Jazzing in Kongsberg

In the beginning of the month we had the opportunity to spend a week at Kongsberg Vandrehjem. Michael, one of the 1st year participants, is from Kongsberg and invited us over to his city. We were lucky enough to plan our trip there while the nationally famous Jazz Festivalen was happening and we also had the chance to sightseeing the city and some lakes around the area.

We arrived at Kongsberg on June 30th, and spent the weekend visiting two amazing lakes. The first has some magnesium deposits in its bottom, making the water get a bluish green color! Really astonishing! To get to the second lake, we had to take a small trip into a little forest, and the landscape was beautiful around the area. The weather here in Norway has been untypically warm, so the swim was very refreshing.

The hostel in Kongsberg is situated very close from the city center and on a short walk from the train station. There, we got the most amazing breakfast we’ve ever seen in a hostel! Pancakes, salmon, eggs, pies, cereals, yogurts, cheeses, cold table items, fruits… they have everything! As for sustainability actions, the hostel interacts very well with the community, hosting events and meetings. They also have an efficient recycling system and a free food basket in the guest kitchen, where guests can use ingredients and products that others left.

The Jazz Festival started on Wednesday and hosted internationally famous attractions such as Gregory Porter, Sting and Shaggy and A-Ha. We applied to work as volunteers at the festival, and this gave us the opportunity to interact with the community, help with the logistics, as well as enjoy the event. Therefore, during the day we worked at the hostel, helping at the breakfast and introducing some sustainability actions, and at night we either worked at the bar at Jazzboksen or enjoy the concerts on our free shifts.

Kongsberg is an amazing city! Although rather small, it has history, great landscapes and nature around. During the Jazz Festival the city becomes even more lively and full of people from everywhere. We were delighted to have the chance to participate in such an incredible event and visit this lovely city!

Written by: Renato Albernaz and Yousra Makanse

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