Explore Telemark

EN

NO

Rock carvings

Type:Historical monument

3732, Skien

Add Rock carvings to your Itinerary

Rock carvings at Fossum
  • Rock carvings at Fossum
  • Product Image
  • Rock carvings

Book Tickets Online

About

In Gjerpen, Skien, you'll find some of Norway's best-preserved Bronze Age rock carvings, also known as petroglyphs. These unique cultural heritage sites offer a fascinating glimpse into our prehistory. Sites like Fossum, Løberg, Wattenberg, Bergheim, Mæla, and Venstøp feature a rich variety of figures, including ships, footprints, animals, and sun symbols.

Tips for Your Visit:

  • The rock carvings are best seen when the sun casts long shadows, either early in the morning or late in the afternoon.
  • A flashlight can also create a great effect by illuminating the carvings from the side in the dark.

Fossum Field: Norway's Oldest Petroglyphs

The Fossum Field is one of the oldest and most impressive petroglyph sites in Norway, estimated to be around 2,800 years old. The site is particularly known for its large collection of sun symbols, also called wheel crosses, which form the main motif. These symbols are interpreted as signs of worship and fertility during the Bronze Age.

To preserve this unique location, a viewing ramp has been built, and the field also has light projectors that create a spectacular effect. Note that the field is covered from mid-October to mid-May to prevent damage from ice.

Directions to the Fossum Field:

  • Follow the signs from Hyniveien and onto Jernverksveien.
  • There is a small parking area with space for 2-3 cars.
  • Please note: The area is not accessible for wheelchair users.

Bergheim Field: Ships, People, and Animals

At the Bergheim Field in Skien, you'll find a varied collection of rock carvings, including ship figures, people, animals, and cup marks. Here you can see a detailed ship figure with a crew holding paddles.

Løberghaugen: Bronze Age Horses and Ships

Løberghaugen, another beautiful site in Skien, is estimated to be about 3,000 years old. The field, located on private property, has over 40 well-preserved figures. Here you will find:

  • Ships
  • Circles and wheel crosses (sun symbols)
  • A horse with a rider
  • Several other animal figures and footprints

Directions to Løberghaugen

  • Follow Håvundveien over Ballestadhøgda.
  • Turn off at the Bratsberg intersection and drive Løbergveien across Gjerpensdalen towards Skifjell.
  • The field is located on a hill, about 700 meters from the intersection, on the north side of the houses.

TripAdvisor

Map & Directions

Contact

Tel: 35 90 55 20

What's Nearby

  1. Henrik Ibsen museum

    The Henrik Ibsen Museum is closed until 2028 due to extensive renovations.


    659 m away
  2. The Ironage-house Århus

    Explore the Iron Age Farm at Århus, Skien. See a reconstructed longhouse, forge, and…

    1.19 km away
  3. Gea Norvegica Unesco Global Geopark - The Glaser Mine

    The Glaser Mine in Skien is the earliest dated iron mine in Norway, completed in 1543.

    2.27 km away
  1. The Glaser mine, SKIEN

    The Glaser mine is the first mining project of Fossum iron works, and the earliest dated…

    2.32 km away
  2. Gjerpen Church

    Gjerpen Church lies on the northern edge of Skien and is a beautiful romanesque stone…

    3.15 km away
  3. Gea Norvegica Unesco Global Geopark,Skien

    Skien has an exceptional geological diversity. A tour across the Skien-Gjerpendalen…

    3.24 km away
  4. Skotfoss Church

    Skotfoss church is from the year 1900.

    3.72 km away
  5. Telemark Kunstsenter, SKIEN

    Telemark Kunstsenter (Telemark Art Senter) is a center of competence for professional…

    4.08 km away
  6. Ibsenhuset

    Ibsenhuset is Skien's cultural center and offers a wide selection of concerts and shows…

    4.32 km away
  7. Søndre Brekke Estate, Telemark Museum

    The main building, Søndre Brekke Manison at Brekkeparken, is truly magnificent and has…

    4.40 km away
  8. The Ibsen stairs

    The Ibsen Staircase is a concrete and granite structure with a bust of Henrik Ibsen. It…

    4.41 km away
  9. Snipetorp district

    Snipetorp, Skien's oldest residential quarter and residence of Henrik Ibsen's parents,…

    4.50 km away
  10. The Little Ibsen House

    Experience Henrik Ibsen in Skien! Visit "Ibsenstua" in Brekkeparken from 2025 to 2028. A…

    4.51 km away
  11. Brekkeparken in Skien

    Brekkeparken in Skien is a lovely park with beautiful flower beds, and with lots of…

    4.51 km away
  12. Fish ladder

    New, modern fish ladder in down town of Skien.

    4.62 km away
  13. MS Victoria

    MS Victoria, also known as the Canal Queen sails on lock cruises between Skien and…

    4.82 km away
Previous Next

Related

lady with 2 children at MikaelshulenMikael's cave, SkienMikaelshulen, or St. Mikael's Cave, is a mountain cave in the steep cliff face on the eastern side of Norsjø in Skien.

church ruins on Kapitelberget in SkienKapitelberget, SkienKapitelberget in Skien, church ruins from the 1100s, after the mighty Dagsætten (ancestry) in Skien.

The Glaser mine, SKIEN, SkienThe Glaser mine is the first mining project of Fossum iron works, and the earliest dated iron ore mine in Norway, completed in 1543.

the culture path past Jernaldergården in SkienÅrhus culture track, SkienExplore the Århus Cultural Path in Skien. A 4.5 km historic walk for the whole family, from Århus Farm to Fossum Ironworks.