Øvre Eiker

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Øvre Eiker is Buskerud’s oak-leafed valley basin - a municipality where glass glimmers in museum halls, Viking treasures lie beneath roundabouts, and three silver oak leaves rustle across the coat of arms. With around 20,000 residents and a landscape shaped by the Drammenselva River, Eikern Lake, and the villages of Hokksund, Vestfossen, Skotselv, Darbu, and Ormåsen, Øvre Eiker is the kind of place where you can hike past medieval churches, explore contemporary art labs, and still sip spruce cordial beside a paddleboard safari that glides through beaver country. It’s got rivers, relics, and a name that means “upper oak woods.”

Top Attractions

• Nøstetangen Glass

  historic glassworks with modern exhibitions

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• Nøstetangen Museum

  cultural heritage center with multimedia displays

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• Haug Church

  medieval stone church dating back to 1153

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• Varlo Park

  landscaped gardens with waterfalls & fountains

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• Bakke Church

  1883 timber church in Skotselv

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• Sanselåven

  interactive art gallery with sensory exhibitions

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Unique Experiences

• Hoenskatten Site

  location of Norway’s largest Viking gold find (1834)

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• Beaver Safari

  paddleboard tour on Vestfosselva with wildlife sightings

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• Vestfossen Kunstlaboratorium

  contemporary art museum in a former factory

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• Eikern Lake

  boating, fishing & scenic views near Fiskum

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• Hellefoss Power Station

  hydroelectric site with industrial heritage

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Where to Stay in Øvre Eiker

Home Hotel 16248.9 / 10 · ★★★★ · 838 reviewsfrom 5 / nightOrmåsen Loft9 / 10 · ★★★ · 157 reviewsfrom 9 / nightLovely Apartment Close to Nature9.4 / 10 · ★★★ · 13 reviewsfrom 3 / nightQuality Hotel Grand Kongsberg8.2 / 10 · ★★★★ · 247 reviewsfrom 9 / nightBest Western Plus Gyldenlove Hotell8 / 10 · ★★★★ · 508 reviewsfrom 6 / nightCozy Home In Kongsberg0 / 10 · ★★★★from 9 / night

Getting There

Øvre Eiker lies west of Drammen, with Hokksund as its administrative center and Vestfossen as its artistic heart. Reach it via E134 from Kongsberg or Drammen, or by train to Hokksund Station. The area is best explored by boots, bike, or bold curiosity - especially if you’re chasing oak-leaf echoes, fjord lore, or the hush of pine needles beside a museum that remembers molten glass and medieval saints.