Ulefos Hovedgaard Manor House — Stay in Guesthouse Nearby in Ulefoss

On the hill above Ulefoss stands a building most visitors don’t expect to find in rural Telemark: Ulefos Hovegaard, an Empire-style manor house considered one of Norway’s most architecturally significant buildings from the Napoleonic era. It’s a short trip from Telemark Guesthouse, and worth building a morning or afternoon around.

The history behind Ulefos Hovedgaard

Ulefos Hovedgaard was built between 1802 and 1807 by Niels Aall, an industrialist who ran the Ulefoss ironworks and later became head of Norway’s trade and customs department. Prince Regent Christian Frederik appointed him to the government council on 2 March 1814; he later served as trade minister and helped negotiate the Convention of Moss. The manor has stayed connected to the same family and its foundation ever since, and has hosted Norwegian royalty over the years, including King Haakon VII and King Olav V, both of whom stayed in what’s now known as the “King’s Room.”

Today the estate is run by Telemark Museum and open to the public, with themed exhibitions inside the manor house, a gallery, and an English-style park surrounding the grounds that’s pleasant to walk through even outside opening hours.

What to do at Ulefos Hovedgaard

• Take a guided tour of the manor’s interior, covering its history from 1807 to the present day.
• Walk the surrounding parkland, landscaped in the English style and open for visitors year-round.
• Stop at the on-site café for coffee and waffles — a small but well-loved tradition for visitors.
• Combine it with the Skarravegen trail, which passes directly by the manor on its way toward the Telemark Canal and the Vrangfoss locks — a natural way to link two of Ulefoss’s best-known sights in a single walk.

The manor is generally open to the public through the summer months (June–August), with group tours available by arrangement outside that period — worth checking current opening times before you plan your visit, since seasonal hours can shift year to year.

Why stay in Ulefoss for this

Most visitors to Ulefos Hovedgaard are day-trippers passing through, but staying nearby means you’re not racing the clock. Telemark Guesthouse is close enough that you can walk the grounds in the evening after the crowds thin out, or start your morning there before the café gets busy.

Stay nearby

Telemark Guesthouse is a historic farmhouse in Ulefoss, sleeping up to 15 guests — a good base for exploring Ulefos Hovedgaard, the Telemark Canal, and the wider Nome area without needing to relocate between attractions.

Check availability and book at Telemark Guesthouse →

Explore more near Ulefoss

Pair the manor with Vrangfoss Locks and the Telemark Canal, browse the workshops and heritage buildings at Øvre Verket, or discover the remarkable geology and mining history of Fensfeltet.