Garden of Nikolai Astrup – Astruptunet
“Astruptunet” is the former estate of the Norwegian painter Nikolai Astrup, located on a steep hillside above Lake Jølster in western Norway. Astrup acquired the small farm in 1912 and gradually transformed it into a terraced garden landscape. Between 1912 and his death in 1928, he developed orchards, vegetable plots and turf walls. The garden supplied food for his family and appears in many of his paintings and prints. The estate was conceived as a Gesamtkunstwerk, in which cultivated landscape, architecture and artistic vision formed a unified whole.
Over time much of the original planting disappeared. Some fruit trees were felled, berry bushes withered and cultivated areas were overgrown. The buildings remained standing, but the property had been uninhabited for decades and the garden structure had largely deteriorated.
A horticultural research project carried out between 2015 and 2018 formed the basis for the restoration. Archival sources, such as letters, plant lists, historical photographs and artworks, were examined alongside archaeological and botanical surveys. Interviews with family members and local residents provided additional information. The restoration period selected was 1912–1928, with consideration also given to the years during which Astrup’s widow maintained the property. An international scientific committee provided expertise and oversight.
The reconstruction re-established the structure of the farm garden based on this extensive research. Historic plant varieties were reintroduced, including grafts from surviving fruit trees in the region. National and regional gene banks supplied additional plant material. Turf walls, gravel paths and wooden elements were rebuilt using local techniques. Traditional cultivation methods described in Astrup’s writings were applied.
The eight timber buildings on the property were restored by local traditional craftsmen and heritage architects, following a condition survey prepared by the Norwegian Institute of Heritage Research. Modern materials were kept to a minimum and interventions were reversible wherever possible. The gallery and the new café in the basement of the main building are fully accessible for wheelchair users.
The project was completed between 2020 and 2024. Funding was provided primarily by the Savings Bank Foundation DNB, with additional support from the Municipality of Sunnfjord, which owns the land and buildings at the site. Museums of Sogn og Fjordane operates Astruptunet on behalf of the municipality.
The site is now open to the public throughout the year. From the start, local volunteers, schools and community groups have been actively involved in bringing Astrup’s garden back to life, contributing to planting, maintenance and public activities, strengthening the link between heritage conservation and community participation.
The Awards’ Jury commented: “This restored garden landscape clearly shows how central it was to the artist’s life and work. The project highlights the importance of gardens as cultural documents rather than decorative spaces and strengthens recognition of historic gardens as a distinct and vulnerable heritage category.”
Contact: Anita Nordheim | Sunnfjord Municipality | anita.nordheim@sunnfjord.kommune.no | www.sunnfjord.kommune.no/tenester/utvikling-i-sunnfjord-kommune/kommunale-prosjekt/restaurering-av-astruptunet-og-hagen/