About us

Furuholmen - a brief historical retrospective

For centuries, timber has been moved over great distances using rivers. This is true all over the world, and Norway and the Glomma is no exception. No one can say with any certainty how long timber floating has been practiced at Furuholmen. But it's a long time, that's for sure. In 1905, Furuholmen was given the designation "Nasjonallense". After the Second World War, it was decided to build a more permanent and suitable facility at Furuholmen, and during the 1950s and 1960s Furuholmen took on the shape it still has today. A warehouse, parts warehouse, forge, mechanical workshop and welding workshop were built. Crew buildings, housing for both the foreman and foreman, as well as housing for the director and offices for the administration were built. A jetty was built for the tugboats. We are a little unsure of the figures, as there are several versions, but there are said to have been more than 600 people employed at most. Presumably there was administration here at Furuholmen for both Glennetangen and Nes lense as well, so it may be that these figures represent the entire floating industry here in the Nedre Glomma area, but there is little doubt that it must have been one of the largest and most important cornerstone companies in the Sarpsborg area. The vast majority of employees were small farmers and residents from the area, and all earned a good living from seasonal work in the river.

The last year in which timber flowed in the Glomma was in 1985. After that year, all timber was transported by truck instead. We'll see if the story ends there, or if timber will once again flow in an environmentally friendly way in the future. ....

After floating became history, the municipality eventually took over responsibility for Furuholmen and all the buildings here. They probably used both the workshop and forge to begin with, but eventually it became too far and remote to go all the way up here to Varteig. In 1999, Furuholmen was put up for sale, and the entire facility was bought by private operators. They have owned Furuholmen until 2019, when we bought it in the fall of that year.

In the years since the floatation, a restaurant, fishing tourism, rental of premises and other things have been run here, but there hasn't been any real investment until now.

A lot has been done at Furuholmen in recent years. The area has been drained, buildings have been rebuilt and the zoning plan changed. All in accordance with our values: nature, reuse, sustainability and joy.

We wanted to create a MEETING PLACE in Varteig again. It's been "ages" since there has been one here, and the result was the conversion of the old building that was used to dry wood, firewood and timber. With the help of KULTURMINNEFONDET, among others, we have converted the building into a combined function room/cafe. The café is open every weekend of the year, with extended opening hours in the summer, and can be hired for meetings or parties. We have both serving and pouring licenses in place, so you can really enjoy the late sunny evenings in the summer.

Also in line with our values, we have established a VINTAGE/BRUKT SHOP on the site. The barn, which used to be a parts store and office for the master craftsman, is now a fantastic place for treasure hunting for both young and old. There really is something for everyone here.

The second barn has now been converted into a combination venue for meetings, parties and accommodation. We call it HYTTELÅVEN. In close collaboration with the fantastic architects at GARTNERFUGLEN ARKITEKTKONTOR, the barn has become a unique overnight accommodation destination. You can see pictures elsewhere on this website, but the only way to do justice to the building is to come and see it with your own eyes. Unique is no exaggeration, there's nothing like it in the world...

We also have further plans. We are now restoring the old floating dock here, so that people can once again enjoy coming here with their own boat, without having to fear falling through the rotten old floating dock... maybe there will be some surprises on the dock too.... Stay tuned and you'll see...

It's simply hard to limit yourself when it comes to Furuholmen and the wonderful area that surrounds us here. Nature is at its most beautiful, the river is more like a fjord than a river, the forest provides peace and quiet, our bees buzz and find nectar everywhere, and all our guests relax and enjoy their stay, whether short or long, here in the idyll.

We are rebuilding Furuholmen, and are delighted by all the positivity we encounter in this connection. We must thank both good neighbors, visitors from near and far, financial supporters and of course Sarpsborg municipality, for all the help and support they give us. We look forward to the continuation!