Ås is Viken’s science-rooted ridge basin — a municipality where Leonardo’s bridge spans a highway, beavers roam arboretums, and three silver diamonds gleam across the coat of arms. With around 21,000 residents and a landscape shaped by the Ås Ridge, NMBU campus, and the villages of Ås, Kroer, Nordby, and Togrenda, Ås is the kind of place where you can hike past neoclassical parks, explore sustainability labs, and still sip spruce cordial beside a bridge designed by da Vinci. It’s got brains, beets, and a name that means “hill.”
Top Attractions
- Vitenparken Campus Ås – science & sustainability center with exhibitions, café & events
- Nordskogen Arboretum – one of Norway’s oldest arboreta with 50+ conifer species
- Leonardo Bridge – pedestrian bridge based on da Vinci’s 1502 design, built by Vebjørn Sand
- Ås Church – 1867 wooden church with rose-painted altar & historic cemetery
- Kroer Church – 1925 timber church with scenic surroundings
Unique Experiences
- NMBU Park – 600-acre neoclassical park with 800 plant species & teaching fields
- Ås Cultural Center – exhibitions, concerts & workshops in a modern venue
- Art Center in Ås – contemporary gallery with local & international artists
- Varingskollen Ski Area – family-friendly slopes & scenic views (nearby)
- Tusenfryd Amusement Park – Norway’s largest theme park just minutes away
Where to Stay
Search hotels, cabins & guesthouses in Ås
Where to Eat
Explore top-rated restaurants in Ås
Getting There
Ås lies just south of Oslo, with Ås village as its administrative center and NMBU as its academic heart. Reach it via Follobanen train (20 min from Oslo), E6/E18 highways, or Oslo Airport (Gardermoen, 56 min). The area is best explored by boots, bike, or bold curiosity — especially if you’re chasing bridge echoes, ridge lore, or the hush of pine needles beside a university that grows ideas like crops.