oslo and the Nonneseter convent. It subsequently had many different owners, the last being Fritz Wedel Jarlsberg, a government minister and Norwegian ambassador to Paris, who bought the estate in 1909.
Wedel Jarlsberg gave the estate to Crown Prince Olav when he married the Swedish Princess Märtha in 1929. The couple immediately moved into the main building. Unfortunately, it burned to the ground on 20 May 1930. The new building was designed by architect Arnstein Arneberg and completed in 1932.
THE ROYAL FAMILY
Crown Prince Olav and Crown Princess Märtha lived at Skaugum both before and after the German occupation. During the war, the property was vandalised by German Reichskommissar J. Terboven, who resided there. After the death of Crown Princess Märtha in 1954, Crown Prince Olav continued to live at Skaugum with his children until he acceded to the throne in 1957.
When King Olav’s son, Crown Prince Harald, married Sonja Haraldsen in 1968, the King gave them Skaugum as a wedding present. The royal couple´s two children, Crown Prince Haakon and Princess Märtha Louise, grew up there.
ICE CUTTING
The production and sale of ice was another important source of income. Evidence of this activity may still be seen in the form of, among other things, artificial ice dams.
SHIPBUILDING
Around the turn of the century, Vollen in Asker had a thriving shipbuilding industry. Polar explorer Roald Amundsen´s vessel Maud was built here, as were the world-famous vessels built by Johan Anker. The Vollen Coastal Culture Center was opened in 1994. The centre, together with the shoreline walk from Slemmestad to Holmen, is an important element of the coastal culture in the inner Oslofjord. Vollen was once a centre for boat-building, hunting, trade, fishing, ice cutting, horticulture and market gardening.
THE VALSTAD COLLECTIONS
Asker Museum and the Valstads Samlinger, is located in Hvalstaddalen. The focal point of the museum is the home of artists Tilla and Otto Valstad and sculptures by Arne Grimdalen. The Valstads Samlinger has many artefacts and buildings worthy of preservation which the donors, Tilla and Otto Valstad, collected over many years. They include a Baroque-inspired museum garden, Tilla and Otto Valstad’s residence and the Fusdallåven, a wonderful Norwegian barn. It stands today just as they left it. A visit here is highly recomended. The collections are exuberant and opulent. The museum has both permanent and guest exhibitions.
In the 1860s, a new era began: Technical developments, particularly the steam ship, paved paved the way for new opportunities. Fishing and Horticulture compered with agriculture as the most important activity because products could now be quickly transported by steam ship to the market. Asker was noted for its raspberries, and the area became affectionately known as the “raspberry coast”.
The most important motorways and main roads to and from the whole of Norway go through Akershus. Travelers by train, coach, car and boat to and from the area around Oslo have to pass through Akershus. There is a very good public transport system carrying large numbers of passengers between Akershus and the surrounding area daily, facilitating travel around the county. This provides an alternative to the big city, whether it’s for just an afternoon trip or a longer stay. You can get to all parts of Akershus within one hour from the centre of Oslo. The most modern airport in Europe lies in Akershus Oslo Airport.
TO DRIVE A ELECTRIC CAR IN NORWAY
Among the existing government incentives, all-electric cars are exempt in Norway from the annual road tax, all public parking fees, and toll payments as well as being able to use bus lanes.
Charging points in Asker at the moment is 54.
Charging points can be found on street parking, at taxi stands, in parking lots, at places of employment, hotels, airports, shopping centers, convenience shops, fast food restaurants, coffeehouses etc., as well as in driveways and garages.
FISHING
Fishing possibilities are good in Oslofjord. A rich variety of activities are available, including good trout fishing in rivers and lakes.
GOLF
Asker Golfclub is a golf course with 18 holes and a variation of difficulties. The course lies about 3 km from Asker center.