The lockvillage Ørje

unique atmosphere

We warmly welcome you to experience the unique atmosphere both in and around our small lock village. Relax and experience the charming lock idyll with us!

Shopping Ørje .
Photo: Visit Indre Østfold / Jonas Ingstad
Shopping Ørje .
Photo: Visit Indre Østfold / Jonas Ingstad

The lock town of Ørje is one of the lock sites in the historic Halden Canal. Slow down and experience the charming lock idyll!

In Ørje you can choose from a wide range of activities. Whether you want to follow in the historical footsteps of our ancestors, take the family on a canoe trip, experience art and culture, relax and enjoy life in a café, swim, pedal along on a pedal bike on the Halden Canal or shop in one of our many niche shops. Everything is in place here for a pleasant summer holiday for the whole family!

 

In historical footsteps

Ørje is known, among other things, for being one of the lock sites on the historic Halden Canal. Ørje locks and the area around Ørje Brug are a great arena for experiences, and there is much to see in the area for both children and adults.

 

Ørje locks have 3 lock chambers and a lock time of 45 minutes. The lifting height is a total of 10 meters, and the locks are still operated by hand, as when they opened in 1860. Take a trip to Ørje this summer and let yourself be fascinated by this unique cultural monument. You might even experience the locks being opened. The greatest chance of experiencing the locks being opened is at the fixed lock times of 10:00, 15:00 and 19:00. Or you can join in on a boat.

Slusevert åpner slusekammer i Ørje sluser.
© Jonas Ingstad/Haldenkanalen regionalpark
En kanalvert vinker med hånden
© Regionalpark Haldenkanalen / Jonas Ingstad

Ørje Brug's Wood Mill was built in 1886 between the river and the locks. The wood mill was built as a result of the canalization that occurred in the Haldenvassdraget when the Halden Canal was built. Ørje Brug today houses the Halden Canal Museum and the area is a holistic cultural environment and a center for experiences, activities and knowledge about the cultural and natural history of the waterway.

Stop and enjoy the day or days in Ørje

Check out Ørje village center with all the niche shops. Stroll through the forest to Ørje fort, and get a good overview of Ørje. Take a trip to the canal museum, enjoy a delicious meal, lie down on the beach. Rent pedal bikes, SUP boards or regular bikes. Or how about a canoe trip or a boat trip with locks?

 

Slusebyen Ørje Haldenkanael regionalpark .
Photo: Jonas Ingstad/Haldenkanalen regionalpark
Slusebyen Ørje Haldenkanael regionalpark .
Photo: Jonas Ingstad/Haldenkanalen regionalpark
Mor og barn studerer bildene på veggen på kanalmuseet
© Visit Indre Østfold / Jonas Ingstad
To barn som løper inne på kanalmuseet i Ørje
© Visit Indre Østfold / Jonas Ingstad

Experiences in historical footsteps

Ørje Brug

  • Engebret Sootsvei

Ørje Brugs Træsliberi was built in 1886 between the river and the locks…

Ørje Brug

Learn more

At the Haldenvassdraget Canal Museum you can learn more about the history of timber rafting and the construction of the canal, and in a separate part of the museum you can learn more about the wildlife around the waterway.

Haldenvassdragets kanalmuseum .
Photo: Jonas Ingstad/Haldenkanalen regionalpark
Haldenvassdragets kanalmuseum .
Photo: Jonas Ingstad/Haldenkanalen regionalpark

A walk in the city center

Lower your shoulders and experience the wonderful atmosphere in the lock town of Ørje. Locals often refer to their village as the village of life's pleasures, and with good reason. The pace is slower here, and the streets of the city center are bustling with life. Set aside plenty of time to experience more of the charming lock town.

Ørje .
Photo: Visit Indre Østfold / Jonas Ingstad
Ørje .
Photo: Visit Indre Østfold / Jonas Ingstad

A pleasant shop

Did you know that Ørje is known for its many, pleasant niche shops?

Glad betjening i butikken .
Photo: Visit Indre Østfold / Jonas Ingstad
Glad betjening i butikken .
Photo: Visit Indre Østfold / Jonas Ingstad

A pleasant shopping street

Did you know that Ørje is known for its many, pleasant niche shops? Here you will find practically everything you could possibly need, and the small shops are an experience in themselves. Stroll up and down the pleasant main street and feel the pleasant small town atmosphere. Enjoy the sight of the beautiful flowers that adorn the sidewalks, and take a walk into the many exciting small shops. Ørje Handelstand welcomes you to a pleasant shopping experience!

