Magnor is a small border village in Eidskog municipality, just three kilometres from Sweden. After Svinesund, the road through Magnor is Norway's busiest border crossing, with over 8,000 vehicles passing each day. Most drivers rush through without stopping. That is a mistake.
People have settled here for over 7,000 years, drawn by the Vrangselva river and the dense forests that provided fuel and timber. Archaeologists have found flint arrowheads from 800 BCE and hunting pits and log boats from 400 BCE. By the late 1800s, Magnor had grown into a proper industrial village: it had Europe's largest clay pipe factory, a mill, tile works, sawmill, iron foundry, and a glassworks.
The glassworks is the one that survived. Magnor Glassverk was founded in 1896 in the border forests, where plentiful wood fuelled the melting furnaces. It is still in operation today, producing hand-blown tableware, vases, and art glass. The factory shop is a popular stop, and you can watch glassblowers at work. It is one of Innlandet's biggest tourist attractions.
In 2022, Magnor gained a second reason to visit. The furniture company Vestre opened The Plus, a 7,000 square metre factory designed by Bjarke Ingels Group. It is one of the most remarkable industrial buildings in Scandinavia and worth its own stop.
People have settled here for over 7,000 years, drawn by the Vrangselva river and the dense forests that provided fuel and timber. Archaeologists have found flint arrowheads from 800 BCE and hunting pits and log boats from 400 BCE. By the late 1800s, Magnor had grown into a proper industrial village: it had Europe's largest clay pipe factory, a mill, tile works, sawmill, iron foundry, and a glassworks.
The glassworks is the one that survived. Magnor Glassverk was founded in 1896 in the border forests, where plentiful wood fuelled the melting furnaces. It is still in operation today, producing hand-blown tableware, vases, and art glass. The factory shop is a popular stop, and you can watch glassblowers at work. It is one of Innlandet's biggest tourist attractions.
In 2022, Magnor gained a second reason to visit. The furniture company Vestre opened The Plus, a 7,000 square metre factory designed by Bjarke Ingels Group. It is one of the most remarkable industrial buildings in Scandinavia and worth its own stop.