Norway

2016

Arrived in Stavanger for the weekend, the main goal is Preikestolen. We rented a car at Stavanger airport. The first night spent in Stavanger.


The next day we walked in the city and on the ferry reached town of Tau, from where drove to Preikestolen Fjellstue hotel. The ascent to Preikestolen begins here and we started next morning.


2015

This time we came to Norway for three days. Visited the city of Alesund and climbed two mountains in the vicinity.


Sukkertoppen mountain


Storhornet mountain


2009

I 've been to many countries, but the feeling of perfection came to me only in Norway. Therefore, the first word that I associate with Norway is not "north", "fjord " or "deer". This word is "utopia".

Why is Norway so perfect? The main reason I think are the Norwegians themselves, their boundless love for their country and monarchs. The Norwegians consider themselves the best nation in the world, and I can agree with them (although the population of the country is only 5 million people). These Nordic introverts will never leave a bunch of garbage in the woods, do not get nasty in public transport and allow foreigners to live in their country only after a long and tedious procedure. Clean environment is extremely important in Norway. Thanks to this attitude the entire country can be considered a unique ecological reserve with waterfalls, lakes, fjords, and glaciers. Norwegian scenery is really breathtaking!

Perhaps you're already interested in the mysterious word "fjord". It is a long and narrow bay surrounded by mountains, with the length of up to hundreds of kilometers. Fjords in Norway were formed due to glacier meltdown.

By the way, you can safely drink tap water in Norway. What you cannot safely drink is alcohol. Wine, spirits, and strong beer are sold only at Vinmonopolet, special shops that are owned entirely by the state and can be found only in big cities. Beer can be bought at supermarkets, but only at certain times of day. This can vary from place to place but by law is no later than 8:00 pm on weekdays and 6:00 pm on Saturdays and other days immediately preceeding public holidays.

Residents of other countries may find Norwegians naive, as they can safely leave valuable stuff in a public place without worrying that somebody can steal it. Perhaps that is why the Norwegians like children still believe in fairy-tale characters - trolls. For example, they have a tradition to build a stone "troll" and make a wish. At the same time, residents of Norway believe that trolls live exclusively underground, and the sunlight turns them to stone.

On the shores of the Oslo Fjord lay Oslo, the capital of Norway. The city is calm and comfortable, with the entire peninsula that is dedicated to museums. Here you can see the ancient Viking ships, the Kon-Tiki raft, and other famous ships.

Another remarkable city of Norway is Bergen, the birthplace of the talented composer Edvard Grieg. Like Rome, the city lay on seven hills. It rains in Bergen nearly all year round, but we were lucky and got a sunny day. Apart from visiting the estate of Edward Grieg, find the best fish market in the country, wander through the cozy streets of wooden houses, and take a funicular to one of the seven hills, which offers stunning views of the city.

Some interesting facts. Norway holds:
 - 1st place in terms of human development (2019), that is actually the most developed country in the world
 - 2nd place in terms of prices (2013). Controversial ranking... Norway, unfortunately, is one of the most expensive countries in the world, consider this when planning your trip.
 - 4rd highest GDP per capita (2018).
 - 7th place on the ease of doing business (2019)

Our 7-day route in Norway:


Day 1

We arrived at Oslo and were walking around the city all day long.









In the evening we went towards Bergen and stopped to spend the night at the Storefjell Resort Hotel, near the town of Gol. This is one of the best hotels for skiers in Norway.


Day 2

We got up at 6 in the morning to admire the beautiful scenery around the hotel.








Then we went in the direction of Bergen. In Torpo we saw a wooden church that had been built in 1192.


After that we went further in the direction of the Eidfjord. Road #7 runs through the Hardangervidda plateau and several times we made photo stops.




The next stop was near the Vøringsfossen Waterfall.


Then we passed the Eidfjord and crossed the Hardangerfjord by ferry Brimnes - Bruravik. After that we went along the northern shore of the Hardangerfjord to Norheimsund. 


Right after that we visited the Steindalsfossen Waterfall.


We spent the night in Bergen.

Day 3

We walked all day long in Bergen.










Day 4

We went in the direction of Leikanger and visited the Tvindefossen Waterfall on the way.


