Local Experiences
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Welcome to Hekshusstranda and Østre Toten municipality, beautifully nestled along the western shores of Mjøsa, just an hour and a half north of Oslo. Toten purportedly means "Something you like," and the name couldn't be more fitting. Most people find joy in the green cultural landscape surrounding the flatlands of Toten.
Hekshusstranda Camping is a fantastic retreat for those who want to savor the camping life by Mjøsa. But perhaps you'd like to go on a couple of excursions during your delightful days off? In that case, you have plenty to choose from. Here are some of the experiences waiting for you:
Peder Balke Center:
Photo: Peder Balke Senteret
The painter Peder Balke (1804 – 1887) was one of the most renowned landscape artists in Norway in the 19th century. Balke created beautiful wall paintings on several large farms in Toten in the 1830s, and one of these farms was Billerud Gård on Kapp, which is now the Peder Balke Center. The center offers a delightful view of Mjøsa, and during the summer season, you can see the beautiful wall paintings in the gallery, along with changing exhibitions of contemporary art. The art center also houses a cozy café, Kafé Grom, serving delicious lunch dishes, delightful cakes, and freshly brewed coffee. The interior shop, De 4 årstider, offers lovely interior gifts for yourself or others, along with locally produced vegetables and flowers according to the season. The Peder Balke Center is located approximately 3.5 km south of Hekshusstranda Camping, and a scenic path follows Mjøsa all the way. If you prefer to take the car, the drive takes about 10 minutes.
Photo: Visit Øst-Norge.
Skibladner:
Photo: Hans Haug
The flat, beautiful agricultural landscape of Toten is best seen from Mjøsa, so why not take a trip with the world's oldest paddle steamer, Skibladner? The ship has one of its docks at Kapp Melkefabrikk, approximately a 1.5 km walk on a path from Hekshusstranda Camping. Onboard, you can enjoy the view on deck and have a delightful breakfast or a traditional dinner with salmon and strawberries in 1. Plads Madsalon or in the aft lounge.
Skibladner is based in Gjøvik and sails from there Tuesday to Sunday during the regular season (school holidays). The ship has different routes every day, and the schedules, as well as when the ship arrives at Kapp Melkefabrikk, can be found on Skibladner's website.
Mjøsas Ark – Mjøsa's Own Museum:
Photo: Inge Christine Årstad
Mjøsas Ark is only about a 1.5 km walk on a path along Mjøsa from Hekshusstranda Camping, right by Skibladnerbrygga. In the museum, you can see 8000-year-old rock art and learn about Viking expeditions, liquor smuggling, boat transports, and essential environmental activism. The museum also tells the story of Kapp Melkefabrikk, Dr. Johan Olav Sopp's research, the industrial adventure Viking Melk, and the working environment at Kapp. Changing exhibitions with unique items from Mjøsmuseets collections are also displayed here. Entrance from the fjord side.
Karidalen:
Photo: Visit Øst-Norge
Karidalen is approximately 7 km west of Hekshusstranda Camping and is a fantastic area for outdoor activities. The area has several marked hiking trails of various lengths, a roller ski loop, and, notably, a nice disc golf course with 18 holes.
In winter, it serves as an excellent starting point for enjoyable ski trips.
Pilgrim's Path:
Photo: Visit Øst-Norge
The Pilgrim's Path is a network of roads that all lead to Nidaros Cathedral, the burial church of St. Olav in Trondheim. One of the paths passes right by Hekshusstranda Camping, and from here, you can walk the path in both directions through a beautiful cultural landscape. A nice trip is to walk along the path to Gjøvik and then take the bus back to Hekshusstranda Camping. The trip of about 14 km is described on Visit Øst-Norge's website here.
Buses between Kapp and Gjøvik run once an hour, and it's route B46 that goes from Gjøvik to Kapp. Route B47 goes from Kapp to Gjøvik if you want to do the trip the other way around. You can find the schedule here.
Tourist Office - Visit Øst-Norge:
If you want to know more about what you can experience in the region when you're a guest at Hekshusstranda, you can visit Visit Øst-Norge's website; visitostnorge.no, where you'll get tips on everything from sights, hiking opportunities, restaurants, and more. Visit Øst-Norge also has a year-round tourist office at Gjøvik Station where you can get help with tips for places to visit throughout the region, in addition to receiving various tourist brochures and buying hiking maps.