Siljustøl
Opening hours
The museum is closed. The outside area is open for the public all year.
The home of Harald Sæverud
Welcome to Siljustøl! The composer Harald Sæverud lived here with is wife Marie Hvoslef.
Sæverud is one Norway’s most renowned composers, and Siljustøl is a distinctive composer’s home where music and nature are central.
The house at Siljustøl consists of a museum section and a private section belonging to the family. Here, you find a large and beautiful natural area which is open to the public year-round. The many footpaths, tall trees and the lake make it a popular tourist destination.
The house from 1939 is compellingly rich in details and stories. At the heart of the house is the music hall, where concerts are performed throughout the entire year. The study, grand piano and personal belongings are kept as Sæverud left them when he died in 1992.
Siljustøl is in Rådal in Bergen.
We offer a free audioguide tour of the outdoor area at Siljustøl with music and stories. With an app on your phone, you can hear the music of Sæverud, and stories told by him and his wife Marie Hvoslef. Read more
Visit Siljustøl?
Opening hours and information
About Sæverud and Siljustøl
Who was Harald Sæverud?
Harald Sæverud (1897—1992) was a highly beloved musician. During the 1930s and 1940s he established himself as one of Norway’s leading composers.
In 1943 he composed the famous “Ballad of Revolt”. The work has remained the musical symbol of the resistance in Norway and became an expression of Sæverud’s rage against the German occupants.
Harald Sæverud lived at Siljustøl with his wife Marie Hvoslef and their family. He had a long career and wrote his last piece at the age of 92. Sæverud died in 1992, and the funeral ceremony in Grieghallen was broadcasted live by the Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation.
Famous compositions: "Rondo Amoroso", "Ballad of Revolt", "Sinfonia Dolorosa" and music for Henrik Ibsen’s "Peer Gynt".
Read our biography about Harald Sæverud.
Foto: Thor Brødreskift
About Siljustøl
The large nature area at Siljustøl was Harald Sæverud’s most important source for inspiration as a composer. The area covers 250 acres of beautiful nature with different pathways, a lake and tall trees.
The museum’s main attraction is the house itself, which was finished in 1939. Sæverud chose Ludolf Eide Parr as his architect and also took part in the architectonic design himself. His inspiration was traditional Norwegian building tradition. He wanted the house high up in an open space – at the highest point of the property.
Sæverud took great pleasure in nature right to the end and used the outdoors area at Siljustøl actively. Like Edvard Grieg, he planned to be buried at his own property, and he pointed out the spot himself. Exactly where this is remains a secret.
Siljustøl was officially opened as a museum on the event of Sæverud’s 100th birthday in 1997.
Foto: Thor Brødreskift
Video: Sjur Pollen Visuals
Foto: Thor Brødreskift
Familiedag på Siljustøl under Festspillene i Bergen / Family day at Siljustøl during Bergen International Festival. Foto: Thor Brødreskift
Foto: Thor Brødreskift