The Halden Canal

The Halden Canal, the oldest canal in Norway, goes all the way from Skulerud in the north to Tistedal in the south, almost 80 kilometres. Along this exciting waterway you will find three lock systems, with a total of 39 metres lift height. You can take a boat trip with M/S Turisten or one of the other steamboats that are located in Ørje. Or you might want to hire a canoe and spend the night at one of the camp sites.

In the north you will find Ørje Locks, from 1860, with three locks and a total of ten metres lift height. The locks here are driven by hand.

At Strømsfoss Lock, built in 1860, there is one lock with a two-metre lift height.

Brekke Locks has 4 locks and a lift height of 27 metres. Brekke Locks are Northern Europe’s highest lock systems.

Museums

The Canal Museum in Ørje, you learn about the Halden Watercourse, the Halden Canal and the locks in the region.

Indre Østfold has played a central role in the country's history, and has impressive defence works from various periods. One of these is Høytorp Fort in Mysen which is Norway’s greatest inland fortress.

Further there are several rural museums such as Folkenborg Museum, Eidsberg and Rakkestad Bygdetun. Bøensætre husmannsplass in Aremark, is known from a TV series from 2008. Ole Kjærbu’s krigshistoriske samlinger is an impressive collection of items mainly from World War II.

It is also worth mentioning all the beautiful churches in the region. Some of these are open for tourists. And at last we would like to mention one of Norway's largest ceramic workshop that produces their own clay, Lannem Keramikk, Rakkestad. Here you can not only buy cheramic products, but also see how they make the product.

Outdoor activities

In Indre Østfold there are wonderful opportunities for an active outdoor life. There are a lot of waymarked paths for both hiking and cycling. There are also good possibilities for hunting, canoing and fishing.