Norway

Quick Facts

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Capital

Oslo

Population

4,546,000

Government

Constitutional Monarchy

Religions

Christianity (Protestant)

Languages

Norwegian (Bokmål), Norwegian (Nynorsk), Saami

Calling Code

+47

Nationality

Norwegian

Local name

Norge

Contributors

• Utrecht (44%)
  from http://utrecht.travellerspoint.com
• Sam I Am (38%)
  from Sam's Blog

as well as Peter (12%), Lavafalls (2%), bentivogli (1%), davidx (1%), Hien (1%), dr.pepper (1%)

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Introduction

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Land of extraordinary beauty, Norway's undisputed attraction is its fantastic scenery. Rugged mountains, fjords and glaciers give Norway a rough feel, one which is delightful to travellers accustomed to the slick cities of other European destinations. Even Norway's capital, Oslo, reflects this: uninterested in the busy bustle of modern life, the city takes pleasure in numerous parks, monuments and museums, maintaining a strikingly subdued attitude.

In its northern reaches, Norway stretches into the Arctic Circle. It's a cold place, but brilliantly varied and interesting. Polar bears, seals and walruses can be seen in their natural environment, atop ice floes; naturally treeless areas create a haunting and mysterious sense of desolation; and majestic peaks jut above the coast.

Brief History

Geography

Norway is a long narrow country with fjords cutting deep into the mountains. The further north you travels the less trees and the more ice you will encounter. Norway shares international borders with Sweden, Finland and Russia.

Regions

Norway consists of five major regions, split as followed into counties:

• Nord-Norge (in the north) - Finnmark, Nordland (including Jan Mayen and the Lofoten Islands), Troms, Svalbard
• Trøndelag (in the middle) - Nord-Trøndelag, Sør-Trøndelag
• Vestlandet (lower west) - Hordaland, Møre og Romsdal, Rogaland, Sogn og Fjordane
• Sørlandet (in the south) - Aust-Agder, Vest-Agder
• Østlandet (lower east) - Akershus, Buskerud, Hedmark, Oppland, Oslo (only city to also be a county), Telemark, Vestfold, Østfold

Cities

Oslo

Oslo is the capital of Norway and the most populated city in Norway with more than half a million inhabitants. Located at the head of Oslo fjord in the south-east of Norway, the city is the main center of finance, trade and shipping. There are many museums and other attractions in the city for travellers to enjoy. Contrary to popular belief, temperatures in Oslo are generally mild (-10 °C to +30 °C) year round, with good conditions to enjoy downhill skiing in the winter and swimming in the fjords, both accessible by tram ride from the center of Oslo.

Other Cities

• Bergen (in Hordaland) is Norway's second largest city and has over a quarter of a million people. It is located in southwestern Norway and another important port.
• Trondheim (in Sør-Trøndelag), lying at the mouth of the Nidelva River is Norway's third largest city with around 150 000 inhabitants.
• Other cities in Norway include Stavanger (in Rogaland), Tromsø (in Troms), Fredrikstad (in Østfold), Drammen (in Buskerud), Fjærland (in Sogn og Fjordane) and Kristiansand (in Vest-Agder).

Sights and Activities

Mountain climbing

There are a number of mountain faces throughout Norway, many in Møre og Romsdal, that are enjoyed by mountain climbers. Trollveggen is probably the most known and is Europe's highest vertical face, so not to be attempted by anyone other than advanced climbers looking for an extreme experience. The Norwegian Trekking Association offers a number of courses for beginners and can also point you in the right direction for information on popular climbs, regardless of your level.

Glacier walking

A trip to the blue glacier ice, lead by a local guide past sharp ice towers and deep crevices, is a unique outdoor experience and a long lasting tradition in Norway. Glaciers are extraordinarily beautiful but they can also be deceptive, hiding crevices of 100 metres depth below thin snow crusts, so you should never venture onto a glacier without a qualified local guide.

