Bærum facts for kids

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Quick facts for kids

Bærum kommune

Municipality

Coat of arms

Akershus within
Norway

Bærum within Akershus

Country

Norway

County

Akershus

Administrative centre

Sandvika

Area

• Total

192 km² (74 sq mi)

• Land

189 km² (73 sq mi)

Area rank

#334 in Norway

Population

(31 December 2022)

• Total

129,874

• Rank

#5th in Norway

• Density

547/km² (1,420/sq mi)

• Change (10 years)

9.8%

Bæring

• Summer (DST)

NO-3201

Official language form

Bokmål

Website

Data from Statistics Norway

Bærum is a large area in Akershus County, Norway. It's like a fancy suburb of Oslo, located on the city's west side. Bærum is Norway's fifth largest municipality, with over 129,000 people living there in 2022. The main town and administrative center is Sandvika. Bærum became a municipality on January 1, 1838.

Bærum is known for being a wealthy area in Norway. Many people who live here have gone to university. The eastern parts of Bærum, close to Oslo, are some of the most expensive places to live in Norway. People from Bærum are sometimes joked about in Norwegian culture for being a bit snobby. However, Bærum has been chosen as one of the best places to live in Norway because of its good local government and public services.

About Bærum
- What's in a Name?
- Bærum's Coat of Arms
A Look at Bærum's History
Bærum's Geography
Bærum's Economy
People and Community
Sports in Bærum
Famous People from Bærum
Bærum's International Friends
Images for kids
See also

About Bærum

What's in a Name?

The name Bærum comes from the Old Norse words berg and heimr. Berg means "mountain," and heimr means "homestead" or "farm." So, Bærum likely means "mountain homestead." It probably got its name from a farm at the bottom of the big mountain called Kolsås.

Bærum's Coat of Arms

Bærum's official coat-of-arms was approved in 1976. It shows an old silver-colored lime kiln on a green background. Lime kilns were very important for the local economy from the Middle Ages until about 1800. You can still see some of these old ovens in Bærum today!

A Look at Bærum's History

Early Days

The area of Bærum has been a good place for farming since the Bronze Age. Many old tools and items from the Iron Age have been found here. The name Bærum first appeared in a story about Sverre of Norway around the year 1200. There are also old stone churches from the 12th century in places like Haslum and Tanum.

A special road for pilgrims traveling to Trondheim was created after 1030, and it passed through Bærum. People were using lime kilns in the area as early as 850 AD. The quicklime produced here was shipped from ports in Slependen and Sandvika. This is why the lime kiln is on Bærum's coat of arms!

Growth and Industry

In the 1600s, iron was discovered in Bærum. This led to the creation of the ironworks at Bærums Verk. Over the next few centuries, many other industries started up along the rivers Lysakerelven and Sandvikselva. These included paper mills, nail factories, sawmills, glassworks, and brickworks. There were also many orchards and farms, and some of these still exist today.

Art and Modern Times

Many artists came to live and work in Bærum, especially around the art school run by Johan Fredrik Eckersberg. Famous artists like Frits Thaulow and Harriet Backer created much of their work here.

Since the mid-1900s, Bærum has changed from mostly farmland to an area with many homes. Even so, only about a third of Bærum is built up. More than half of the area is still covered by forests, and a good portion is still used for farming.

In 2010, Bærum was proud to host the Eurovision Song Contest 2010.

Bærum's Geography

Bærum has a jagged coastline along the Oslofjord. Inland, the land rises into hills to the north and east, where you'll find large forests. The mountain of Kolsås is a central point, and the quiet valley of Lommedalen is also part of Bærum.

Four main rivers flow through the municipality: Lysakerelven, Sandvikselva, Lomma, and Øverlandselva. There are also many lakes. The official flower of Bærum is the Anemone ranunculoides, a pretty yellow flower.

The rocks in Bærum are part of the Oslo Graben, a special geological area. You can find unique Rhomb porphyry rocks at Kolsås.

