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Countryside fun at Nærbø

Spring, summer, autumn, winter
Last updated: 30.01.2024
Try the wind machine at Vitengarden! |© Jærmuseet

Want to have fun in the countryside? On the edge of Norway, you'll find unique museums and a cultural centre right in the middle of the agricultural land. Learn more about Jæren culture and history in an engaging way.

Nærbø in Jæren is recognised as an important agricultural area in Norway. The community also has a strong tradition as an industrial centre where much of the industry has traditionally been linked to agriculture. You can learn more about this at Vitengarden, one of Jærmuseet's main facilities, which can be described as a science centre, food culture centre and museum. You can try your hand as a vet in the small animal clinic, take a journey through the insides of the cow and really experience where your food comes from. Interactive exhibitions tell you about agriculture at Jæren, modern food production, energy, technology and nature. At Vitengarden there is also a museum farm with a farm environment from the 1950s where you can meet the animals and jump in the hay. Vitengarden often organises activity days and has a café with homemade food and an exciting museum shop.

Exciting local history

There are several museums in the vicinity of Nærbø that tell exciting local history and offer great nature experiences. Grødalandstunet is perhaps one of the finest and best-preserved farm buildings in Rogaland! This was a typical seaside farm with a great view of the sea to the west and is now a farm museum that offers educational activity days in the summer. The famous landmark Obrestad Lighthouse is now a museum and a cultural heritage site that tells the story of life at the lighthouse over several generations. You will learn more about the lighthouse keepers' work and everyday life, and see how technology has developed over time. You can also book accommodation in the houses at the lighthouse all year round.

Art and culture

In addition to housing Vitengarden, the region's food culture centre, Nærbø is known for the region's art and culture centre, Hå gamle prestegard (old vicarage). Here, too, you can gain a unique insight into local history and take a walk among exciting cultural heritage sites along the seafront. The listed buildings on the farm have been restored and preserved to give you an insight into life at Jæren through the ages. At Hå gamle prestegård you can experience art exhibitions from both Norwegian and international contemporary artists of the highest calibre. You can also visit the art shop and café, both of which offer high-quality art and food.

High-quality craftsmanship is also available at the glassblowing workshop MingarWalker. Watch the glowing glass mass being moulded and blown in the workshop into the most beautiful art glass. You can buy exceptional products in the shop or book an appointment to try blowing your own bowl or glass. It's hot, intense and most of all really fun. Outside the glassblowing centre, you'll find Alvehagen, a dream place for anyone who loves flowers. Here you can attend a course in bouquet tying or order beautiful bouquets made from seasonal flowers. Alvehagen is not an ordinary flower shop where you can choose your own flowers, but a place where you can get surprises and inspiration from a passionate florist.

Nature fun for the entire family

Nærbø also offers great nature experiences for the whole family. Nærbøparken is a green lung in the heart of Nærbø with a café and duck pond. Here you can also pick fruit and berries, exercise on the activity trail or play in the natural playgrounds. Don't miss the magical atmosphere when Nærbøparken transforms into a Christmas park with winter lights and cosy stalls in December. From Nærbøparken, you can take a 5-kilometre round trip along Dalabekken, where you can also play frisbee golf. Another great local walk at Nærbø is in Hanabergmarka, the extended "garden" of Vitengarden. Try out activities such as orienteering and geocaching in an area filled with ancient monuments, cultural monuments and burial mounds. If you're interested in fishing, try your luck in the river Håelva.

Along the coast at Nærbø, there is literally an ocean of opportunities when it comes to great nature experiences. A swim or beach trip to Refsnes, a hike along Kongevegen or a cycle ride along Jærruta is definitely recommended.

Great flavours

At the centre of Nærbø, you'll find a small shopping centre and a fine selection of shops and eateries. You can enjoy an extra good cup of coffee at Drøsen kaffibar og kaffibrenneri, or eat tasty, quality food in the cosy restaurant Kafe Jærbuen. Nærbø also offers the taste of award-winning rhubarb juice at Köhler-Paviljongen just outside the town centre. This is a restored garden pavilion from 1860 with an exciting history that has been awarded the Olavsrosa quality label. Every year, a rhubarb festival is organised here, and you can also book a rhubarb safari if you want a guided tour or to learn more about rhubarb. The Köhler Pavilion also has a simple farm shop where you can buy rhubarb juice and eggs.

More great flavours can be found at the many farm shops at Jæren, and it's also not far from Bryne, the main town at Jæren, where you'll find a wider range of places to eat and places to stay.

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