Places with a story
Vollen
Vollen in Asker is a coastal village shaped by boats, craft and life beside the Oslofjord. Its maritime story reaches from local boatbuilding to polar exploration, with the Oslofjord Museum providing a focused introduction to the wider waterfront setting.
About the place1
The village's identity is closely linked to the fjord as a place of work, travel and recreation. The museum at Maudbukta explores life on, beside and within the water. Boats in its collection connect skilled building traditions with the everyday activities of people around the Oslofjord.
History and local connections12
Christian Jensen built Roald Amundsen's polar ship Maud in Vollen, launching it in 1917 near today's museum. The vessel later travelled to the Arctic and eventually sank in Canada. The museum explains that its surviving remains are at Tofte, so the village's historic launch site should not be mistaken for a current ship display.
What to look for13
Explore the waterfront alongside the museum's exhibitions about boats and the changing meaning of the fjord. The historic Selvikvilla belongs to Vollen's coastal cultural environment. Together, buildings, shoreline and exhibits help connect the village's modest scale with the much wider networks reached by its boats.
Plan your visit12
Use Oslofjord Museum's current exhibition programme and opening times when planning a museum visit. Historical articles may describe exhibitions from earlier anniversary years. Vollen can also be explored on foot. The surviving Maud hull is in Tofte, so a visit to Vollen does not include boarding that ship.
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