Explore
Norway
This guide divides Norway into seven colour-coded sightseeing areas: Oslo, Around Oslofjorden, Eastern Norway, Sørlandet and Telemark, Vestlandet, Trøndelag and Northern Norway and Svalbard, as shown on this map. Find out more about each area on the following pages.
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DISCOVER Getting to Know Norway
oslo
Tucked between Oslofjord and dense marka (forest), Europe’s fastest-growing capital has reinvented itself as a destination to rival Copenhagen. Many of the city’s top attractions have moved to the 9 km (6 mile) long harbour, dubbed Fjord City. This ongoing regeneration project attracts cyclists and pedestrians who promenade in harmony, overlooked by cultural hubs such as the Munch Museum, Astrup Fearnley Museum and the iconic iceberg Opera House. The harbour is also the spot for superlative restaurants and urban beaches, where the sounds of splashing and laughter ring out during the summer months. Central Oslo’s grand Royal Palace and cobblestoned Karl Johans Gate are an architectural contrast to the harbourside, and offer a flavour of the past. Across the water in Bygdøy, a leafy peninsula with a rich maritime history, residential developments are punctuated by museums celebrating Norway’s social and seafaring history.
Best for World-class art museums, modern architecture and New Nordic cuisine
Home to Nasjonalmuseet, Nobel Peace Center, Akershus Festning, Norsk Folkemuseum
Experience Twenty-one tempting courses at triple Michelin-starred Maaemo
DISCOVER Getting to Know Norway
t Oslo’s dramatic Akrobaten Bridge
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around oslofjorden
It’s easy to see why the sunlight-dappled towns, islands and beaches of Oslofjord have long inspired artists like Munch. Coastal towns such as Drøbak, Hvitsten and Son are characterized by wooden houses sloping towards the sea, waterfronts peppered with bobbing boats and seagulls shrieking as they wheel overhead. Inland, the counties of Akershus, Østfold and Vestfold are known for pretty, pastoral farmland, and history abounds here too; Fredrikstad is Norway’s best-preserved fortress town, while Vestfold is home to Viking artifacts.
Best for Relaxing on beaches, Viking heritage and escaping the city
Home to Fredrikstad, Jeløy, Verden’s Ende lighthouse, Borre National Park
Experience Stand-up paddle boarding at Hvitsten
DISCOVER Getting to Know Norway
t Wooden boats docked at Fredrikstad’s pier
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eastern norway
With three of Norway’s most beloved national parks, the appeal of Eastern Norway is simple: this is some of the most gorgeous, unspoiled wilderness you can find. Comprising one-fifth of Norway’s land area, the parks’ stirring landscapes include deep emerald valleys, Norway’s longest river, Glomma, and massive Lake Mjøsa. Further north, Rondane, Jotunheimen and Dovrefjell national parks are famed for their snowcapped peaks and beautiful wildlife, with ancient herds roaming free. This is a nature lover and thrill-seeker’s paradise, perfect for fishing, snowboarding and glacier-walking.
Best for Getting back to nature, mountaineering, hiking and skiing
Home to Jotunheimen, Lillehammer, Rondane National Park
Experience A musk oxen safari in Dovrefjell, or a summer hike across Besseggen Ridge
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t Mountains reflected in a lake at Rondane National Park
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SØrlandet and telemark
The spectacular mountain plateau of Hardangervidda dominates Telemark. Hikers and skiers travel from one turf-roof hytte (cabin) to another as they scale the ravines, while fishermen wait for a catch in the rivers below. Sørlandet’s coastline is the country’s warmest and attracts holidaymakers in summer, while the port town of Kristiansand, idyllic settlement of Grimstad and historic island village of Lyngør all bustle with activity. The grand finale is photogenic Lindesnes lighthouse, Norway’s southernmost point.
Best for Turf-roof cabins, hiking and cross-country skiing and a warmer climate
Home to Hardangervidda, Kristiansand, Heddal Stavkirke
Experience Hardangervidda with a hytte-to-hytte hike
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t Lobby of the Kilden Performing Arts Centre
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vestlandet
This is the land of the extraordinary fjords. Precipitous cliffs flank crystal-blue waters at the likes of the spectacular Geirangerfjord and Nærøyfjord. Waterfalls plunge down mountainsides, with onlookers stopping to reach out and taste the salty spray. Modern wood-and-steel viewpoints, such as Stegastein, allow enraptured visitors to pause and take in the awe-inspiring panoramas below, while fjord villages cling to the slopes overhead. Vestlandet is also home to historic Stavanger and Bergen, Norway’s second city. Here you can expect a laid-back vibe, stunning art and architecture, and – famously – rain.
Best for Breathtaking fjords, traditional and Neo-Fjordic culinary scenes, and historic cities
Home to Bergen, Stavanger, Borgrund Stavkirke, Geirangerfjord
Experience Beautiful Bergen by catching the Fløibanen funicular to the top of Mount Fløyen and admiring the view below
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t Precipitous Preikestolen, overlooking Lysefjorden
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trØndelag
Often overlooked in favour of Vestlandet and the Arctic North, Trøndelag is the Norway of the past. Pilgrims make for Trondheim, Norway’s first capital city, where St Olav was laid to rest and independent shops and a competitive restaurant scene showcase the best crafts and cuisine in the region. To the north, the 1,000-year-old timber town of Røros is the equivalent of Norway’s wild west. Quaint and picturesque, this mining town is perfect Instagram material.
Best for Historic Norway, pretty wooden towns, shopping and dining
Home to Trondheim, Nidarosdomen, Røros
Experience Snowy Røros by travelling through with a kicksled
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t Snow-topped buildings in Røros
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northern norway and svalbard
The primitive polar North is, perhaps, Norway at its most beautiful. The truly adventurous wrap up warm and travel here to experience the midnight sun over the craggy archipelagos of the Lofoten and Vesterålen islands. Continuing north, the Viking town of Tromsø is the mostly likely spot to witness the world’s best show: the Northern Lights, which shimmy across the sky. At the northernmost tip, the Svalbard archipelago is a land of sub-zero temperatures, pristine snow and more polar bears than people.
Best for The Northern Lights, wild and untamed Norway, and natural wonders
Home to Lofoten, Vesterålen, Tromsø, Svalbard
Experience The amber midnight sun by kayaking around the Lofoton islands
DISCOVER Getting to Know Norway
t The illuminated village of Mefjordvaer on Senja island