A day in Munch’s footsteps

With Oslo as a starting point, there are several options for day-trips to historical places and idyllic spots around the Oslofjord, where you can get a glimpse of Munch’s life and work.

After having digested the impressive collection of Munch’s works at the Munch Museum and the National Museum (closed until 2020), and seen his homeplace and studio at Ekely, perhaps it’s time to gaze out of the capital?

A day in Munch’s footsteps

Munch, famously, was a restless soul. The peace of mind that he never found in the big city, he sought by going out to the idyllic archipelagos of the Oslofjord and stately mansions on the countryside.

Munch pikene på broen .
Photo: Wikimedia Commons

“Pikene på broen”, Edvard Munch (1901).
Photo: Nasjonalmuseet / Børre Høstland

Turbulent love

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He bought himself a separate house here, which since 1947 has served as a museum and is open to the public even today.

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Go about one and a half hour south of Åsgårdstrand, and discover the lively city of Kragerø where Munch created several of his famous paintings. Pick up a map provided by the local tourist office to find the many marked spots where Munch found his motifs. The Munch tour lets you discover the most charming, hidden streets of this port.

New Munch Museum in Oslo

In 2020, the current Munch Museum at Tøyen in Oslo will be replaced by an ultra-modern museum in Bjørvika.

The 13-storey tall building offers several exhibition areas, workshops, and iconic pieces from the world-famous painter.

The Munch Museum holds more than half of the artist’s paintings and is one of the most comprehensive one-man museum in the world.

Separation by Edvard Munch.
Photo: Nasjonalmuseet / Ivarsøy, Dag Andre

Melancholy by Edvard Munch.
Photo: Nasjonalmuseet / Lathion, Jacques

Munch’s house in Åsgårdstrand.
Photo: Nils Kavlie Borge

Åsgårdstrand on a beautiful summer day.
Photo: Christine Baglo

A change of scenery

Years after the summers at Åsgårdstrand, Munch would find himself on the opposite side of the Oslofjord. If you make the short boat trip across from Horten to Moss, you can visit the island of Jeløya.

In a beautiful archipelago environment, one can walk around and sense the impressions that gave Munch inspiration for some of the most “everyday embossed” works in his career.

Refsnes Gods, Moss.
Photo: Refsnes Gods

Restaurant Munch, Moss.
Photo: Refsnes Gods

In the Restaurant Munch in the hotel Refsnes Gods on the west side of Jeløya, you can enjoy the type of local food Edvard Munch loved to eat, all while being surrounded by eight original paintings by the artist.

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New Munch Museum in Oslo

In 2020, the current Munch Museum at Tøyen in Oslo will be replaced by an ultra-modern museum in Bjørvika.

The 13-storey tall building offers several exhibition areas, workshops, and iconic pieces from the world-famous painter.

The Munch Museum holds more than half of the artist’s paintings and is one of the most comprehensive one-man museum in the world.

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There is no need to wait until you're here to find out what you'd like to do.

Tracking Munch