Bærum
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As we arrive in Sandvika in Bærum municipality we meet a mix of history, art, technology, nature and sea life. Out towards the fjord is Fornebu which used to be the airport for Oslo but has now been converted into an innovative community for technology design and industry. Here you can find the administrative headquarters of corporate giants such as Equinor, Aker Solutions and Telenor to name but a few. On the other side of the tracks you will find a thriving town founded on ancient history with the idyllic Bærums verk in the background. For over 400 years people have lived and worked at Bærums verk. On this site there was a huge iron foundry which cast stoves to be used to heat chilly Norwegian homes. Today the factory is closed but the area has been converted into a shopping and cultural area where you can find Norway’s biggest sculpture park. Bærum is unique as an arts and culture municipality. On one of the area’s beautiful islands you will find Kalvøya where some of the world’s most famous artists have performed over the years; David Bowie, U2, Neil Young and Eric Clapton to name but a few. It is not known if any of those celebrities liked to play chess, but Bærum boy Magnus Carlsen certainly does, in 2004 he became the world’s youngest chess grandmaster at the age of 13 years, 4 months and 27 days.