 

The locktown Ørje

Ørje - Ørje - pleasant shopping with a historical vibe! 

To barn som løper inne på kanalmuseet i Ørje
© Visit Indre Østfold / Jonas Ingstad
To damer på shopping hos Mosbæk i Ørje
© Visit indre Østfold / Jonas Ingstad
Ørje Handelstand welcomes you to a pleasant shopping experience.
To damer på shopping
© Haldenkanalen Regionalpark/Jonas Ingstad

Some of the shops

Extra Ørje

  • Trekanten 6

Extra is the grocery store that makes it cheap! Whether you shop on weekdays or at the weekend. Come…

Extra Ørje

Norgesporten Bil

  • Kilebusvingen 2

Norgesporten bil is a brand dealer for Renault and Dacia. They have sales of new and used…

Norgesporten Bil

Norsk IT Drift as

  • Tvillinggt. 1

Norsk IT Drift is a supplier of advanced cloud-based solutions and secure digital infrastructure for…

Norsk IT Drift as

Skjør

  • Storgt. 11

Skjør! The store, which focuses on fashion and interiors, can be found in the lock…

Skjør

Ørje

Ørje is a meeting point and trading center in Marker Municipality. Here you will find many…

Ørje

Eat & Drink in the Lock City of Ørje

Have lunch at the cozy Båtcaféen - practically on the Halden Canal, or at Bakergården with a variety of cakes.

Slusebyen Ørje Haldenkanalen regionalpark .
Photo: Jonas Ingstad/Haldenkanalen regionalpark
Slusebyen Ørje Haldenkanalen regionalpark .
Photo: Jonas Ingstad/Haldenkanalen regionalpark

Always a good atmosphere

Ørje is almost like Shoemaker Street in Norwegion television.. There is always a good atmosphere and a smile on the face.

Forsyn deg godt fra matfatet Ørje .
Photo:
Forsyn deg godt fra matfatet Ørje .
Photo:

Eat & Drink in the Lock City of Ørje

Have lunch at the cozy Båtcaféen - practically on the Halden Canal, or at Bakergården with a selection of cakes. Stop by Matfatet and Ørje Kaffebrenneri's outlet in Storgata. Here, over 40 different small and large producers from the Halden Canal and Østfold are represented with their products, and Ørje Kaffebrenneri fills the premises with the smell of delicious freshly roasted coffee beans. On some days in the summer, the barista is also on site and serves delicious coffee that you can take with you on your way through the lock city.

You have many options for boat trips

You have several options if you want to get out on the canal with one of the passenger boats.

Båter .
Photo: Visit Indre Østfold
Båter .
Photo: Visit Indre Østfold

The steamboats

Did you know that Ørje has Norway's largest collection of steamboats?

DS Hans Haldenkanalen regionalpark .
Photo: Jonas Ingstad/Haldenkanalen regionalpark
DS Hans Haldenkanalen regionalpark .
Photo: Jonas Ingstad/Haldenkanalen regionalpark

DS Engebret Soot

The world's oldest propeller-driven steamer still in operation, DS Engebret Soot or “Sooten” as it is often called, has its home port at Ørje. DS Engebret Soot is used for trips in the Halden Canal and is ready for charter assignments throughout the summer.

 

Trykkmåler og parafinlampe på DS Engebret Soot
© Tony Rymann
Dampbåten Engebret Soot på vei inn i slusene
© Steinar Fundingsrud
DS Engebret Soot
Gruppe med barn ombord på DS Engebret Soot i Haldenkanalen
© Tony Rymann

DS Turisten - the queen of the Halden Canal

DS Turisten, the queen of the Halden Canal, is also docked at Ørje. The DS Turisten usually operates on certain days during the summer season. The scheduled trips with DS Turisten are very popular, so be sure to book your ticket early. The DS Turisten can also be chartered for a pleasure cruise on the Halden Canal. Create a very special setting and atmosphere for your event

 

Kaptein i uniform styrer DS Turisten i Haldenkanalen
© Jonas Ingstad/Haldenkanalen regionalpark
DS Turisten på tur i Haldenkanalen
© Jonas Ingstad/Haldenkanalen regionalpark
DS Turisten
Båtklokka i messingen med påskriften Turisten
© Regionalpark Haldenkanalen / Jonas Ingstad

DS Hans - It's the little boat in the canal

DS Hans carries just 6 passengers and is a steamboat that runs a regular route through the locks every Saturday and Sunday in July and half of August. It runs twice a day - and you can join in. Tickets can be purchased from Visit Indre Østfold. We have a tourist information office on the quay in Ørje.

