Honningsvag is one of the farthest north towns in Europe. This is 500 miles into the Arctic Circle. Check out how clear the water is. Plus there are mountains in…
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Norway is a very long and narrow strip of land in Scandinavia and is bisected by the Arctic Circle. Even though it is situated at such a high latitude the warm Gulf Stream keeps it somewhat mild. Norway has been settled since prehistoric times and in the 8th-10th centuries the country was unified as the Viking seafarers explored, traded, and raided all parts of Europe, discovered Iceland, and reached Canada. Since that time the land has been independent some of the time and in a union with either Denmark or Sweden at other times. The current country dissolved thier union with Sweden in 1905, becoming an independent kingdown for which they invited a Danish prince to be thier new king.
Helpful Info
Population – 5,303,000
Money – Krone (as of Feb 2020 US$1 = 9.14 kr; current rate available at XE.com)
Language – Norwegian, English
Religion – 70.6% Christian
When to go – June-August are the warmest and busiest, winter not as severe as expected
World Heritage Sites – 8 – Alta, Bryggen, Rjukan-Notodden, Røros, Struve Geodetic Arc, Urnes Stave Church, Vegaøyan, West Fjords
Country formed – Union with Sweden dissolved on 7 June 1905
My Visit
I visited Norway in 2015 when went to see former charter guest. This wonderful family of four showed me around the capital city of Oslo for several days before I flew to the west coast. After exploring several of the southern cities I boarded a Hurtigruten ship and traveled north all the way to Kirkenes in the Arctic Circle.
Likes, Dislikes, and Recommendations
While Oslo is wonderful, and I recommend seeing the Viking Museum and outdoor Folk Museum, the Hurtigruten route is a very traditional and local way to see the rest of the country. These ships are a combination of cruise ship, freighter, ferry, and mail boat and were first established in 1893.
Below you can get even more helpful hints by watching the travel videos I made for Norway. Also, you can read what all I did there in my blog posts located below the video.
All Blogs From Norway
When I went to Denver, CO from Oslo, Norway I flew on Iceland Air and had a two hour layover in Reykjavik, Iceland. My flight was pretty cheap ($460), but what I…
This shot was taken at the head of the Urke fjord in Norway. What do you think?
In between the time I left Oslo and I boarded the MS Lofoton in Bergen, I stayed in Haugesund on the southwest coast of Norway. A friend of mine in…
This is the view you get when you take the tram to the top of the hill in Bergen, Norway.
The last week of my trip I boarded the motor ship Lofoten to cruise up the west coast of Norway and around the North Cape. The ship was built in…
At a train station in Norway I took a photo of the ticket machine screen showing a ticket to Hell. After I added the comments for my dad, I thought…
The Norwegian Folk Museum is an open air museum housing original and reproduction buildings from different ears and locations around Norway. The Museum has been around since 1881. I spent around…
At the Holmenkollen (ski jump) in Oslo, Norway people from all over the world come here to practice and compete their ski jumping skills.
The City Hall of Oslo is not an old building by any stretch of the imagination. It was started in 1931 and completed in 1950 due to World War 2…
I took my photo of the waterfront in Oslo and played with it in my Photo Director program and came up with this look that I really like. It seems…
As soon as I got off the plane in Oslo, Norway I knew I was in a way different place than Kyrgyzstan. Everything was different, from the glass jet…