Gamlebyen is one of Northern Europe’s real treasures. In well-preserved buildings and along cobbled streets you will find a blend of everyday life, art, history, quaint shops, museums, galleries, theatres and charming cafés. People have shopped here since 1640! The shops are open all year, also Sundays. There is a weekend flea market and a Christmas market at weekends before Christmas. Every season in the Old Town has its charm and rewards your visit.
Gamlebyen has a busy and varied calendar of concerts and festivals. And is brim-full with history. A stroll in its streets carries you back several centuries.
The star-shaped defence walls around the town are perfect for picnics and strolls and for slowing your pulse. Gamlebyen is a living part of Fredrikstad, with good food, attractive shops and a unique atmosphere.
Kortevaren, the oldest shop, was established in 1939. It sells toys, kitchen utensils, soap, sewing items and handkerchiefs. If they don’t sell it, you don’t need it. Gamlebyen is renowned for its artists’ studios, from which you can buy everything from pottery and sculpture to textile art.
In the maritime environment at Isegran, a 120 m2 building has grown up on a traditional barge made of roots.
The cathedral is a cross between modern art and world heritage. The Reisverket is inspired by the stave churches, while the ceiling is a magnificent plastic painting, made of plastic picked up from our beaches. The initiators behind Håpet's Cathedral and many volunteers have collected over 1,000 fish boxes from the coast in Norway and Sweden. These are then melted into colorful roof tiles.
Over 12,000 hours of work have been required to build the cathedral. Perhaps you can feel the love that has been put into this project when you walk into the sacred space?
The Cathedral of Hope is about turning bad things into good and showing that hope is created when we work together. It is open to everyone, and a meeting place between people across age, nationality and faith. The sea binds us humans together. This cathedral will also do that. It is free to visit the cathedral.
The cathedral can also be rented out for weddings, concerts, tours, etc.
Established in 2001 on the island of Isegran in Fredrikstad, Norway, the shipyard is a leading specialist in the repair and restoration of traditional and heritage vessels in Scandinavia.
Maritime Center Fredrikstad also offers guided tours with one of the boat builders, where one focuses on the maritime part of Isegran. For questions or booking a tour, contact Erlend at erlend@isegran.no
Fredrikstad library gives your exciting literary experiences and events for adults and kids alike. One example is the annual «Sommerles» reading competition which awakens the joy of reading in children. The library is free to use and welcomes everybody. Visit Fredrikstad library in the centre, at Gressvik or Sellebakk.