Sights and attractions, things to do at Dønna/Dønnes Gård

Dønnes Gård plays an important part in the history of Dønna, and we will be glad to tell you more about it.

Below a few of the tings we offer our guests, as well as other sights / attractions at Dønna !

A guided tour of Dønnes church

We take you to Dønnes church, a medieval church that was built in the 12th century and lies within 100 m of the house.

Dønnes church was built as a private chapel and belonged to the estate until 1796. At the end of the 16th century a crypt was added to the chapel and now contain 22 embalmed corpses from the Tonder and Coldevin families.

Tours cost NOK 40,- per person

Slide show about the farm’s history

If you wish, you may come and listen to a talk and watch a show of old slides and pictures describing the history of the farm.

This takes place in the former drawing room and is free of charge to our house guests. For other groups who wish to have this slide show the cost is NOK 30,- per person.

English Garden

In the middle of the 18th century a formal English garden was built around the house. In approximately 0.6 hectare you will find many temperate tree species, for example, maple, elm, ash, asal, laburnum, jasmine, cherry and apple

There was an ornamental garden on the farm at the end of the 16th century and the present garden wall is derived from the wall of the ornamental garden. If you wander through the garden you will be able to listen to the many different birds, or you may like to relax on a garden bench. The garden ends at the top of a mound, in days gone by this was the site of a beautiful gazebo. The old well in the courtyard is currently under restoration and the under ground cellar dating from the middle of the 18th century is still intact.

Garden pavilion

In the 1880´ies a garden pavilion was built on the mound in the back of the garden. This pavilion looked like a tiny greek tempel. It was torn down in the seventies for precautionary measures.

In the last years we have tried to reconstruct the building as it was, and we have finally completed the reconstruction. Here you can find peace and quiet to read, or just enjoy the calmness around you. The garden pavilion is available to all our guests.

Dønnes Nature and Culture walk

During the period between 1904 and 1910, estate owner Isach Jorgen Coldevin planted Dønnes Hill with 17 different species of conifer trees. Today, you will find a large mature forest with many birds and a rich wildlife. In 1994, a marked footpath with information boards was laid through the forest and out onto the plateau of Dønnes Hill.

Steps have been provided where the slopes are steep and the streams are forded by rustic and modern bridges. Numerous picnic tables and benches are provided along the route. Along the path there are wonderful views over the coastal skerries and mountains of the county of Helgeland. At the top you will find Dønnesfjellstua - a fully licensed restaurant which is open from May to September. On the return journey down Dønnes Hill, the footpath goes past a restored summer shielling from the middle of the 18th century. There is a display of old farming equipment set out in this shielling.

Hunting at Dønnes Gård

In the Autumn Dønnes Gård offer the opportunity to hunt small game (hare and black grouse), and roe-deer (buck and other kinds of roe-deer hunting).

Prices:
Buck and hind: 1000,-
Young deer: 500,-

Other things to do at Dønna

The above mentioned attractions are all close by and within easy reach from the farm. There are however many other tourist attractions on Dønna.

The following is a short list:

Fallossen (phalic symbol) at Gleinsnessset with marked footpaths with information boards through an old burial site.
Bjornsoya Kystmuseum (A museum of coastal life)
Nordvik old market place.
Guided walks on the mountain Dønnamann.
Akvik stone carvings
Fishing, canoeing, diving and Bicycle hire - especially good on the flat roads of Dönna.

Snekkevik School

Snekkevikk School which was built by the Coldevin family in 1836 is approximately 3Km from the farm. This is one of North Norway’s oldest school buildings and guided tours are available from Solveig Titterness