Visit & Explore Norway
Sightseeing in Norway
Norway is a Scandinavian country encompassing mountains, glaciers and deep coastal fjords. Oslo, the capital, is a city of green spaces and museums. Preserved 9th-century Viking ships are displayed at Oslo’s Viking Ship Museum. Bergen, with colorful wooden houses, is the starting point for cruises to the dramatic Sognefjord. Norway is also known for fishing, hiking and skiing, notably at Lillehammer’s Olympic resort. Norway has the highest concentration of fjords in the world. Two of these, the Geiranger Fjord and the Nærøy fjord, feature on the Unesco World Heritage List. 7. The Lærdal Tunnel is the world\’s longest road tunnel at 15 miles (24.5 km).
Places You Should Visit in Norway:
Geirangerfjord– The Geiranger Fjord is a fjord in the Sunnmøre region of Møre og Romsdal county, Norway. It is located entirely in the Stranda Municipality. It is a 15-kilometre -long branch off the Sunnylvsfjorden, which is a branch off the Storfjorden. The small village of Geiranger is located at the end of the fjord where the Geirangelva river empties into it.
Pulpit Rock– Preikestolen or Prekestolen is a tourist attraction in the municipality of Strand in Rogaland county, Norway. Preikestolen is a steep cliff which rises 604 metres above Lysefjorden. Atop the cliff, there is an almost flat top of approximately 25 by 25 metres. Preikestolen is located near the Western part of the fjord, and on its North side. Tourism at the site has been increasing in the early 21st century, with between 150,000 and 200,000 visitors in 2012, making it one of the most visited natural tourist attractions in Norway. BASE jumpers often leap from the cliff. Due to its increased popularity, the most used path to the site was improved by Nepalese Sherpas in 2013.
Trolltunga– Trolltunga is a rock formation situated about 1,100 metres above sea level in Ullensvang Municipality in Vestland county, Norway. The cliff juts horizontally out from the mountain, about 700 metres above the north side of the lake Ringedalsvatnet. Popularity of the hike to Trolltunga and rock formation itself has exploded in recent years. The increased popularity has turned Trolltunga into a national icon and a major tourist attraction for the region. Until 2010, fewer than 800 people hiked to Trolltunga each year. In 2016 more than 80,000 people hiked the 27-kilometre round-trip from the village of Skjeggedal, making it one of Norway\’s most popular hikes. This is a very challenging hike, at least 10 hours on rough terrain. There are no shelters on the hike route and no places to buy supplies. However, there is a plan to build a lodge roughly halfway where hikers can rest.
Bryggen– Bryggen, also known as Tyskebryggen, is a series of Hanseatic heritage commercial buildings lining up the eastern side of the Vågen harbour in the city of Bergen, Norway. Bryggen has been on the UNESCO list for World Cultural Heritage sites since 1979. The city of Bergen was founded around 1070 within the boundaries of Tyskebryggen. Around 1350 a Kontor of the Hanseatic League was established there, and Tyskebryggen became the centre of the Hanseatic commercial activities in Norway. Today, Bryggen houses museums, shops, restaurants and pubs.
Oslo Opera House– The Oslo Opera House is the home of the Norwegian National Opera and Ballet, and the national opera theatre in Norway. The building is situated in the Bjørvika neighbourhood of central Oslo, at the head of the Oslofjord. It is operated by Statsbygg, the government agency which manages property for the Norwegian government. The structure contains 1,100 rooms in a total area of 49,000 m². The main auditorium seats 1,364 and two other performance spaces can seat 200 and 400. The main stage is 16 m wide and 40 m deep. The angled exterior surfaces of the building are covered with marble from Carrara, Italy and white granite and make it appear to rise from the water. It is the largest cultural building constructed in Norway since Nidarosdomen was completed circa 1300.
Flåmsbana– The Flåm Line is a 20.2-kilometer long railway line between Myrdal and Flåm in Aurland Municipality, in Vestland county, Norway. A branch line of the Bergen Line, it runs through the valley of Flåmsdalen and connects the mainline with Sognefjord. The line\’s elevation difference is 866 meters; it has ten stations, twenty tunnels and one bridge. The maximum gradient is 5.5 percent. Because of its steep gradient and picturesque nature, the Flåm Line is now almost exclusively a tourist service and has become the third-most visited tourist attraction in Norway. Construction of the line started in 1924, with the line opening in 1940. It allowed the district of Sogn access to Bergen and Oslo via the Bergen Line. Electric traction was taken into use in 1944; at first El 9 locomotives were used, and from 1982 El 11. Until 1991, the train connected with a ferry service from Flåm to Gudvangen. In 1992, freight services were terminated, and due to low ticket prices and high operating costs, the line was nearly closed. In 1998, Flåm Utvikling took over marketing and ticket sale for the line, prices were heavily increased and El 17 locomotives were introduced.
