Sarabråten
Oslo · Norway · Ruin
Long before the gentry's parties, Haugkjerringa Sara — the old woman of the mound — lived on this hill by Nøklevann. The place still carries her name.
Deep in Østmarka, on the shore of Nøklevann, lie the foundations of Sarabråten — but the name is older than the houses. Tradition holds that the hill is named for Haugkjerringa Sara, the old woman of the mound, whom legend placed here long before any gentry, and who still ties the place's history together when the outdoor plays are staged among the ruins. On top of her hill the financier Thomas Heftye built a fabulous country house in 1856, where Ibsen, Bjørnson, King Oscar II and the folktale collectors Asbjørnsen and Moe spent their summers. The buildings were demolished in 1917 to protect Nøklevann as a drinking water source, and the last one burned in 1971. All that remains in the forest are the stone steps, the foundations and the jetty anchors — a vanished world the forest is slowly eating, where torches are lit for night walks of remembrance.
FAQ
Where is Sarabråten located?
Sarabråten is in Oslo, Norway.
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Image: Kjetil Ree / CC BY-SA 3.0 — Wikimedia Commons