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Exploring Norway

Our Travel Guide

Norway is a Scandinavian country encompassing mountains, glaciers and deep coastal fjords. Oslo, the capital, is a city of green spaces and museums. Preserved 9th-century Viking ships are displayed at Oslo’s Viking Ship Museum. Bergen, with colorful wooden houses, is the starting point for cruises to the dramatic Sognefjord. Norway is also known for fishing, hiking and skiing, notably at Lillehammer’s Olympic resort.

Tromso is the “Paris of the Arctic” and a great place to “chase the northern lights”.

Norway at a Glance

Norway operates on a 230V supply voltage and 50Hz. For Norway there are two associated plug types, types C and F. Plug type C is the plug which has two round pins and type F is the plug which has two round pins with two earth clips on the side.

Norway Currency is the Norwegian Krone

  • Sight Seeing 85% 85%
  • Cost 80% 80%
  • Ease of Travel 75% 75%
  • Activities 95% 95%

Start in Oslo and venture out from there.  Norway is a wonderful country with fjords, Viking History, fishing villages, and of course the Northern Lights.  The food is wonderful and the people are warm and friendly.  Norway should be on your must-see travel list.

Top Experiences in Norway

1. Tromso

Our first visit to Norway was to Tromso and we loved it.  We slept in a reindeer hide tent with the Sami people, chased the northern lights, snow shoed through town, and enjoyed the food.  

Tromsø, a city in northern Norway, is a major cultural hub above the Arctic Circle. It’s famed as a viewing point for colorful Northern Lights that sometime light up the nighttime sky. The city’s historic center, on the island of Tromsø, is distinguished by its centuries-old wooden houses. The 1965 Arctic Cathedral, with its distinctive peaked roof and soaring stained-glass windows, dominates the skyline.

We spent four days in Tromso and were sorry to leave.  If you want a chance to see the Northern Lights, spend time with reindeer, love the winter and winter sports, go to Tromso.  You will not be disappointed. 

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2. Bergen

Fresh seafood and other local delicacies match a bustling art scene of museums and galleries. The streets of this capital of the fjords is full of wooden, fairy tale houses with the seven mountains as a backdrop.

The medieval Hanseatic wharf of Bryggen, with its around 60 historic buildings in succession, is on the UNESCO World Heritage list and several foundations date back to the 12th century.

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3. Oslo

The Palace Park is popular with both locals and tourists – you can see the changing of the guard here every day at 1:30 pm. Or check out the Botanical Garden in Tøyen (next to the Munch Museum in the eastern part of town), which was founded in 1814 and is home to some 7,500 species of plants. Vigelandsparken Sculpture Park in Frogner is another good option – the park with its 212 sculptures is one of Oslo’s top attractions, and certainly warrants a visit.

Markets are a good bet if you want to mingle with the locals. The second-hand and antique market on Vestkanttorvet takes place on a square in Majorstuen every Saturday between March and December, while in the eastern part of town the Birkelund flea market in Grünerløkka attracts its fair share of visitors every Sunday.

Christmas markets are also popular and well worth a visit if you happen to be in Oslo in December. The main two are the one on Rådhusplassen (the big square in front of the City Hall), and the one at the Folk Museum on Bygdøy. And if you are interested in food, make sure you check out the Matstreif Festival (also on Rådhusplassen) in September.

Some of our favorite Oslo sites:

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The Viking Ship Museum

This is home to the world’s best-preserved Viking ships which, unusually, were used as grave sites for four important members of Viking society. Both the ships and the burial findings are on display including a large, beautifully intricate wagon, amazingly well-maintain clothing items and the skeletons themselves. The Vikings have played a huge part in Scandinavian culture and the Viking Ship Museum is the perfect place to start your trip to Norway.

 

The National Gallery

For an insight into Norwegian art, including the famous Munch painting “The Scream”, head to the National Gallery. It is Norway’s largest public collection of paintings, drawings and sculptures (it is free on Thursdays).

 

Natural History Museum & Botanical Gardens

The Natural History Museum combines the Zoological and Geological Museums. The museum is situated right by the Botanical Gardens, and all three parts are worth a visit and will give you a comprehensive view of the flora and fauna of Norway, and further afield, during the summer.

 

Fram Museum – The Polar Ship Museum

Norway has a close relationship to the Arctic, and Fram made it possible for Norwegian explorers to venture both to the extreme north and extreme south of the globe, making Norway one of the first nations to properly explore both these areas. The museum is definitely worth a visit if you want to find out more about Norway’s maritime history and what life was like on-board these hazardous explorations.

 

Oslo Fjord

Anyone but the most hard-pressed aquaphobes out there should make a bee-line for Oslo’s Fjord when they arrive and luckily, it is almost impossible to miss. In good weather, exploring it further through island hopping is a hugely enjoyable experience. The white ferries at Aker Brygge are part of the public transport network and can be used like buses. Discover islands such as Langøyene, Gressholmen, Lindøya and Hovedøya, each of which offers opportunities for swimming, sunbathing, barbecuing and camping.

You will love Scandinavia and the Norwegian people.  The food, the sites and the people make Oslo a city not to miss.

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4. Sognefjord 

The Sognefjord is Norway’s longest and deepest fjord, and it’s famous arm the Nærøyfjord has World Heritage status. The surrounding mountain areas are amongst Norway’s most popular hiking areas. The Sognefjord extends from the coast just north of Bergen to the mighty mountains of the Jotunheimen National Park and the blue ice of the Jostedalsbreen glacier.

There are strong food traditions in the Sognefjord area, and the mild climate, fresh air and abundance of lush mountain pastures mean that the Sognefjord area produces fresh ingredients of high quality.

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5. Geirangerfjord

The Seven Sisters and numerous other waterfalls run down steep mountain sides that end in the clear, blue water of the 9.3 miles long Geirangerfjord. Here, you’ll find the natural peace and quiet of one of the world’s top nature attractions.

Listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site, it is even more present off season.The immediate surrounding regions also have a lot to offer the whole year round.

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