A holiday in Kongsvinger offers visitors plenty of history to enjoy. You can visit the old fortress and large manor houses, or take a trip to one of the museums and learn more about the past. You can also put your rucksack on and go hiking in the forests, where you can experience the best of what wild Norway has to offer.
Kongsvinger is a town in the south of the county of Hedmark, near the Swedish border. The area
encompasses a lot of the Finnskogen forest at its eastern end. The Glomma River also flows through Kongsvinger, and you will find large agricultural areas in the Glåmdal Valley. The old Royal Road (Kongeveien) – stretching from Oslo to Stockholm and then to St. Petersburg – also goes through Kongsvinger.
How about visiting the Kongsvinger Fortress in the northern part of town, or even the Vinger Church, with its famous onion dome bell tower? Another one of Kongsvinger’s attractions is the Women’s Museum, where you can learn more about the role of women in society throughout history. A trip to the preserved Skinnarbøl Manor just east of Kongsvinger is a must. Otherwise, the Finnskogen Forest also boasts many summer and winter activities.
If you are going on a holiday to Kongsvinger, there are many places for you to stay the night, including several hotels and B+Bs. The town is located inland, so expect a traditional inland climate: little rain, cold winters and relatively cool summers. There is also a great variety of places to eat, with everything from pizzerias to fine-dining restaurants.
Many railway lines go to Kongsvinger, including the Solørbanen Line from Elverum, the Kongsvingerbanen Line from Oslo, where you’ll find the nearest major airport, and the Grensebanen Line from Charlottenberg in Sweden. There are also regular bus services. To get around the area, having access to a car is a great advantage so that you wouldn’t have to depend on local buses.
Travelling to Kongsvinger means experiencing the great forests and plenty of Norwegian history. This is a holiday you definitely shouldn’t miss!