Private or public?
Imagine that you’re walking along a coastal path. Suddenly you come across this sign, and you have to take a long detour on tarmac. What would you think of that? Or you want to go for a swim, but there are fenced-off private properties as far as the eye can see, so you have to cycle a long way to get to the water. Is that OK?
Wanted!
Everyone should have good access to the coast, even along the Oslofjord. That is an expressed goal in Norway. As long ago as 25 June 1965, the Storting (the Norwegian parliament) passed an interim law to prohibit construction by the sea – on the so-called 100 m belt. This area should ideally be kept free for outdoor recreation and nature.
Right of public access
In Norway, the right of public access is enshrined in law. The Norwegian Ministry of Climate and Environment has explained this law as follows: “The right of public access means that everyone can hike and camp on uncultivated land in Norway. This right is a free, common good that is part of the Norwegian cultural heritage. It applies irrespective of who owns the land.” The private properties along the coast of the Oslofjord are, in general, not “uncultivated land”. They are private gardens. Therefore, the right of public access does not apply.
Dreaming of the right to roam
Most of the Norwegian coast is open to the public. People can hike over long stretches without obstructions (other than impassable terrain or fences to control livestock). But that is not the case around the Oslofjord. Here, private properties occupy large areas of the coast, blocking public access with fences, jetties, boathouses and – increasingly – artificial white sandy beaches.
Chosen by Franziska, museum staff (37)