Hafslund Manor

With roots dating back to the Middle Ages, the manor has been a place for national dramatic events and the growth of industry along Sarpsfossen. Prominent owners, strong personalities and royal guests have left their mark on both buildings and surroundings.

The Hafslund name is first mentioned in a document from 1344, and does not refer to a farm, but to a lid – an area of land consisting of several farms that was to provide one man for a leidang. In 1397, the name reappears in connection with the registration of income from Store and Lille Hafslund, owned by the Diocese of Oslo.

Throughout the 1500s, sawmills were built along Sarpsfossen, and by the end of the century, various party owners had established 17 sawmills on the east side of the waterfall. In 1594, the two Hafslund farms are mentioned again. The rights to Sarpsfossen were sought after, and the location of the farms was good.

Around 1600, the nobleman Otte Bildt gathered ownership of the sawmills, the Hafslund farms and the surrounding mills to Nes. He erected a stone manor house where the main building stands today and received seat rights from the Crown in 1608. Hafslund thus became one manor with noble status.

After Otte Bildt, Hafslund Manor has had an impressive line of owners. Among them were Anna Collett and Peter Elieson, who owned the manor when the main building burned down in the winter of 1758. After the fire, the building was fully rebuilt in 1762, in the overall Rococo style. The Rococo palace is still standing today, and thanks to its preservation in 1923, the original details are well preserved.

The power company Hafslund has owned the manor since 1898. The largest restoration was led by architect Arnstein Arneberg, who was engaged by the power company in the 1930s.

Guided tours

A tour of Hafslund Manor is a journey back to the glory days of the manor, where the manor's skilled guides invite you into the manor's beautiful halls and chambers. Here you can see and hear the stories that rest in the walls – stories about people, cultural heritage and traditions that have shaped Hafslund through the ages. The manor is open to the public every Sunday in July and on selected Sundays in December.

Tickets can be purchased through isarpsborg and Ticketco. For the tours in July, tickets are available from the beginning of May, and from the beginning of November for the tours in December.

Hafslundparken is open to the public all year round and is well adapted for a promenade and recreation.