Trollstigen– Trollstigen is a serpentine mountain road and pass in Rauma Municipality, Møre og Romsdal county, Norway. It is part of Norwegian County Road 63 that connects the town of Åndalsnes in Rauma and the village of Valldal in Norddal Municipality. It is a popular tourist attraction due to its steep incline of 10% and eleven hairpin bends up a steep mountainside. During the top tourist season, about 2,500 vehicles pass daily. During the 2012 season, 161,421 vehicles traversed the route, compared to 155,230 vehicles during 2009. The road is narrow with many sharp bends, and although several bends were widened during 2005 to 2012, vehicles over 12.4 metres long are prohibited from driving the road. During the 2011 and 2012 seasons, buses up to 13.1 metres were temporarily allowed as a trial. At the 700-metre plateau there is a car park and several viewing balconies overlooking the bends and the Stigfossen waterfall. Stigfossen falls 320 metres down the mountainside. The pass has an elevation of approximately 850 metres. Trollstigen is closed during late autumn and winter.
Kjerag– Kjerag or Kiragg is a mountain in Sandnes municipality in Rogaland county, Norway. The 1,110-metre tall mountain sits on the southern shore of Lysefjorden, just southwest of the village of Lysebotn. Its northern side is a massive cliff, plunging 984 metres almost straight down to fjord, a sight which attracts many visitors each year. Another tourist attraction, the Kjeragbolten, a 5-cubic-metre stone wedged between two rocks is located on the mountain. The Kjeragfossen waterfall plunges off the mountain down to the fjord. It is one of the tallest waterfalls in the world. Kjerag is a popular hiking destination. Some go there because Preikestolen has become too crowded, some to jump onto Kjeragbolten and some BASE jumpers from all over the world go there to jump off the high cliffs. Kjerag is also a popular climbing destination, with many difficult routes going up its steep faces. The easiest ascent starts from the visitors center Øygardsstølen, with a 2.5-3-hour walk each way. From Stavanger, it is roughly a 2-hour drive. One can also take the tourist ferry from Lauvvik to Lysebotn in summer.
The Nærøyfjord– is a fjord in Aurland Municipality in Vestland county, Norway. The narrow fjord is a branch of the large Sognefjord, and it is featured on the \”Norway in a Nutshell\” daytrips for tourists. The 18-kilometre long fjord is only 500 metres wide in some parts. The river Nærøydalselvi flows down the valley Nærøydalen into the fjord at the village of Gudvangen, near the European route E16 highway. It has also been rated by the National Geographic Society as the world\’s number one natural heritage site along with the Geirangerfjord.
Vøringsfossen– is the 83rd highest waterfall in Norway on the basis of total fall. It lies at the top of the Måbødalen valley in the municipality of Eidfjord, in Vestland county. It is located near Norwegian National Road 7, which connects Oslo with Bergen. It has a total drop of 182 metres, and a major drop of 163 metres. It is perhaps the most famous in the country and a major tourist attraction on the way down from Hardangervidda to Hardangerfjord. There are several warning signs in regard to the dangers of falling to one\’s death. Other measures for preventing deaths were planned for implementation in the spring of 2015, and a stairway bridge opened in 2020.
Jotunheimen National Park– is a national park in Norway, recognized as one of the country\’s premier hiking and fishing regions. The national park covers 1,151 square kilometres and is part of the larger area Jotunheimen. More than 250 peaks rise above an elevation of 1,900 metres, including Northern Europe\’s two highest peaks: Galdhøpiggen at 2,469 metres, and Glittertind at 2,465 metres. The National Park covers most of the mountainous region of Jotunheimen, including Hurrungane, but Utladalen and its surroundings are within Utladalen Landscape Protection Area. Geographically, it lies in both Innlandet and Vestland counties. Geologically the Jotunheimen is a Precambrian province. Glaciers have carved the hard gabbro rock massifs of the Jotunheimen, leaving numerous valleys and the many peaks. Wildlife include the reindeer, elk, deer, wolverines and lynx. Most lakes and rivers hold trout.
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