Hiking Trail
· Grimstad
Grimstad – In the Footsteps of Hamsun – On "Hamsuns Ruslepor" from Grimstad to Dømmesmoen Garden Park
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The "white" port city of Grimstad, with its enchanting white wooden houses, is considered the sunniest city in Norway and one of the most stylish cities in the kingdom. The massive wooden church, which stands as a symbol visible from afar on the scenic Kirkeheia Hill, can seat over 1,000 people. The offshore archipelago, one of the most beautiful in southern Norway, is just as enchanting as the “Hamsun Ruslepor” (Hamsun’s Walking Trail), named after the Norwegian Nobel Prize-winning author Knut Hamsun. His work *On Overgrown Paths* (1949) describes Hamsun’s hikes through the area along the idyllic, unspoiled trail from Grimstad to Dømmesmoen. The picturesque horticultural gardens of Dømmesmoen and the panoramic view from the observation tower above the Horticultural Museum offer a completely different kind of fascination. > From the parking lot in front of Kirkeheia (ChurchHill), head down to the left first, then after 50 meters turn right onto the blue-marked Hamsun Trail (signpost). The trail leads uphill over wooden steps and along a fence to the small rocky hill Mollerheia. From here, the hill—with its throne-like panoramic chair—offers a spectacular view of Grimstad and the harbor bay with the small islands off its coast. Nobel Prize-winning author Knut Hamsun walked this trail at the age of 86 while he was confined to the hospital in Grimstad. After his shoes wore out, he had to write a letter asking for new ones and set out on the trail to find a mailbox. The route begins on a beautiful rocky trail, well-marked with wooden posts, and eventually leads along a comfortable forest path through a charming deciduous grove with wonderfully lush vegetation. To the left, a path branches off for a detour to the 02Fløyheia viewpoint, which once again offers a beautiful view of Grimstad. The trail then continues over rocky terrain on the Hamsun Trail; in some places, ropes are installed to aid the descent. The trail soon heads steeply downhill through deciduous forest again, until it reaches the paved road Frivoldveien. Here, we turn right and walk uphill to 03the old Grimstad hospital, where Hamsun was once imprisoned and where the Hamsun-Ruslepor trail ends. Turn left onto an asphalt road, go straight at the roundabout, and at the fork, turn left through the underpass beneath the E18. You can now follow this path straight ahead toward Frivoldalen, and at the second fork, continue straight ahead (to the left) to the Dømmesmoen gardens.Here, you can choose either the first or second path to the left; both lead straight ahead to the paved road Fjæreveien and to theDømmesmoen Garden Museum. Turn left at the parking lot up ahead, right at the information board, and continue straight up the narrow paved path through the beautiful green deciduous and mixed forest to the fork, where the trail then winds steeply uphill to the left toward the 05Tårnet Observation Tower. From the top, covered level, you’ll enjoy a sweeping view of the city’s landscape with the archipelago coast in the foreground and, in the opposite direction, across the vast grasslands of the hinterland. Follow the same path you took on the way up back to the fork, then take the same route back—or, alternatively, continue straight ahead (to the left) on the beautiful forest trail (marked) to the parking lot at the Horticultural Museum. You can now return either by retracing your steps back to Grimstad or, for a slightly shorter route, by taking the wide sidewalk along Fjæreveien. At the fork, turn left onto Opplandsveien and continue straight across the overpass over European Route 18 ( 06), with the striking steeple of the imposing wooden church clearly in view, directly to the Grimstad Harbor Promenade ( 07). To the left, the promenade path—with magnificent views of the bay and the charming row of houses—leads along the shore to the harbor. From there, turn left and head up the church hill, enjoying an excellent view of the city, back to the starting point at the parking lot in front of 01Kirkeheia.