Popular farm shop
The norwegian word for autumn “høst” comes from the word “to harvest”, so what could be more appropriate than picking vegetables straight from the field. Haneborg Farm has many vegetables and a large farm shop with local food from the region. Until the autumn holidays, it was also corn season with self-picking at Haneborg Farm. You can also join a pumpkin hunt in the field around Halloween. Read more about Haneborg Farm here.
Sleep in a hammock
In the woods or overlooking the water – there are many great places to spend the night in both hammocks and tents. The area around Drøbak offers great places to spend the night in nature, with the areas around Øvredammen and Oppegårdtjernet being particularly good. There are also several places along the coast where you can hang your hammock. Find two tree trunks along one of the coastal paths in Frogn and spend the night with first-class views where the Oslofjord is at its narrowest. BUA Drøbak offers free hire of hiking equipment, including hammocks, storm kitchens, sleeping bags and hiking backpacks.
Gallery walk
Autumn is a perfect time to go on a gallery walk and Drøbak has a long history as an artist town. Throughout the ages, the city has charmed both artists, writers and bohemians, such as Hans Gude, Oda and Christian Krogh and Knut Hamsun. As the artist and cousin of Edvard Munch, Edvard Diriks, has said: “There were only two places worth living; Paris in winter and Drøbak in summer”. Today there are several galleries both in and outside the centre of Drøbak, there are still many artists living here and it is a very popular place to visit for the cultural tourist.
Drøbak artist Reidar Finsrud has two galleries outside the city centre, at Bilitt and on Torkilstranda. He has also made the bronze sculpture of the three “Mermaids of Drøbak” and “Neptune” in Drøbak boat harbour. Avistegnernes hus shows drawing with meaning, expression-based art and is a tribute to the newspaper artist Fredrik Stabel. Drøbak Kunstforening is located in Varmbadet in Badeparken – a great gallery with fjord views. Oslofjordens Kunstsenter and Galleri Havstad have exciting exhibitions with both well-known national and local artists. Gallery Vera is located on the way to Torkilstranda. In the centre of Drøbak, the former Munich-based jeweler Walter Hensel also has his own workshop called Gullsmed Atelieret, together with his Norwegian partner Marit Falch. Read more about the galleries’ current exhibitions in the calendar here.
The taste of autumn
Lamb shank, hot soups and warm desserts. Autumn is time for cosiness and several of Drøbak’s restaurants have tasty autumn menus, including The Lobby at Reenskaug Hotel and traditional Kumlegaarden. Drøbak also has several cosy cafes and bakeries.
Det Gamle Bageri is a restaurant and gastrobar located in one of the city’s oldest buildings from the 18th century. Café Teskje in Niels Carlsens gate is also located in one of the city’s old wooden houses, with access to a large outdoor terrace in a large garden with a playground. The popular Håndtverksbakeriet (craft bakery) bakes everything from croissants and custard tarts to daily fresh bread, and also offers salads and lunch dishes. Pavels Konditori is another local favourite, serving lunch dishes, cakes and pastries.
Romantic fortress night
Five minutes by ferry from Drøbak, in beautiful Drøbakssundet in the Oslofjord, lies Oscarsborg. The historical events that took place here on 9 April 1940 – were of great importance in Norwegian history. The attack on the German battle cruiser “Blücher” helped postpone Hitler’s plan to take Oslo, the royal family was given time to escape and Norway’s gold holdings were brought to safety. This autumn you can also see the blockbuster film “Blücher” in Norwegian cinemas. Oscarsborg is also home to the magnificent fortress hotel Oscarsborg Hotel & Resort, where simple military barracks have been converted into beautiful hotel rooms, many with sea views. Here you can also take a deep dive into history, either on a guided tour from the hotel’s guides, with Oscarsborg museums or in the beautiful Fortress Museum with free admission. In the evening, the fortress island is magically illuminated and creates a very special atmosphere, perfect for a romantic evening stroll – this island simply has to be experienced! Read more about Oscarsborg here.
Cultural autumn
Drøbak has a vibrant cultural life, and a large cultural offer in the autumn. Smia, the multipurpose cultural house next to the golf course at Dyrløkke, also offers regular concerts, theatre and other cultural events. Autumn is also an excellent time to go to the cinema, and historic Drøbak cinema is located in the middle of the city centre with many exciting films on the programme. Towards the end of October, Frogn municipality organises the cultural days KulturGlimt where there is an extra lot going on. Read more about What’s on in Frogn here.
Niche shopping
In recent years, Drøbak has gained many fine unique niche stores. In the city centre there is not a single chain store. Drøbak is also one of the few cities that has Sunday opening all year round. Kashmina is a Norwegian clothing brand designed in Drøbak, known for its delicious and exclusive garments in 100% cashmere wool. The store is located right by Drøbak torg. Rosenquist, Ovidia Bay, Yasmin are other clothing stores that sell women’s clothing. Mrs Magnolia, Anneks, Lyst and Lysthuset are lifestyle stores that sell a combination of clothing and interiors, while No3 sells interiors. Calzado mainly sells shoes, while Hamburg sells menswear.
Butterfly is the place to go for underwear – and swimwear. While Schau Optik has stood for quality both as an optician and as a seller of glasses – and sunglasses since 1971.There are also several places to shop sustainably in Drøbak. Fretex in Storgata has both clothes, toys, books, art and interior items. Sitrus Second Hand has lots of well-picked vintage garments, and Frk.Getz is a second-hand shop that also does redesign.
Drøbak also has Sunday-open shops.
A unique mirrored glass cabin
Nest Bunnefjorden is a trendy mirrored glass cabin in Nordre Frogn, with its own sauna, hot tub and a large terrace with barbecue. The perfect place for a romantic overnight stay this autumn. Sink into a warm hot tub, fire up the sauna, watch the autumn colours change on the trees and cook something delicious on the barbecue. The unique accommodation also has beautiful fjord views. Speilglasshytten is located at Knardal in Nordre Frogn, 30 minutes by car from Oslo. Read more about the unique accommodation here.
Walks along the coast
There are accessible paths along much of the coast in Frogn. Along Frogn’s sunny side, however, you can find both a sheltered bay all to yourself, well-organised free areas with beaches and rocks, diving boards and bathing jetties, and you can walk along narrow Drøbaksgater with everything Drøbak has to offer in terms of atmosphere and building history; flowering rose gardens, vibrant squares, galleries, eateries, aquarium and boat harbour, Julehuset and museums. A nice route is, for example, the coastal path from Skiphelle to Ramme Farm. Read more about coastal walks here or on the pages of Frognmarkas Venner.
If you want to go to the highest peak in the Oslofjord, ask the Oscarsborg ferry to take you to Ormeleina on Håøya and walk to the top – a beautiful walk with fantastic views of the Oslofjord, Oscarsborg and Drøbak.
Family fun at Follo Museum
The idyllic open-air museum at Seiersten is surrounded by nature on all sides, but also offers several activities this autumn. Read more about Follo Museum’s autumn programme here. The open-air museum is open, but both the playground and the beautiful areas can also be visited outside the museum’s opening hours.
