Norway is a wildly beautiful country of snow-capped mountains
and deep glacier-carved fjords. The astounding scenery of the
southwestern fjordland is the main drawcard for tourists, but there
are many incentives to visit this sparsely inhabited country. It
offers remote wildernesses and outdoor activities, fairylike
forests, historic towns and charming fishing villages, down to
earth friendly people, and the lure of the Arctic Circle with its
famous Midnight Sun and surreal Northern Lights. It also boasts
some of the most scenic bus trips, boat cruises and train rides in
the world.
‘The Land of the Midnight Sun’, with its long summer
days, is not only for nature lovers and outdoor enthusiasts, but
offers a rich cultural heritage from the Vikings, the traditional
nomadic Sami people of the remote northern regions, and
world-renowned artists such as Edvard Munch. Principle cities of
interest are Oslo, the prettily sited capital; the historic trading
port of Bergen, situated on the fjords and gateway to the
Fjordlands; and hilly Tromsø within the Arctic Circle, the
centre of the Northern Lights activity. They are pleasant, low-key
cities that offer a good range of museums, historical sights and
unique architecture.
Norway’s greatest impact on history was during the Viking
Age, when the sleek Viking ships crossed the Atlantic, and Europe
was subjected to numerous raids. Traditionally Norwegians were
explorers, and their influences are evident from the Viking
settlements established in Scotland, to the more recent
personalities like polar explorer Roald Amundsen, and the legendary
Pacific crossing of Thor Heyerdahl on his wooden raft, the
Kon-Tiki.
Today Norwegians hold onto many of their cultural traditions,
most notably the art of storytelling that takes place around the
fireside to while away the long winter hours. Trolls figure
prominently in their folklore, some friendly and
helpful, while others are naughty characters that conveniently
serve as a source of blame for all of life’s troubles.
