Østfold County is one out of 19 counties in Norway with a area of 4.183 km2 and a population of approximately 287.198.

Each County is divided into different municipality. For Østfold County the names of the municipality are: Aremark, Askim, Eidsberg, Fredrikstad, Halden, Hobøl, Hvaler, Marker, Moss, Rakkestad, Rygge, Råde, Rømskog, Sarpsborg, Skiptvet, Spydeberg, Trøgstad, and Våler.

Principal industries in Østfold are Farming and forestry, industry, trade and commerce, public and private service industries.

“Must See”places to visit are: Fredriksten Fortress in Halden, The Old Town in Fredrikstad, The Hvaler islands outside Fredrikstad, Gallery F 15 in Moss, Sarpefossen waterfall in Sarpsborg.

Due to Østfold´s long stretch of coastline shipping has always had a central role here. Mild winters and ice-free conditions in the harbours ensure that traffic at sea can move without any problem all year round. Pursuant to the Act relating to Harbour Administration, the county is divided into 7 official port districts. Of these, it is the urban ports which are of greatest importance for the commercial cargo traffic (Halden, Sarpsborg, Fredrikstad, Moss).

Fredrikstad and Moss are the predominant ports. The port in Halden is used primarily by the wood processing company, Norske Skog A/S Saugbrugs. Both Moss and Fredrikstad have modern, well equipped traffic ports with container terminals. Both ports have roll on – roll off facilities. Passenger traffic mainly consists of ferry traffic across the Oslo Fjord (Moss-Horten) and Stena Line´s overseas ferry traffic between Moss and Fredrikshavn in Denmark (passengers and cargo).

In Østfold we used to take delicacies from the sea almost for granted. Twenty to thirty years ago, fish was merely healthy everyday food. However, since fish has become steadily more in demand as an export product and since at the same time we have discovered, whilst on our travels abroad, that seafood was a highly priced culinary highlight on restaurant menus, we now see things in a different way. Herring, cod, prawns, crab, mussels, monkfish and flounder are at least on a par with salmon. Seafood has become the food of celebrations.

A quota-regulated catch over many years, combined with new cleaning methods and bans on contaminated emissions from industry and households, has given positive results in the form of an increased fish stock and a cleaner ocean. Skagerak (an arm of the North Sea between Norway and Denmark) is one of the most productive waters in the world. Between 300,000 and 400,000 tonnes of fish are caught here annually. In a long term perspective, interesting future possibilities are to be found among the skerries of Østfold and in the ocean beyond.

Norwegian shipping and offshore activities are renowned through out the world. We have unbeatable expertise within the fields of design, building and running mobile and stationary units at sea. Østfold experienced a very hectic period of shipbuilding stretching from the end of the second world war well into the eighties. In Fredrikstad and Moss, ships of up to 131.500 dwt. were built. Major structural changes resulted in the closure of shipyards, but the expertise lives on in the form of, amongst other things, the design of ships and offshore equipment.

Kværner Moss Technology is considered to be one of the world´s leading designers of gas tankers and equipment for such vessels. The company is a division of the well known Kværner concern.

In an industrialized and even more standardized world, the need to bring out the best from one´s own cultural traditions is increasing. We cast our glance backwards before we cast it forwards. Østfold has solid traditions in crafts and handicrafts, whilst in recent years professional milieus within industrial design and graphic design have been established. Norwegian landscape, history and cultural traditions are extremely rich sources of inspiration. Interest from abroad for new and old Norwegian design is very noticably on the increase. This is a good starting point for companies and businesses whose main strategy is innovation.

FREDRIKSTAD

Fredrikstad has approximately 67,000 inhabitants. Modern Fredrikstad across the river from The Old Town is centred around the pedestrian street “Nygaardsgata” and the popular Bryggepromenaden by the harbour. Here, along Vesterelva (the West River) and with a good view to Isegran and Kråkerøy, the restaurants stand side by side, and outdoor serving is popular on sunny days.

Fredrikstad was founded by king Fredrik II in 1567. The king”s command prepared the ground for a rich city with close trade connections to Scandinavia and the Continent alike. The earliest history books of the time – “the Saga” – mention Alv Erlingsson”s fortress on the island Isegran by Fredrikstad in the late 1200´s. In the 1670´s Isegran was fortified for “modern” warfare, and the Norwegian hero Admiral Peter Wessel Tordenskjold used it as an important base during the Great Nordic War between Sweden and Norway / Denmark.

MOSS

Half the population lives on Jeløy, a beautiful island with beautifully-tended farmlands, old manor houses and a very special flora. The birdlife is also well-known. Moss is the natural commercial centre for the entire region, with a customer basis of up to 50.000.

Moss is a typical industrial town, with 250 firms of various sizes within municipal boundaries. TrioVing AS, Peterson Moss AS and Helly Hansen AS are well-known examples of local businesses. The ferry connections to Frederikshavn in Denmark and Horten make Moss a communications crossroads, thanks also to European Highway 6 runnlng right outside the town and the railway through it. Moss large and modern port handles over 2.000 calls a year.

Moss and the surrounding district has most of what a summer tourist could wish. A unique location in the most accessible part of Norway – a crossroads by land and sea. The Moss District can offer a variety of experiences and attractions. Bathing beaches, for example – there are more than 40 of them, including the Lido (Sjøbadet) in the very centre of the town. lf you want to stay in a hotel or motel there are many options, either in the centre of the town or in more rural surroundings – or beside trunk routes. Campsites are numerous.

HALDEN

There are traces of settlements in the Halden area that date back more than 8000 years. The town is also known as the empire town because of its buildings in the French Empire style which flourished in Norway in the first half of the 19th century.

The most prominent of these buildings are Rød Herregård (a well-preserved country manor) and the Immanuel Church. Fredriksten Fortress is the most conspicuous part of the town´s scenery where it looms proudly above the town and gives Halden its characteristic appearance.

The fjord runs along the Swedish border from the Singlefjord and the idyllic Hvaler islands to the village of Berby in the Enningdal valley. The outermost stretch is called the Ringdalsfjord, but from the point where it makes a sharp bend and further south, it is called the Iddefjord. The fjord has an abundant variety of fish species, and bathing is a popular attraction in the summer. This part of the fjord that runs along the border to Halden has been called eastern Norway”s only west coast fjord. It is narrow and idyllic with surprising, steep natural formations on both sides.

SARPSBORG

The area around the lower Glomma River is one of the important industrial centers in Norway, producing ships, chemicals, rubber, and processed food. Sarpefossen waterfall is the last waterfall in Glomma. Sarpsfossen is used by Borregaard powerstation situated on the westside of the waterfall, and by Hafslund powerstation, situated on the eastside. Hafslund also owns and use the historical buildings and grounds of Hafslund Manor from the middle of the 1700s. The fall rights belonged to the famous Hafslund Manor, which had utilised the falls since the seventeenth century to work a mill, a gristmill and a sawmill. Today Hafslund Manor is one of Norway”s most impressive manor houses.