Top 10
Here you will find good tips for Drøbak and Oscarsborg. Find the very best places, activities, places to eat, hotels, art, family...
The Sunday Town
Sundays in Drøbak
Unlike most Norwegian cities and towns where the shops are closed on Sundays, the small charming coastal town of Drøbak comes to life every Sunday with its small boutiques and cafes. Here the shops are open every Sunday, all year around.
The people of Drøbak are never in a rush and certainly not on a Sunday. Do as the locals; buy a coffee, take a walk surrounded by old historic wooden houses, visit some of the small unique fashion and interior shops or go to a gallery opening. Life is good in Drøbak, especially on sundays!
Art and culture
There are several art galleries in the center of Drøbak. Enjoying them is free while most of the artwork, some made by our very talented local artists, is for sale.
Avistegnernes hus: a meeting place for cartoonists and a gallery for expression-based art, showing newspaper drawings, comics, and other illustrative art, including posters, political commentary and satire. The gallery is also a tribute to Fredrik Stabel, the famous newspaper cartoonist who lived in Drøbak most of his life and who worked for Dagbladet from 1940 - 1990.
Varmbadet: located in Badeparken with fjord view from several of its exhibition rooms this gallery couldn’t have a better location. It´s run by Drøbak kunstforening that showcases many different exhibitions throughout the year.
Oslofjorden kunstsenter: A charming small gallery located just where you enter town. Exhibitions with both new and established contemporary artists and a number of different painting courses for children and adults.
Galleri Havstad: Located on the main street just south of the square, in what used to be the towns butcher (over the door you can still see a gold coated pig). This art shop and framing studio sells artwork, ceramics, handblown glass art and jewelry.
Outside Drøbak, the famous local artist Reidar Finsrud has two galleries; one located at Torkilstranda and one at Bilitt. You should also check out Galleri Vera on your way to Torkilstranda.
Music is also important to Drøbak. In the summer there are three big festivals: Drøbakfestivalen, Drøbak Havnefestival and Gitarer ved fjorden. On the island of Oscarsborg the famous Oscarsborg Opera is a highlight every august.
There is also often outdoor live music in town, either at Café Sjøstjernen, in the charming backyard of Café Drøbak or at Handelshuset Gastrobar.
There is also a classical concert series held in beautiful Drøbak church, dated back to 1776. Smia, the Culture House near the golf course, also offers regular concerts, theater, and other cultural events.
Shopping on a Sunday
You are welcome to explore Drøbak at your own pace and that goes for our unique shops too. Whether it is high-end fashion from Norwegian designers, Drøbak-designed Kashmir wool or Scandinavian interior homeware.
Most of these unique shops are located along Niels Carlsensgate, Storgata and around the main square. In the summer season there are also many vendors on the main square selling everything from vintage records to antiques.
Family fun
Drøbak is also a great place to visit with your family. Follo museum is a child-friendly open-air museum at Seiersten, 15 minutes’ walk from the center of Drøbak. Here you can see old cultural-historical buildings from the local area.
Follo museum is also very close to the community swimming complex Bølgen Bad, another family favorite. Just next to Bølgen you also find a Skate Park for the kids. Drøbak is home to the only aquarium in the eastern part of Norway – Drøbak Akvarium, located in the same building as the Tourism Information Center, is also open on Sundays. Here you will learn more about the rich wildlife of the Oslofjord and the kids will love meeting the Atlantic wolffish «Hugo» – the aquariums mascot.
Time for lunch and dinner
There are many great places to dine in the town of Drøbak and its surroundings, also on Sundays.
Here you will find several restaurants, everything from cozy cafes and bakeries to restaurants overlooking the Oslofjord.
Read more about where to eat here
Oscarsborg
Oscarsborg is a great place to visit on a Sunday. The island is an idyllic coastal gem where stately fortifications and underground tunnels accompany the barracks turned hotel, and where biblically named cannons set the mood for a ‘banging’ visit with a historical buzz.
Read more about the fortress island of Oscarsborg