Textile Study Tour:

Norway and Denmark

June 12-24, 2017

Vesterheim’s eighth Textile Study Tour focused on the textiles and traditions of southern Norway and Denmark. Participants learned about weaving, knitting, embroidery, folk costumes, spinning, sheep, mid-century design, and contemporary design, while traveling through Denmark and the Norwegian counties of Vest-Agder, Rogaland, and Hordaland, including the cities of Copenhagen, Kristiansand, Stavanger, and Bergen. We met artists, artisans, historians, and curators and enjoyed the company of other textile enthusiasts. There were opportunities to learn textile techniques.

  1. Day 1 Mon., June 12: MINNEAPOLIS-COPENHAGEN
    Depart Minneapolis/St. Paul for an evening flight to Copenhagen via Reykjavik, Iceland.
  2. Day 2 Tues., June 13: COPENHAGEN (D)
    Arrive at Copehagen’s Kastrup Airport in the early afternoon. Transfer to the hotel for free time before a Welcome Dinner with the group. Overnight at Comfort Hotel Vesterbro, Copenhagen.
  3. Day 3 Wed., June 14: COPENHAGEN (B)
    Visit Christiansborg Palace to get an overview of 1,100 years of Danish history through tapestries designed by Bjørn Nørgaard, which depict scenes from Viking times to today. Then walk among the original statues at the Lapidarium of Kings commissioned by Frederick V, King of Denmark-Norway. The life-sized statues of Norwegian and Faroese farmers and fishermen are used today by researchers to understand the clothing worn in rural Norway in the past. Enjoy a free afternoon. Lunch and dinner on your own. Overnight Copenhagen.
  4. Day 4 Thur., June 15: COPENHAGEN-GREVE-KØGE (B/D)
    Meet textile designer Geske Svensson and visit Greve Museum with its 400 pieces of hedebosyning or hedebosøm. Lunch is on your own in the museum café. In the afternoon, try your hand at hedebosyning in a mini-class taught by a local expert. Continue to Køge. Dinner and overnight at Hotel Comwell Køge Strand. Take a short walk to old town center or the beach along the Bay of Køge.
  5. Day 5 Fri., June 16: LEJRE-KOLDING (B/D)
    Tour Sagnlandet Lejre where archaeologists and craftsmen work together at Bronze Age, Iron Age, Viking, and Medieval sites in an attempt to understand the people of the past by rediscovering tools, practices, and processes.Lunch is on your own at the museum café. Dinner and overnight at Hotel Comwell Kolding.
  6. Day 6 Sat., June 17: SKALS-KRISTIANSAND (B/D)
    The High School for Design and Handwork in Skals holds an annual summer exhibition and market and we will be there! On view are works by student and leading Danish designers. We will cross The Skagerrak, the strait between Denmark and Norway, on a ferry. Enjoy a buffet dinner onboard during the 2 ½ hour voyage. Overnight in Kristiansand at Radisson Blu Caledonien Hotel, overlooking the harbor.
  7. Day 7 Sun., June 18: KRISTIANSAND (B/L/D)
    Annemor Sundbø, who was awarded the King’s Medal of Merit in 2013 for her work to research, share, and preserve Norway’s knitting history, will talk to us about the spelsau in folk belief, art, and everyday tradition. Then, enjoy a mini-class. One of the options will be knitting right from the wool. Dinner and overnight at the hotel.
  8. Day 8 Mon., June 19: KRISTIANSAND-MANDAL-FLEKKEFJORD (B/D)
    At Kristiansand Museum learn about regional textile traditions, including danskbrogd, a boundweave variation done only in this county. Then tour Sjølingstad Uldvarefabrikk in Mandal, a working textile mill museum that interprets the history of commercial spinning, dyeing, and weaving. Continue to Flekkefjord. Dinner and overnight at Maritim Fjordhotel.
  9. Day 9 Tues., June 20: MOI-SOGNDALSTRAND-STAVANGER (B/L)
    Our day starts in the village of Moi, which for years has been a center for the production of spinning wheels. Learn about spinning and the special Moi-style wheel at Lund Bygdemuseum. After a drive with breathtaking scenery of the Jøssingfjord, we will stop for lunch in Sogndalstrand. This tiny seaport village is the only place in Norway where old wooden buildings and the surrounding landscape are protected as a cultural heritage site. Continue to Stavanger. Dinner is on your own. Overnight Clarion Hotel Stavanger.
  10. Day 10 Wed., June 21: STAVANGER (B)
    Frida Hansen (1855-1931) captured the essence of both Norway’s nationalistic movement and Art Nouveau style in her tapestries, including her patented transparent tapestries. We will tour Frida Hansen’s House to learn more about her life, then continue on to Stavanger Kunstmuseum to learn more about her work. Enjoy a free afternoon. Lunch and dinner are on your own. Overnight Stavanger.
  11. Day 11 Thurs., June 22: STAVANGER-BERGEN (B)
    The route to Bergen includes beautiful scenery and two ferry rides. In Bergen, USF (United Sardine Factory) is home to 200 artists, musicians, dancers, architects, and filmmakers, as well as offices for cultural organizations and performance spaces. We will meet several artists in their studios, including Kari Aasen, Åse Ljones, Sissel Blystad, and Kari Dyrdal. Overnight in Bergen at Hotel Zander K or similar.
  12. Day 12 Fri., June 23: LONEVÅG-YTRE ARNA-BERGEN (B/D)
    Explore Bergen on your own or come on a textile-filled excursion starting with Osterøy Museum. A new exhibition features local craft traditions, including warp-weighted loom weaving, knitting, and beadwork. Marta Kløve Juuhl will share her current project, a 91-foot weaving in the museum’s main exhibit hall, while we enjoy coffee and stompekake.Then tour the Oleana A/S factory and explore the outlet store. Combining art, culture, and good design, Oleana creates sweaters of fine wool and silk from Solveig Hisdal’s award-winning designs. Return to Bergen for a free afternoon.The farewell dinner is prepared by chef Ingvild Bøge, who uses local products to create rustic food with a contemporary twist. Overnight Bergen.
  13. Day 13 Sat., June 24: BERGEN-MINNEAPOLIS (B)
    There is an airport transfer for those flying with the group to Minneapolis via Reykjavik. A longer stay in Norway can be arranged for a fee. Indicate your interest in an extension when you register for the tour.

Please Note: The tour will involve standing, walking (including cobblestones and uneven terrain), stairs, several ferry rides, and a long bus ride. You will handle your own luggage at airports and at hotels. The weather may be cool and damp. In June average daily high/low temperatures are 66/50° F. Some hotels may not have air conditioning. Scandinavian hotel rooms are usually smaller than American hotel rooms.

The tour operator reserves the right to make changes necessary in order to give travelers the best experience possible.

Tour Info

For more information about upcoming tours:

Katherine Johnson
563-382-9681, ext. 240

Tour Guide and Leader

GUIDE: Ingebjørg Monsen

Ingebjørg Monsen has provided textile instruction, interesting information, and lots of fun on each of Vesterheim’s Textile Study Tours.

LEADER: Laurann Gilbertson

Laurann Gilbertson has been Textile Curator at Vesterheim for 19 years and is now Chief Curator. She has planned and led seven Textile Study Tours, beginning in 2003.