The Kingdom of Norway has an area of 385,203 square kilometres and is located in the western part of the Scandinavian Peninsula. It has 1,190 fjords with 25,148 kilometres of coastline in the Norwegian and North Sea. Norwegian fjords were formed when glaciers reshaped river valleys and the sea flooded the long and narrow inlets with slopes or cliffs, creating bays with submarine ridges at the mouth of the fjord. The first writings in Norwegian date back to the 8th century and the year 872 define the Kingdom of Norway, which later joined other nations in the Kalmar Union. In this article, which comes with useful travel tips, we share advice about cultural and natural landmarks of Norwegian fjords and the most attractive cities to visit in Norway.
Oslo is Norway’s capital and is located in a picturesque fjord. With its history and being the oldest capital in Scandinavia, it’s an excellent starting point for travelling around the Oslofjord. You can experience this natural landmark with Oslo: Sightseeing Cruise through Oslo’s Fjords, where you can discover the city from the sea, just like Vikings in the olden days. Norway’s capital abounds in cultural attractions that give the city a distinct importance. The National Museum of Art houses works of Norwegian painters, such as Edvard Munch, Christian Krohg, Gustav Wentzel and others.
Bergen used to be Norway’s first largest city, but became the second largest in the 19th century. It was founded under the name Bjørgvin by King Olav Kyrre on the coast of a bay in 1070. It’s famous for its numerous cultural attractions and well-planned city infrastructure. With Bergen: Osterfjord, Mostraumen and Waterfall Cruise, you can explore the local landscape and a 27-kilometre-long trail along the Oslofjord. The summer temperatures range from twelve to eighteen degrees Celsius, so it’s good to be prepared for the cooler climate that’s typical for Bergen and its surroundings in the northern part of the Sognefjord and southern part of the Hardangerfjord.
Trondheim is located on the southern coast of the Trondheim Fjord and is the third largest city in Norway. It served as the country’s capital from 997 to 1217 and played and important role in trade in goods. The city can be explored with the help of a local who, through Trondheim Like a Local: Customized Private Tour, outlines its history and everyday life. There are numerous festivals and holidays that take place in Trondheim throughout the year, which is why the city is known as the capital of culture. The most famous national holiday celebrated by the Norwegians at the end of July is St. Olaf’s Day. It’s the day people commemorate King Olaf and Christianity.
Norway’s natural heritage, including the fjords, draws travellers in the summer and winter months. That’s when it’s possible to observe the northern lights (Aurora borealis) from September to April and experience endless days from May to August, when the sun doesn’t even set in some parts of the country. The summer season, specifically from May to September, is also the time when you can watch one of the world’s largest mammals – the humpback whale – as well as killer whales or orcas. The rough sea becomes calm in the fjords, turning into bays, which were formed by glaciers through millennia, in the tranquillity of pristine nature. The meaning of the word fjord is a crossing, namely a crossing into the bay. The word was also linked to the words travel and ferry.
The longest among the Norwegian fjords is the Sognefjord, which is 205 kilometres long, 1,300 metres deep, 2,000 metres tall and 4,500 metres wide. It’s an important crossroads of trade, culture and tourism. Trails in the valley of the Sognefjord are suitable for cycling, plus there are various water sports offered by providers in the surroundings. The climate is perfect for growing fruit, such as apples, strawberries, raspberries and cherries. These make for excellent fruit juices that go along well with traditionally-made Norwegian goat cheese and dried meat. Beer lovers will enjoy two local products, namely craft beer and apple cider.
The second longest fjord in Norway is the Hardangerfjord. It’s 179 kilometres long, 860 metres deep and two to ten kilometres wide. Winter sports enthusiasts can have their fun at FONNA Glacier Ski Resort even in the summer months. It’s a ski resort in Norway where the summer ski season starts in May. The Hardangerfjord landscape is thought to be Norway’s most beautiful orchard landscape where apples are grown for the Nordic Champagne. The region of the cider is also where local producers make jam using homegrown fruit, as well as apple juice, apple cider, ice cream and mutton. The company producing the best apple cider is Aga Sideri.
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation or UNESCO declared part of the fjords in western Norway a natural heritage site of world importance. In the 20th century, in 1979, Urnes Stave Church was added to the list of cultural heritage. It’s a small 12th-century wooden church located in the village of Urnes in the famous Sognefjord on the west coast of Norway. The church was built in the typical Scandinavian style, combining the influence of the Celtic art, Viking tradition and Romanesque style.
A trip to the part of Norway north of the Arctic Circle, where dark days prevail in the winter and the midnight sun dominates the skies in the summer, can be experienced as a winter or summer ski season or as a water sports experience at wonderful Norwegian beaches and in calm fjord bays. A midnight cruise is an unusual experience that can be enjoyed in Tromsø, the Arctic capital, where the sun never sets in the summer. Tromsø was awarded the Sustainable Destination label, since the city has been working to reduce the negative impact of tourism. The midnight cruise can also be experienced in the Trollfjord in Lofoten and Vesterålen.
Hiking, fishing and kayaking are the TOP three activities in Norway’s summer season. The destinations of midnight hiking are the Korgen landscape, Honningsvåg, Harstad, Narvik and Hammerfest. Midnight fishing takes place in Andenes, Bleik, Lovund, Sortland and Svolvaer. Midnight kayaking can be experienced in Harstad, Vega and Sortland. The TOP destination for observing the midnight sun is, without question, North Cape or Nordkapp, Europe’s northernmost cape. Sommarøy Island is a great idea for the summer. Just like in Tromsø, the sun doesn’t set here either. Thanks to the sun, a day in Norway therefore becomes eternal.
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