 

DS Hans på tur i Ørje-elva
© Jonas Ingstad/Haldenkanalen regionalpark
DS Hans på tur i Ørje-elva
© Jonas Ingstad/Haldenkanalen regionalpark
DS Hans
DS Hans på tur inn Ørje-elva
© Jonas Ingstad/Haldenkanalen regionalpark

Active days for young and old

If you get hot, you can take a refreshing dip in Tangen or pedal along the Halden Canal on a pedal bike. By the way, have you ever wondered what it feels like to sit in a small canoe and at the same time be locked up and down many meters? Then give it a try! At Ørje you can try canoe in the locks.

 

 

Tourist information on the pier - Visit Indre Østfold

Please stop by visit Visit Indre Østfold - the tourist information center, which is open during the summer, and get great tips and ideas for what to do while you're in the area.

Come and rent water toys

At the tourist office you can rent various water toys such as pedal bikes, pedal boards on the water or how about sup boards, kayaks or bicycles.

Tråkkesykler i Ørje .
Photo: Visit Indre Østfold / Jonas Ingstad
Tråkkesykler i Ørje .
Photo: Visit Indre Østfold / Jonas Ingstad
To gutter leker med dumphuske på utsiden av Haldenvassdragets kanalmuseum.
© Jonas Ingstad/Haldenkanalen regionalpark
Maskotten Ørjan på tråkkebrett i kanalen
© Visit Indre Østfold
If you're lucky you might meet the mascot Ørjan
Mann holder badeball i vannoverflaten på stranda i Tangen i Ørje.
© Jonas Ingstad/Haldenkanalen regionalpark

The paddling festival

Every year the paddling festival is held at the opening of the lock season - canoeing from Ørje to Halden over 2 days. Ørje locks have 3 lock chambers and a lock time of 45 minutes. The total lifting height is 10 meters, and the locks are still operated by hand, as at the opening in 1860.

Kanotur i Haldenkanalen .
Photo: Jørn Fjeld
Kanotur i Haldenkanalen .
Photo: Jørn Fjeld

More summer experiences at Ørje

Every Saturday during the summer months you can experience "Saturday in the Locks", a free event with song and music down in the lock amphitheater at Ørje Brug. Gallery Ørje Brug can be found next to Haldenvassdragets kanalmuseum at Ørje. Not far from the Amphitheatre.

Soot spelet - (Norwegian play / Theatre)

The Soot Spelet  has become a well-known and beloved performance in Ørje. Due to work in the dam, there will be no Soot Spel in 2025. But it will return in 2026 with a new performance.

During the summer months there are great exhibitions in the gallery with local and national artists. Don't miss the annual free market up in  the main street, where free market vendors from near and far provide something for everyone and the street is literally buzzing with life.

SOOTspelet - Ørje - Haldenkanalen .
Photo: SOOTspelet Ørje
SOOTspelet - Ørje - Haldenkanalen .
Photo: SOOTspelet Ørje

Here you can stay overnight

There are several accommodation options in Ørje and the surrounding areas. Further down you will find an overview.

Flagghytta .
Photo: Visit Indre Østfold / Jonas Ingstad
Flagghytta .
Photo: Visit Indre Østfold / Jonas Ingstad

Turn your overnight stay into an attraction!

Wake up to soft waves and birds chirping? Welcome to FLO, a unique floating accommodation. Designed to increase awareness and interest in the beautiful nature of the Halden Canal.

 

Flo

In the same way that the timber was transported via the waterway, FLO is dimensioned to be locked through the canal system. Its position in the canal system may therefore vary from year to year.

FLO Haldenkanalen .
Photo: Jahn Kuhr/Haldenkanalen Regionalpark
FLO Haldenkanalen .
Photo: Jahn Kuhr/Haldenkanalen Regionalpark

Start planning

Ung kvinne nyter en kopp kaffe i sengen i FLO Haldenkanalen.
© Jonas Ingstad/Nors Dun
Read more about Flo
Ung kvinne nyter en kaffekopp ved bålpanne på FLO Haldenkanalen med utsikt over innsjø.
© Jonas Ingstad/Norsk Dun

What's on in Ørje

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See you in Ørje

Tre barn sitter og spiser is
© Visit Indre Østfold / Jonas Ingstad

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