Asker Things to Do

In the right season of wild berries you should absolutely get off the main road(s) and into the woods to pick berries.
The earliest will be the wild strawberries, then blueberries, after that cowberries and raspberries into the autumn. In certain warm spots you may also find blackberries in the Oslofjord area.
The lazy ones can find a "selvplukk" farm ("pick the berries yourself") and not bother with the big search for the berry spots.Normally signposted for strawberries. Local inquisitiveness may be required for black and red currants, raspberries, plums, apples etc. But you will find such places between Vettre and Slemmestad along the 165 coastal road. Look out for Åby Gård, and Østenstad and places around Vollen.

Handlesstedet Bærums Verk is an old industrial and trading community that has adjusted to become a mordern trading post. If going for a family shopping tour, this place is OK. Pre-Christmas program that are dream-like and very nice, very good for children. Some good restaurants here as well, but no shopping complex feeling.

Skui Gård (farm) offers a pre-Christmas tree felling celebration geared especially at children. You can buy a freshly cut one or cut yourself. Bonfire hot dog BBQ, gingerbread cookies, hot drinks etc. Horse riding mid day hours.
This is a yearly event and for upcoming December's details check their web site.

Hebbe Lille, or Øyvind Jordfald, has a small visual arts gallery at Vollen Handelssted. It's located in a small, attractive building , and boast its own cuckoo clock on the outer north wall. Lunch guests at Kafe Oscar will be greeted at noon every day by Øyvind's gigantic cuckoo. Unless he has a soar throat...

In particular, if you are looking forward to a prolonged visit to Asker, perhaps moving here, check out the activities of "Kulturskolen" - the culture School - of Vollen to the south of Asker centre. It is run by the volunteer organisation Vollen Ungdomslag (Vollen Youth Club).
Their main program is geared toward cultural activities and festivals and maintaining the roots of culture and the variations of arts; the school does this in the form of evening courses and classes. In the old days such youth clubs used to be the main carrier of community life apart from governmental and religious institutions. Nowadays it is reduced to maintaining living arts creativity and folklore. Very nice indeed - and V.U.L. does a good job.

Only one farm offers pick-yourself strawberries in Asker, and that is Aaby Gård near Blakstad. The season is fairly short (early-mid July), so keep an eye on roadside advertisements at Aaby or the press for notices.
Other farms offer fresh strawberries sold at the farm, such as Butterud Gård, Butterudveien 80, 1339 Vøyenenga. Phone 67130749.

The main season for raspberry picking is later July - early August at farms, further into August for wild raspberries.

The following farms offer pick-yourself-raspberries:
1) Linlandet Hagebruk Hans Østenstadvei 14, Vollen, tel 90091685.
2) Østenstad Hagebruk, Østenstadveien 22, 1392 Vettre, tel 66782559/ 90208066.
3) Felskum Gård (Bærum), Dæliveien 127. Tel 67553180/ 91792413

Just for quick reference, the old ferry boats Rigmor and Rigfar (sic) runs scheduled trips as wellas charters in the Asker waters. Info on the scheduled trips in another tip here (transportation).
Check the web site for detailed info on charters, special trips, events, rental costs etc.