I was very disappointed in the handicap plans for this attraction. Since there was a short walk to the troll, I took my husband who can only walk with a walker. Although the parking lot had handicapped spaces and a ramp into the road, there was no ramp to the short trail to the troll. He managed to hold on to the sign to step up the curb to the path, but it was scary. His balance is extremely limited. The path is dirt and wood chips, is not level, and soft. He managed to get to a bench and sat while I quickly saw the troll. Getting back to the car was another trial. Going down the path was too steep an incline for him. The path to the back of the restaurant was too long. I saw that I could pull the car into the “no troll parking” area, and I used that to pick him up. Another person in a motorized scooter, and he said people lifted his scooter over the curb. It’s difficult enough for handicap people to do any touring, but something like this should have a ramp on the curb or signs to tell people to drop off and pickup in the “no troll parking “ area. Yes, the website tells about the curb and path, but it should be better than this.

You can visit Ole Bolle during daylight hours; on our morning visit, we had him all to ourselves for a glorious while for photographs and the sheer enjoyment of his wondrous self. Only downside was it was too early to visit the Nordic center and their cafe. Next time! This was my first in-person Thomas Dambo troll after following along on Instagram for years and it did not disappoint. Watched a video the day before which said the head, hands and feet were made off-site (beautiful craftsmanship), and the rest was assembled in place with the help of volunteers. I hope to visit more Dambo trolls if I find myself near one.

Found our 6th troll in Portland and it didn’t disappoint! So cute and loved it peeking through the little roof. It is always so much fun finding these wooden trolls hidden in parks and centers. This one is at Nordic Northwest center. It did not have a long hike to get to it as some have that we have found (and would have preferred!)Parking was a little nuts but it seems they had an event going at the same time.Worth the stop if in the area!

This whimsical Troll, named Ole Bolle, is a ginormous troll created by Danish artist Thomas Dambo – mostly out of recycled materials. He is too large for his own house, so he just kneels outside looking into it. He is quite a sight from inside that little red house that he seems to be peeking into. His large eyes seem to follow and watch you – it needs talent to create something like that.His location is on the outskirts of Portland – in the Nordic Northwest Campus – a Scandinavian Center that encompasses a café, a museum and a gift shop. The gardens are clean, well designed and all walking paths nicely maintained.Worth a visit if you have a little time, and like cute, interesting things.

I try to visit Dambo trolls all over the country, and was excited there was one in Portland! This was a bit outside the downtown area, but the grounds were pretty and the troll was whimsical and cute. If you drive, there’s plenty of parking, and you can access the troll without paying to get into the Nordia Center.