Jostedalsbreen is the largest glacier on the mainland Europe, but Svartisen, Flogefonna, Hardangerjøklen and Nigardsbreen are also popular destinations for glacier walkers, ice climbers and skiers alike. Trips can be both for those with a normal level of fitness or more trained, adventurous souls.

Skiing

It should come as no surprise that Norwegians like to ski. Not only is the sport named after the Norwegian town of Ski but downhill (slalom) skis were first invented in the town of Morgedal in the region of Telemark. On Friday afternoons in the winter, traffic out of major cities comes to a virtual halt as families and small groups make their way to their winter 'hytte' (cabins) or a ski resort. Popular areas for downhill skiing in Norway include Geilo, Hemsedal and Trysil. The city of Oslo also has a few downhill slopes which you can reach by tram from the city center.

Events and Festivals

Norway is renowned for it's festival filled summers. The combination of long days and plenty of large open spaces seem to make Norway the ideal festival destination.

Norway's largest festival is Quart^[1], which is held at Odderøya, a short walk from the center of Kristiansand, on the southern coast of Norway. With no shortage of internationally renowned artists appearing, the 2007 line-up includes The Who, Beastie Boys and 50 Cent among others.

One of the biggest festivals in recent years has been Øyafestivalen^[2], which is held in Oslo's Middelalderparken (Medieval Park) in Gamlebyen, the oldest part of Oslo. It's about ten minutes walk from Oslo Central Station.

Frognerbadet outdoor pool in Frogner Park in Oslo is home of one of Norway's oldest rock festivals, Norwegian Wood^[3]. In cooperation with NRK, the event also houses an Underwood stage for new, promising bands.

Kongsberg Jazzfestival^[4] is a well known jazz festival including both Norwegian and international artists. The festival always has a distinguished range of artists within free jazz and new directions within improvised music.

Moldejazz^[5] is one of Europe's oldest, largest and most important jazz festivals. It is held in Molde, a town situated by the Romadalsfjord on the northwest coast of Norway (about an hours flight from Oslo, Trondheim or Bergen. Each year the festival presents a commissioned work and has an Artist in Residence.

Weather

As most people expect, Norway can get very cold in the winter. Norway is a vast country however and one cannot compare the temperatures from the far North of the country, within the Arctic circle, with the temperatures in major cities like Bergen and Oslo. Summers in Norway are a lot more pleasant than most believe and there are a lot of boating and water sport activities. The water is quite pleasant for swimming and there is ample opportunity to do so with a coastline, including the fjords and greater islands, of around 12 000 miles (approximately 19 000 km).

Getting There

By Plane

SAS Braathens was the name of the national airline of Norway but since 2007 its official name is SAS Scandinavian Airlines Norge and has its base at Oslo Airport, Gardermoen (OSL), 50 kilometers north of the capital. Destinations with the Norwegian branche of SAS are Amsterdam, Athens, Barcelona, Berlin, Brussels, Copenhagen, Crete, Dublin, Düsseldorf, Frankfurt, Lisbon, London, Madrid, Milan, Paris, Reykjavík, Rome, Stockholm-Arlanda, Venice, and Zürich, among others. Norwegian Air Shuttle is a low cost airline flying from here to several dozens of cities throughout Europe as well. Most European airlines fly to Oslo directly and Pakistan Airlines flies to and from three destinations in Pakistan, being one of a few non European airlines.
Bergen Airport, Flesland (BGO) and Stavanger Airport, Sola (SVG) are a few other international airlines serving several destinations mainly in West en North Europe and charters to the south of the continent.

By Train

NSB (Norwegian State Railways) operates trains to and from Oslo. Destinations include a line to Stockholm, and a line via Malmo, Copenhagen, Hamburg to Berlin. Trains also link the northern town of Narvik with Stockholm.

