Norway Travel Guide
Norway is located in the western part of Scandinavia in Northern Europe. Its
coastline is made up of massive fjords and about 50,000 islands which stretch
for more than 2,500 kilometers. Perhaps Norway's magnificent fjords are its main
and most dramatic features. In fact, two of Norway's fjords topped National
Geographic's survey on the most popular World Heritage site, edging out the
Great Wall of
China, the
Machu Picchu in
Peru,
the Great Pyramids of
Egypt and the Angkor Wat.
This sparsely populated country is also known to tourists as the Land of the
Midnight Sun. This is because the northern part of Norway lies north of the
Arctic Circle, where the sun does not set in midsummer and the sun is never seen
during winter. Possibly the most popular town in which to experience this
natural occurrence is in Tromsø, located in the North Cape far above the Arctic
Circle.
Aside from the fjords, there are many other destinations you can visit in Norway.
It is perhaps a good idea to prepare for backpacking adventure and hiking trips
if you want to have a great time in Norway and experience what nature has to
offer. Let's begin our quest through this Land of the Midnight Sun.
Oslo is the country's capital and is Norway's most populous city with around
700,000 inhabitants. The city has very strong cultural arts with a good number
of museums and galleries to choose from. There is the Munch Museum, the National
Gallery, Norwegian Folk Museum and the Viking Ships Museum to name a few. Then
there's the Holmenkollen ski jumping complex just outside the city center and is
a very popular destination. Many buildings in Oslo draw tourists as well, such
as the Kongelige Slott or the Royal Palace, Stortinget and the Akershus Castle.
During the medieval times Bergen was the capital of Norway. Now it is a major
trading port which offers a vast selection of boat excursions to tourist and
locals alike. The Hanseatic-Bryggen district is a UNESCO World Heritage Site
because of its various 17th century and earlier architectures. You can also take
a cable car to the summit of Mount Ulriken where you can get a spectacular view
of the city and the coastline.
Lillehammer is the country's biggest winter sports and skiing resort and stands
near Norway's largest lake, the Mjøsa which is reportedly where a ‘Loch Ness'
monster is hiding away. It played host to the 1994 Winter Olympics where local
skiers Tomba and Ulvang were cheered on by the spectators.
Trondheim, founded in 997 AD as Kaupangr then later called Nidaros, was Norway's
old capital. It houses the Nidarosdomen Cathedral which was built over St.
Olav's grave and is now a famous pilgrimage site. There is also the Ringve
Museum which showcases rare and historical musical instruments. Stiftsgården is
the Royal Family's palace in Trondheim, was built around the 18th century and is
made of wood and found in the center of the city.