Since almost two-thirds of Bærum is forest, there are lots of chances for outdoor fun! You can go skiing, hiking, and fishing. These forests are part of Marka, which are the big forested areas around Oslo. In Bærum, these include Bærumsmarka, Vestmarka, and Krokskogen.

The highest point in Bærum is Vidvangshøgda, which is 552 meters (1,811 feet) high. The biggest lake is Stovivatnet, covering 0.42 square kilometers (0.16 square miles).

Bærum's Economy

Since the 1950s, Bærum's economy has shifted from factories to service jobs. This includes things like shops, engineering companies, and public services. Many people who work in Oslo live in Bærum, making it a "bedroom community." This helps Bærum have a strong tax base and makes it one of the wealthiest areas in Norway.

Two of Norway's busiest highways, E18 and E16, and a railroad line pass through Bærum. Many office buildings have been built along the E18 highway, especially around Lysaker. This has helped reduce traffic and pressure on Oslo's city center.

Several airlines have offices in Bærum. Scandinavian Airlines System Norway and Norwegian Air Shuttle have their main offices in Fornebu. Widerøe also has some offices in Lysaker.

People and Community

Population and Wealth

Bærum is the fifth most crowded municipality in Norway. The residential areas along the E18 highway connect almost continuously with Oslo and then continue into the neighboring municipality of Asker.

Bærum is known as the wealthiest municipality in Norway. In 2002, the average income per person was about 370,800 Norwegian kroner, much higher than the national average. It also has the highest number of highly educated people in the country.

A Great Place to Live

A local survey found that Bærum is the best place to live in Norway when it comes to local government and services for its residents. It's also considered one of the best places for young people to grow up. Bærum scores high in national surveys for its financial management, education, opportunities for young people, health care, school rankings, and job opportunities.

Schools in Bærum

Bærum has many schools, both public and private. There are 43 public elementary schools. According to national surveys, Jar public elementary school is one of the best for math, and Lommedalen public elementary school is top for reading.

There are eight public high schools in Bærum: Dønski, Eikeli, Nadderud, Rosenvilde, Rud, Sandvika, Stabekk and Valler. Valler High School has been ranked among the top 5 high schools in Norway for many years. Sandvika High School has become very popular and is now ranked among the top 10 in the country. In 2013, Sandvika High School even won an award for being the Best Entrepreneurship School in Norway.

Sports in Bærum

Bærum is home to several sports teams. In men's football, Stabæk IF plays in the top division, Eliteserien. Bærum SK plays in the third highest division.

For women's football, Stabæk Fotball Kvinner plays in Toppserien, Norway's top league.

In bandy (a sport similar to ice hockey), Høvik IF and Stabæk IF play in the highest division.

Famous People from Bærum

Many interesting people have lived in or come from Bærum:

Fridtjof Nansen (1861–1930) was a famous explorer, scientist, and diplomat. He won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1922 and helped start UNICEF.
Gro Harlem Brundtland (born 1939) is a well-known politician who used to be the Prime Minister of Norway.
Princess Märtha Louise of Norway (born 1971) is a member of the Norwegian royal family.
Claude Monet (1840–1926) was a famous painter who stayed in Sandvika in 1895 and painted the area.
Ivo Caprino (1920–2001) was a film director known for his puppet films.
Toralv Maurstad (1926–2022) was a very important actor in Norway.
Harald Eia (born 1966) is a popular comedian and TV personality.
Solveig Heilo (born 1981) is a talented musician and artist, known from the band Katzenjammer.
Andreas Haukeland (born 1993), also known as TIX, is a Norwegian musician who represented Norway in the 2021 Eurovision Song Contest.
Magnus Carlsen (born 1990) is a chess superstar and a World Champion.
Tiril Eckhoff (born 1990) is an Olympic champion in biathlon (a sport combining skiing and shooting).
Ståle Sandbech (born 1993) won a silver medal in snowboarding at the 2014 Winter Olympics.
Casper Ruud (born 1998) is a professional tennis player who has won ATP titles.

Bærum's International Friends

Bærum has "twin towns" or "sister cities" in other countries. These friendships help people from different places learn about each other's cultures. Bærum is twinned with: