Kongsvoll Alpine Garden was designed in 1992 by Simen Bretten, who was then in charge of the Kongsvoll Biological Station. It replaced an alpine garden that a botanist named Thekla R. Resvoll created beside the railway station in 1924. This was looked after by the University of Oslo until 1975 when it was taken over by the University of Trondheim in connection with the setting up of the Kongsvoll Biological Station. This station is now run by the Section of Natural History at the Museum of Natural History and Archaeology in the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU) in Trondheim.
Thekla R. Resvoll In 1953, friends and colleagues of the founder of the first alpine garden erected a monument to commemorate her at the railway station. It has since been moved to the new alpine garden. A headmaster at Dovre, Per Haugen, carved it out of soapstone from Sel, using a gravestone at Vågå as a model.
The entrance to the alpine garden. Photo Eli Fremstad
Monument to commemorate Thekla R. Resvoll. Photo Eli Fremstad
Kongsvoll Alpine Garden – Access – When is the garden open? – Enquiries
Access The Kongsvoll Alpine Garden is situated close to the E-6 highway and can also be reached by rail, some trains stopping by request at Kongsvoll railway station. The station is ten minutes walk from Kongsvold Fjeldstue, a lodge providing food and accommodation. The alpine garden occupies the knolls just south of the lodge. There is no entrance fee.
The weather decides when the garden is open Life in the mountains is regulated by the weather. The alpine garden opens on about 15th June, but the exact time can vary from year to year, depending on the weather conditions in spring and early summer. It closes on 20th August.
Enquiries about the garden Postal address in summer: Kongsvoll Biological Station, NO-7340 OPPDAL Telephone +47 72 40 43 47.
Postal address in winter: Section of Natural History, Museum of Natural History and Archaeology, NTNU, NO-7491 TRONDHEIM Telephone +47 73 59 22 56. Telefax +47 73 59 22 49 E-mail Kongsvoll.biologisk@vm.ntnu.no
You can have a brochure about Kongsvoll Alpine Garden at the reception of Kongsvold Fjeldstue (Inn) and at the information stand below the cafeteria.
