Norway Knitting Retreat

Bergen is the second largest city in Norway and is surrounded by mountains, hence its name ‘City of Seven Mountains’. Bergen was the largest city in Norway until the 1830s when it was overtaken by the capital, Christiania (now known as Oslo). What remains of the quays, Bryggen, is now a World Heritage Site. This morning we will take a guided walking tour of the city with a local guide. In the afternoon, we will enjoy our first workshop back at the hotel with Julie.

We will spend today at the Heathland Centre, located about 30 miles north of Bergen. The centre is beautifully located with Lurefjorden on one side and the main sea route to and from Bergen on the other. The 5000-year-old heathland surrounding the centre is still maintained by local farmers. Enjoy the amazing views over the fjord and mountains whilst we enjoy a lunch made with locally sourced ingredients. In the afternoon, we will enjoy a second workshop with Julie.

Full-day workshop with Julie at our hotel.

The first stop on our excursion today is the Hillesvåg Wool Spinning Mill. This family-owned mill was founded in 1898 and has been in the same family for four generations, making it one of Norway’s most long-established wool and yarn producers. Our guided tour will take us through the entire process, from when the wool enters the mill to the finished product. The shop offers yarn for hand machine knitting, hand weaving and crochet and carded wool for felt making.

This afternoon we will visit the Museum of Norwegian Knitting Industry. Through our guided tour of the former Salhaus Knitting Factory (1858 –1989), we will learn about the history and importance of the textile industry in Norway.

Full-day workshop with Julie at our hotel.

Our excursion today takes us first to Osteroy, an inland island surrounded by beautiful fjords. The island has a strong history of craftsmanship that is still alive today. Our guided tour of the open-air museum, which has a focus on preserving traditional crafts, will take us around the 17th-century buildings and introduce us to some of the crafts and costumes.

After some lunch here we will transfer back to Bergen to enjoy the rest of the day at leisure.