Rowers salute with their paddles to other boats. From rock art at Kalnes, Sarpsborg.

Photo: Linda Nordeide

Late one summer evening in 1958 the cows at Kalnes in Sarpsborg were returning from the meadow. A group of them took a detour up a slope and
one cow slid and fell, scraping away moss that covered the rocks. The man who was herding them rushed over and discovered that the rock face was covered in carved figures of ships, animals, and people. The cow was no worse for wear and had inadvertently exposed 3000 year old rock carvings.

There are many traces of prehistoric people in Østfold’s landscape, particularly near the fertile Ridge. This spine of sand and gravel running through Østfold is formed by moraine from the Ice Age. Today’s E6 motorway follows the Ridge. At exit 4 you will find the Solberg Tower rest area (main photo).

This is the perfect starting point for exploring the Ancient Trail, a series of twelve heritage sites open to the public. Here you will find rock art and burial cairns from the
Bronze Age, stone circles and burial sites from the Iron Age. Several sites are
accessible by wheelchair.

DID YOU KNOW THAT...

 There are almost 500 rock art sites in Østfold?

 Rock carvings are painted red to make them easier to see for today's visitors? Originally they were not painted, the carved grooves standing out against the dark rock face.

 The oldest wheel found in Norway is from Sarpsborg and ca. 400 BC was part of a wagon?