Mysen is the main town of Eidsberg, in the inland part of Østfold, south-east of Oslo, and it is the sort of Norwegian town that rarely appears in travel brochures: a railway station, a shopping street, a few cafés and a calm, practical air. Around it lies some of the most productive farmland in Norway, rolling fields of grain broken by patches of spruce and birch forest, red barns and white farmhouses.
The area has deep roots. Eidsberg church, a medieval stone church on a rise just outside the town, has stood for the better part of eight centuries, and the countryside is dotted with burial mounds and old farm names that go back to the Viking age and earlier. In 1814, during the brief war with Sweden that followed Norway's declaration of independence, fighting took place in this border region, and memorials recall the skirmishes.
As a food stop and finish, Mysen does the job well. There are cafés, bakeries and a few restaurants in the centre, and supermarkets where you can pick up supplies. Norwegian food is hearty and simple: open sandwiches, fish cakes, meatballs with brown sauce, waffles with brown cheese, and plenty of strong coffee. Prices are high by European standards, so be prepared.
The riding around Mysen is gentle and pleasant, with roads winding through farmland and forest, and very little traffic. Surfaces are generally good, though frost heave can make some roads bumpy. Speed limits are low and enforced. Fuel is available in town. After a long day on the Telemark roads, it is a quiet, unhurried place to stop.