Popular Destinations: Travelling to Norway

Norway has an abundance of natural beauty and culture for travellers to experience. Norway is known as the Land of the Midnight Sun for its summer season where parts of the country experience 24 hours of sunlight. Norway has gorgeous lakes, fjords (long strips of sea between steep hills), and is also one of the places where one can view the northern lights, the earth’s own dazzling natural light show. Read on for more on this Scandinavian gem. 

• Currency: the Norwegian Krone

• Time zone: GMT +2

• The Capital city is Oslo.

• Most Norwegains speak English.

• It is a very eco-friendly country.

There are two official languages in Norway, namely Sami and Norwegian. Norwegian has two predominant dialects, Bokmål and Nynorsk, with Bokmål being the most widely spoken. English is, however, spoken throughout Scandinavia, with many Norwegians speaking English as a second language. Sami refers to the language spoken by the indigenous people of Norway, and is not very widely spoken.

The best season to visit Norway depends on what kind of vacation experience you are after. For hiking and outdoor activities; travel in the high season from mid-June to mid-August. The shoulder season from May to mid-June and mid-August to September are a good time to see the fjords and attend a festival or two. The best time for the Northern Lights is the low season between October and April, when there can be up to 24 hours of darkness, a result of Norway’s polar nights,

The fjords

Fjords are deep and narrow inlets of the sea between high cliffs. There are over 1000 fjords in Norway, all along the coast, with the most well-known being the Sognefjord, the Lysefjord, as well as Nærøyfjord and Geirangerfjord which have been placed on the list of UNESCO’s World Heritage Sites. 

Geirangerfjord is an oasis to experience the beauty of nature in Scandinavia, where the mountains and waterfalls tower over tranquil waters and are part of the reason the country’s inhabitants prize their outdoors. This fjord is 15km long and approximately 260m deep, featuring several waterfalls cascading along its sides. The three best-known waterfalls in the Geirangerfjord are the Seven Sisters “de Syv Søstre,”  the Suitor “Friaren” and the Bridal Veil, “Brudesløret.” The Bridal Veil falls gracefully over a rocky edge, and when illuminated by the sun appears to be a veil over the rocks. The other two waterfalls—the Seven Sisters and the Suitor—sit opposite one another across the fjord, and the Suitor is said to be trying to woo the Seven Sisters opposite.

Considered one of Norway’s most spectacular natural attractions, the Nærøyfjord is 17km long, ranging from 12m to 500m in depth. The trip through Nærøyfjord is considered one of the most beautiful fjord trips in Europe and a passenger boat through the fjord is running all year, with picturesque views of snow-capped mountains and stunning waterfalls all along the journey.  

The country offers many opportunities for hiking, biking and camping. It is very safe and wIth beautiful scenery and easy-to-use rail routes, it is a great country to experience by train. 

 

Norway’s cities

• The capital city of Oslo

Oslo is in the midst of the Oslofjord and surrounded by beautiful forests. A nature lover's dream, the city was named the European Green Capital of 2019.  Oslo has new museums as well as architecture from the 11th century. It is an urban city with a rich history and a host of nature-based activities to enjoy.  Nature is, in fact everywhere, and easily accessible in Oslo, fostering a high quality of life for the city’s inhabitants. 

As a result of shipping and oil trade, Oslo, the third-largest city in Scandinavia, is also one of Europe's most affluent cities. It is a trendy and sophisticated metropolis with a variety of cultural and outdoor activities to enjoy.

The National Museum in Oslo holds one of the most important collections by Edvard Munch, including the Scream, an iconic painting by the Norwegian artist, Frogner Park, which is free to enter all year. It features 212 sculptures of Gustav Vigeland from the period 1924 and 1943, and is the world’s largest sculptural installation by a single artist.

There is also the Oslo opera house, the Norwegian Maritime Museum, the Norwegian folk museum, the Kon-Tiki Museum, and the long-established Viking Museum to reference the art, history and culture of Norwegians. 

• Bergen

Bergen was once the capital of Norway, and is a wonderful city to experience Norwegian culture and nature. The city was once the home of the royal family and is surrounded by an arc of seven snow-capped mountains. Boasting art museums, an active nightlife, and Bergenfest, a popular music festival established 25 years ago, Bergen is a lively, albeit rainy city to enjoy.  

 

See the lights

Norway is a part of the arctic circle, with Tromsø—the capital of the arctic—in Northern Norway.  This unique positioning means that it is one of the places where one can witness the midnight sun and Aurora Borealis, also known as the Northern Lights. The spectacular natural light show is not visible all over Norway and can be hard to spot, but the lights are known to be most active around March and September. A dazzling sight known to inspire and bring awe and joy, Aurora Borealis is formed by particles from the sun entering the earth’s atmosphere; creating a celestial show of beautiful, dancing waves of light that have enchanted people for thousands of years.

Norwegian salmon is world-renowned. In fact, the Norwegians are famous for introducing the Japanese to salmon in the 1980s. 

Skillingsboller is a traditional Norwegian pastry and is their version of a cinnamon roll. Made from flour, milk, yeast, eggs, sugar, butter, cardamom and almonds, it is dusted with sugar and cinnamon to create a true Scandinavian delight. 

Allianz Travel give you the security of extensive international  travel insurance while you travel, with coverage of up to USD 50,000 for any emergency medical expenses including illness or injury. Theft or loss of your travel documents are also covered up to an additional USD 300, with USD 5,000 as cover in the event of any personal accidents. 

Get in touch with us today to speak to one of our experienced consultants about our travel insurance options.