Then we came to Gudvangen and took a ferry to Flam along the Naeroyfjord.


Then we drove through the Laerdal Tunnel.


And crossed the Sognefjord on the ferry Mannheller - Fodnes. We spent the night in Leikanger.

Day 5

The entire day was spent on the shores of the Sognefjord.






Day 6

This day was the longest and most interesting. Early in the morning we drove to the Briksdal Glacier and visited the Boyabreen Glacier on the way.


We drove through a very scenic Vatedalen Valley.


Watched the panorama of the Nordfjord.


Passed Olden and came to the Briksdal Glacier.


Further, through Stryn we came to Hellesylt and took a ferry to Geiranger.


Climbed the scenic road to the Flydalsjuvet observation deck and then to Mount Dalsnibba.


While escending from the mountain, we visited the picturesque Djupvatnet Lake.


And stopped for the night in a historic hotel in Grotli.


Day 7

In the morning we went in the direction of Lillehammer. The first stop was near the Polfossen Waterfall.


Then we stopped near the old church in Lom.


In Lillehammer we took a look at the Olympic trampoline and walked around the city.


Next we went to Oslo along Mjøsa, Norway's largest lake.

Useful links:

http://www.visitnorway.com/ - tourist information. Best national touristic website of those that we have seen.
https://www.jenreviews.com/best-things-to-do-in-norway/ - 100 things to do in Norway
https://www.wideroe.no/en/tickets/explore-norway-ticket - Explore Norway avia ticket
https://www.nasjonaleturistveger.no/en/routes - Norway Scenic Routes
http://kart.gulesider.no - map of Norway
http://www.1881.no/Map/ - one more map
http://www.norgeibilder.no/ - satellite map
http://www.world-of-waterfalls.com/norway.html - waterfalls
http://www.webcamsinnorway.com/map/ - webcams
http://www.carwalks.com - hiking trails
http://www.ruteinfo.net/en/ - route planner, transport schedule
http://www.fjord1.no/eng - cruises and regular ferries
http://www.fjordnorway.com/ - links to information about all ferries in the country
http://www.directferries.co.uk/oslo_ferry.htm - ferries between Oslo and Britain, Denmark, Germany
http://www.fjordline.com/ - cruises from Bergen
http://www.nor-way.no/ - buses
https://www.nsb.no/ - railways
http://www.swebus.se/ - buses between Norway, Denmark, and Sweden
http://www.nettbuss.se/ - buses between Norway, Denmark, and Sweden
http://www.camping.no - camps
http://ut.no/kart - map of campsites
http://www.nasjonaleturistveger.no - photos and information about the national tourist infrastructure reconstruction program

Some movies that are related to Norway:

Mission Impossible: Fallout (2018) - several key scenes were shot at Preikestolen (video).

The Snowman (2017) - the film is completely shot in Norway and shows different cities and beautiful places (video).

Frozen (2013) - the movie authors were inspired by Norwegian landscapes.

Trollhunter (2010) - mockumentary about a group of students who are searching for trolls.

Star Wars. Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back (1980) - episodes on the "ice planet" were shot in Norway.

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (2009) - train in a snowy landscape was shot on the  Hardangerjøkulen Glacier in Norway.

Thor (2011) - the blockbuster is entirely based on Norse mythology. The Lofoten Islands were used in the design of Asgard.

Tail (2012) - Norwegian movie about huldre, a creature from Norwegian folklore that lives in forests and mountains, and usually takes the form of an attractive woman with a tail.

Flight of the Navigator (1986) - one of the best children's fantasy movies of the 80s was shot partly in Norway.

Ransom (1974) - movie with Sean Connery, was shot in Norway. The plot concerns a group of terrorists who try and extract a large sum of money from two governments.

Cold Prey (2006) - a modern Norwegian horror movie, with lots of beautiful winter scenery.

Insomnia (1997) - Norwegian detective thriller.

Conductor (1987) - a historical movie based on an old Sami legend, was nominated for an Oscar.

Dead Snow (2009) - Norwegian horror about zombie Nazis. Sounds terrible, but the movie shows beautiful scenery :)