Text: Frederik Amundsen

We are right outside the small town of Brønnøysund, just south of the Arctic Circle in Northern Norway.

Atle and Laila Tilrem run the restaurant and offer guided walks in the herb garden from 20 June to 10 August. The garden has more than 200 plants, roses and perennials. It is interesting to learn about the plants and their effects when used in the right way.

The plants

- We have poisonous plants, bible plants, herbs, tobacco plants and much, much more, says Atle as he lets us taste some of them.

The sugar plant Stevia is 300 times sweeter than sugar, contains no calories and diabetics can eat it. We get to taste the love plant Løpstikke, which is believed to have been used on cows when the heat stayed away.

There are plants which are meant to smell good; mint and lavender, and Atle reveals that he uses basil in mojitos.

Local moose and berry wine

Atle and Laila offer guests a meal in their private home after the guided tour. We get to eat local elk among antiques and copies of local artefacts from the Viking Age. Atle and Laila produce 10,000 litres wine of their own berries every year. When we taste the wine, our friendly hosts tell stories from the area, and end up with their personal recommendations to visitors:

The host’s recommendations in the area

- I recommend a stay at Gåkkå Mathus, which is situated an hour's boat ride outside of Vega, in the kingdom of the eider ducks. After that, hiring a kayak at Herøy must be one of the best ways to experience the coast and coastal culture, with eider down production and many vacated farms and islands, says Atle.

Price

You do not have to pay to walk around the herb garden. A 4-course dinner costs from about 60 Euro and a 7-course costs about 80 Euro. Wine is not included in the price. For a guided walk and dinner, contact the owners for a price.

How to get here

By car you drive route 17 from the south or route 76 from the west, to Brønnøysund. The herb garden is located six kilometres north of Brønnøysund, where you also will find an airport with frequent connections to the main airports in Norway. Hurtigruten (the Norwegian Coastal Voyage) stops at Brønnøysund.

Where to stay

We stayed at Rødligården Soveri, which is the low budget alternative in Brønnøysund. For more information about the region, see VisitHelgeland.com