Oldtidsveien trail

About

Most of the route follows the prehistoric road through good, easy terrain.

The Oldtidsveien trail has been laid out and marked by Bamble Historical Association. Infoboards about the prehistoric period and more recent history have been set up at several places along the way. The waymarks have become rather worn out over time. In some places, you have to pass tree trunks that have fallen across the path. The final stage – up to the actual plateau on Storås – is fairly steep and has steps, but you can also do the walk without this part.

The walk starts at the picturesque ruins of St Olav’s Church next to the present-day Bamble Church. Cross the churchyard wall on the west side and pass under the E18 – the prehistoric road was the E18 of its day!

Along the road are several burial mounds, and there is an infoboard at Klokkerkåsa ancient burial ground. Directly east of Storås, you can see an unusually well-preserved section of the prehistoric road/sunken lane. Sunken lanes are the earliest-known evidence of traffic.

Traces of more recent activities can also be seen, for example a charcoal pit where there was once a charcoal stack to produce charcoal, and the ‘shoe cave’, where people changed into their ‘best shoes’ for the last part of the walk to church, while their dirty everyday shoes stayed nice and dry in the cave.

Up at the almost impregnable fortification on Storås is a large, flat area offering magnificent views as far as the village of Helgeroa and the island of Jomfruland.