The Folk High School and the Housekeeping School

We’re now approaching the junction on the E39 toward Sjøholt, where we’ll continue in the direction of Ålesund. If you were to drive the other way, you’d reach Molde or Åndalsnes — both about an hour from here. Ahead lies Sjøholt Folk High School, a modern school built on a proud Norwegian tradition that values learning, community, and personal growth. Folk high schools were established in Norway in the 19th century, inspired by the Danish philosopher N.F.S. Grundtvig and his idea of “life enlightenment” — that education should be about more than academics; it should help people become whole human beings. These buildings once housed the Sunnmøre Housekeeping School, where young women learned cooking, sewing, and homemaking. Back then, the housewife was the cornerstone of both family and community life. Today, the building is used for new forms of education, but the history still lingers in its walls — a meeting place between past and future, where new ideas continue to take shape.