Son: Historic Wooden Houses and the Coastal Trail

Son combines a historic town centre with opportunities for walking and cycling, as well as a harbour connected to the Oslofjord. When planning your trip, you can decide whether you are mainly interested in discovering the old buildings, exploring the Coastal Trail or learning about the area’s maritime history and nearby islands. These highlights can help guide your choice of accommodation.

Historic town centre and wooden houses

In June 2013, the centre of Son was added to the Directorate for Cultural Heritage’s register of historic towns of national interest. It is considered a historic town of national interest because of its significance to Norwegian urban history. Son is especially known for its old buildings dating from the Dutch period: wooden houses and narrow lanes shape the character of the town. If you are interested in urban history and traditional architecture, this is a clear focus for your trip.

One example is Thornegården on Son torv. The house dates from 1641 and is one of the oldest and most beautiful privately owned wooden houses on the fjord. The houses in Storgata also reflect different periods of historic construction: Stoltenberggården at Storgata 26 dates from the 18th century. Spinderigården is at Storgata 25 and was probably built in the 1640s as a storehouse for Thornegården.

Son Kystkultursenter and Jostushuset are also part of the town’s maritime history. Kystkultursenter is in the heart of Son, on the site of the former Soon Baadbyggeri boatyard. Jostushuset tells the story of a fisherman’s house in Son. Together, these places offer ways to explore the town’s history beyond its individual homes.

The Coastal Trail on foot or by bike

The Coastal Trail runs through Son and Vestby. The route is 20 kilometres long, but instead of planning to cover the whole distance, you can also split it into many shorter walks. The trail is well signposted. You can choose between the longer route and shorter sections, depending on how much time you want to spend outdoors. The distance alone does not indicate how long the walk will take.

The Coastal Trail is also suitable for cycling. Depending on your interests, you can include the route in your plans as a walk or a bike ride. The signposted trail and the option of shorter walks are useful guides, but in themselves they do not indicate the duration or difficulty of any particular section.

Harbour and nearby islands

Son Gjestehavn is a natural stopping point on the way into or out of the Oslofjord. The guest pontoons are centrally located, car-free and within walking distance of all facilities. The harbour normally has capacity for around 100 to 120 boats, depending on current boat sizes.

The islands off Son may also be of interest when exploring the area. Gjøva is the largest of the four islands off Son and has distinctive geology and flora. Sauholmen has an overnight accommodation option, or shelter, but it cannot be booked.

For an overview of the wider area: Vestby.