Ask at the Sogna estuary

Ask is at the northwestern end of Tyrifjord, where the Sogna—also called Sokna—flows into it. The river estuary and fjord give the place a distinct geographical setting; trails, a ski trail when there is snow, and the settlement’s history reveal different aspects of the immediate surroundings. When planning your trip, it is worth distinguishing these local features from the cultural and natural attractions in the wider Ringerike area.

Marked trails and a ski trail when there is snow

Ask Utvikling is responsible for white-marked trails through the woods and countryside around Ask. The trail network officially opened in 2021. The map board at the school and a board at 274-metre-high Aklangen describe the trails. These provide specific reference points for navigating the trail landscape around Ask.

When there is snow, Stranden IL prepares a ski trail with a classic track from the access road at Aklangen in Ask towards Lerbergsetra. When planning, note the difference between the two options: the trails are marked in white, while the ski trail has a classic track and depends explicitly on snow. If you are interested in winter sports, this makes it clear which of the options described depends on snow conditions.

Water and local history

The newly established bathing attraction Hengslestranda is a few minutes’ walk from the centre of Ask, at the mouth of the Sogna. An announcement in November 2023 postponed its opening until the following spring because of flooding. Check current access before visiting.

Local history also has specific points of interest: the settlement of Ask developed around the now-closed Ask station on the Randsfjord railway. Ask Chapel lies northeast of the settlement, in Norderhov and in the Ask parish. It was built in 1936 to a design by architect L. W. Wilhelmsen. The station’s history and the chapel represent different historical aspects of the place and its surroundings.

Cultural and natural history in the wider Ringerike area

In the wider Ringerike destination, the Ringerikes Museum is housed in the old Norderhov vicarage next to Norderhov Church. It presents exhibitions featuring several hundred objects from Jørgen Moe’s private household. There is also an exhibition by the Hjemmestyrkemuseet, featuring equipment and weapons from both sides during the years of occupation. Household objects and equipment from the years of occupation form distinct exhibition themes.

The Kjerratmuseet is a cultural and natural history museum for Åsa in Ringerike. It includes a chainsaw museum and a 13-metre-long terrain model showing the historic Kjerrat installations, old farms and mountain summer farms. The Kjerratstien mostly follows the former timber-transport route and has several information boards. Here, you can compare a museum and a model with a trail that presents information along a historic route.

The Veien Cultural Heritage Park in Ringerike is home to one of the largest burial grounds from the Early Iron Age in eastern Norway, with more than 100 burial mounds. The park also has a reconstructed longhouse from the Roman Iron Age. For a different kind of activity, Ringeriksbadet in Helgelandsmoen offers water exercise and swimming lessons for children and adults; it is a combined swimming and wellness facility.

When choosing a holiday apartment in Ask, you can focus on the Sogna estuary, the marked trails or the history of the settlement. If instead you prioritise individual cultural and leisure attractions in the wider Ringerike area, take their respective locations into account when planning.

Discover more destinations

Discover more destinations: Hallingby, Hønefoss, Sokna.

Go to the main travel overview: Ringerike.