Scan Magazine | Special Theme | A Taste of Norway
Left: Producers of Norway’s best ‘eplemost’ (apple must), Halvor and Kari Holtskog picking apples with their grandchildren, Josefine and Halvor. Photo: Live Skinnes. Top right: Activities in Fruktbygda includes exploring the landscapes from canal boat Telemarken. Photo: Norsjø Hotel. Right: No less than 350,000 apple trees are used in the wonderful produce of Fruktbygda. Photo: Marit Svalastog.
Sensuous experiences and exceptional scenery in Telemark Make tradition and taste your priority – and open your senses to new experiences in the picturesque village of Gvarv in Telemark, where leading fruit producers open their doors and gardens for you to indulge in traditional Norwegian culture and flavours. By Karen Langfjæran
For nearly 100 years, farmers have made use of the unusually mild climate in the picturesque village of Gvarv in Telemark to produce fruit for a bigger market. In the 1920s, the area quite literally flourished with ideas of commercial fruit cultivation and quickly became the home of some of Norway’s most sought-after apples and plums. In 2014, local producers put their forces together and established a network of businesses that would make them the second largest producer of fruits collectively. Today, the Telemark-based fruit village cooperative, Fruktbygda, consists of 14 producers in the local area with a unique range of activities and taste experiences on offer. “We offer diverse experiences for all senses,” says Halvor Holtskog, owner of Nyhuus Farm and Gallery Nyhuus. Be66 | Issue 97 | February 2017
sides winning the award for Norway’s best ‘eplemost’ (apple must), the family business owners stay busy by running three art exhibitions a year and keeping their farm shop open daily. “What you should do is simply let the senses do the work and enjoy the smells and tastes that the area has to offer,” Holtskog says, and emphasises the sensuous atmosphere of the Telemark landscapes – the smell of apple flowers in the spring, picking raspberries in the summer and harvesting in the autumn. If a taste of the award-winning traditional ‘eplemost’ drink is not tempting enough, you may visit Lindheim Ølkompani, ranked in 2014 as the fifth best newcomer in beer brewing worldwide. Or Lerkekåsa Vineyard, the northernmost commercial vineyard, which not only invites you to
taste its wines but also provides exceptional overnight stays in lovely oak barrels. Families and foodies alike will appreciate the scenes of Evju Bygdetun, where animals run free around the historic buildings and traditional food is served with a side of history. If you intend to devour the Telemark scenery, you must not miss a trip with Telemarken M/S along the canal, which in 2012 was the object of the world-renowned Nordic concept Slow TV. So, turn off the TV and explore the real thing instead. Alternatively, you can explore the area on land by hiring a bike. Situated just two hours from Oslo, the attractions of the fruit village in Gvarv are easily reached by car or train. It is a popular stop-over destination for explorers on their way to Rjukan and Notodden, recently awarded UNESCO World Heritage Site status, and into the Hardangervidda National Park. For more information, please visit: www.fruktbygda.no