By Car

With the E6 and E18 international European highways meeting in Oslo access by car from the rest of Europe is a straightforward affair. You can arrive in Oslo from Copenhagen and Stockholm in under 7 hours and from Berlin the trip takes about 12 hours, including a ferry ride. There are many border crossings with Sweden and a number in the north with Finland. To Sweden ,these include the E14 from Sundsvall to Trondheim, the E12 from Umeå to Mo i Rana, and the E10 from Kiruna to Bjerkvik. Many secondary roads also cross the border.
Between Norway and Finland, there are also about six border crossings. The main route to the North Cape goes from Rovaniemi via Inari and Kaamanen to Karigasniemi and there's also a crossing further west at Kilpisjärvi.
Crossing to and from Russia is also a possibility but usually not undertaken by foreigners.

By Bus

Eurolines has bus connections from many destinations throughout Europe to a number of cities in Norway, including Oslo. Buses also link Kirkenes in the north with the Russian city of Murmansk.
Säfflebusen and Swebus Express both have connections
from Gothenburg and Stockholm to Oslo.
To and from Finland, there are quite a few bus companies which provide services, though services are way less during the wintermonths and some of them only have buses during summer. Eskelisen Lapin Linjat is the main operator. Main routes are from Rovaniemi and continue via the Finnish cities of Sodankylä and Ivalo or Inari. They then travel further to the Norwegian cities/towns of Karasjok, Lakselv, Tanabru or Kirkenes.
In summer, there is one daily bus Oulu to the North Cape via Rovaniemi, Inari and Karasjok. To the west, a daily bus travels from Oulu to Rovaniemi and Muonio before continuing to Kilpisjärvi and Tromsø, but only during summer. The total trip to Tromsø takes roughly 12 hours.

By Boat

• There are many ferries to and from Norway operating from various countries in the west and north of Europe. For example Direct Ferries has a number of routes from countries like Germany and Denmark. Kristiansand, Larvik, Oslo, Langesund and Sandefjord are the main ports of call. Other companies also travel to Stavanger and Bergen.
• Colorline operates a number of ferries as well, including those from Kiel and from Denmark and Sweden. Since 2008, several fast ferry services have been introduced, cutting the length of the trip significantly.
• Smyril Line has ferries connections to and from Norway (Bergen) from Denmark, Scotland Faroe Islands and Iceland. Some routes are not operating in winter.
• The only direct line from the United Kingdom is with DFDS Seaways. Fjordline and Stena Line are other ferry companies that travel to and from Norway.

Denmark

• Smyril Line between Hanstholm and Bergen (and on to Torshavn, Faroer Islands).
• Color Line between Hirsthals and Oslo, Stavanger, Bergen, Kristiansand and Larvik.
• Color Line between Frederikshavn and Larvik.
• Kystlink between Hirsthals and Brevik.
• DFDS Seaways between Oslo and Copenhagen (via Helsingborg, Sweden).
• Fiordline between Hanstholm and Kristiansand.
• Fiordline between Hanstholm and Egersund/Bergen.

Check the websites of the harbours of Bergen, Oslo, Kristiansand and Stavanger for more information about schedules and prices.

Getting Around

By Plane

Norwegian Air Shuttle and SAS Braathens serve most of the cities in Norway. Cities include Kristiansund, Kristiansand, Bergen, Oslo, Alta, Alesund, Stavanger, Trondheim, Narvik and Kirkenes among several others. Widerøes Flyveselskap operates flights on behalf of SAS as well.

By Train

All train services in the country are operated by Norwegian State Railways. The main routes are Oslo-Trondheim (Dovre Line), Trondheim-Bodo (Nordland line), Oslo-Bergen (Bergen line) and Oslo-Stavanger (Sorland Railway)
It takes around 7 hours from Oslo to Trondheim and a little longer to Bergen. But the latter is much better enjoyed while taking a leisurely multiple day tour. Sleeping cars on longer routes, as well as restaurant cars, are available.

By Car

Renting a car or, better and cheaper, bringing your own car, is the perfect way of getting around norway as public transport is rather limited. Roads are generally in a good condition although some parts might be a little rough after winter. Most companies have offfices downtown or on major airports and traffic drives on the right. Remember than the maximum speed usually is 80 or sometimes 90 km/hour on most roads. Only around Oslo are some parts which are 100 km/hour. If you do get caught, be prepared to pay hefty fines for even a few kilometers to fast.
Be sure to have both a national and international driving permit and sufficient insurance (green card).
Some roads and tunnels require you to pay toll and Norway even has one of the longest tunnels in the world at 24 kilometers long. This tunnel is free though, as tunnels become toll free most of the time when the initial investment is earned back.

By Bus

Contact NOR-WAY Bussekspress AS for seat reservations and information about routes. Main lines include Bo to Haugesund and Alesund to Trondheim. There are also numerous regional and local services.

By Boat

The Hurtigruten travels the entire coastline between Bergen and Kirkenes and makes for a leisurely way of travelling combined with seeing the places where the ship anchors. The trip takes around 6 days one-way and stops in 34 ports! There are also other companies offering ferries between coastal towns, mainly in the south. Finally, there are numerous options of taking a cruise on one of the many fjords. One company offering this is Norway Fjord Cruise.
Fjordline offers ferries between Bergen and Egersund and between Moss and Larvik.

Red Tape

A Schengen Visa is required to enter Norway. This visa is valid for any country in the Schengen zone.

• See http://www.udi.no/defaultRedesign.aspx?id=2112 for more (official) information on norwegian visa and immigration policy

Money

The currency of Norway is the Norwegian kroner (NOK). Here are some rough exchange rates against popular currencies, but please check with a currency conversion site like Oanda for exact rates.

• 1 USD = 6 NOK
• 1 EUR = 8 NOK
• 1 GBP = 12 NOK
• 1 AUD = 5 NOK

June 2007

ATM's are readily available and generally allow international withdrawals without any problems. Debit and ATM/PIN cards are readily used in Norway, with most Norwegians preferring these over the carrying of cash. If you are travelling to Norway, there is really no need to take out travellers cheques before arriving, unless this is a strong personal preference. You will find fees for exchanging the travellers cheques quite high in addition to what you might have paid at your bank for buying them.

Most travellers tend to find Norway expensive to travel in, with food and drink prices, especially alcoholic, often being high.

Work

Study

Language

The main language in Norway is Norwegian (norsk). Although officially there are two types of Norwegian (Bokmål and Nynorsk), most Norwegians would simply say they speak Norwegian unless pressed for an answer to the specific variety. Less than 15% of the Norwegian spoken is Nynorsk, although the Norwegian governmental agencies are required to support both languages, written and spoken. It's a somewhat strange phenomena as Nynorsk resembles the traditional Norwegian dialects more than Bokmål (which is based on Danish) does. Most Norwegians also speak dialect or will use it interlaced with Bokmål.

Saami is also an official language of Norway, but use of it is rare outside of Saami communities. English on the other hand, although not an official language, is understood and spoken by most Norwegians. Scandinavian languages like Swedish and Danish are usually understood by Norwegians, who will then typically reply in Norwegian.

Eat

Sleep

Drink

Health

Safety

Norway is a safe country to travel in with a very low crime rate. Take the same precautions as you would in most European countries and maintain common sense.

The major safety concern for travellers is generally for those who are venturing off the beaten track and rafting, kayaking, hiking or skiing on their own or in groups without a guide. There are a number of fatalities each year, involving both Norwegians and tourists, that are simply due to the ruggedness of the country and ill prepared trips or accidents. In the summer of 2007 several foreign travellers died as a result of accidents which were easily avoidable by paying attention to warning signs or local advice and tour guides, and sadly this seems to be a yearly occurrence. Always let someone know where you will be and for how long you think you'll be and where possible, participate in activities with others instead of by yourself.

Keep Connected

Internet

Phone

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