Things to do in Norway
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Norwegian Glacier Museum
For the story on flowing ice and how it has sculpted the Norwegian landscape, visit this superbly executed museum, 3km inland from the ferry jetty.
The hands-on exhibits will delight children. You can learn how fjords are formed, see an excellent 20-minute multiscreen audiovisual presentation on Jostedalsbreen (so impressive that audiences often break into spontaneous applause at the end), wind your way through a tunnel that penetrates the mock-ice and even see the tusk of a Siberian woolly mammoth, which met an icy demise 30,000 years ago. There’s also an exhibit on the 5000-year-old ‘Ice Man’ corpse, which was found on the Austrian-Italian border in 1991. The newest…
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Bygdøy Peninsula
The Bygdøy Peninsula ( M0368) holds some of Oslo's top attractions. You can rush around all the sights in half a day, but allotting a few extra hours will be more rewarding.
Although only minutes from central Oslo, Bygdøy maintains its rural character. The royal family has a summer home here, as do many of Oslo's well-to-do residents. Ferry No 91 operates from early April to early October, making the 15-minute run to Bygdøy every 30 to 40 minutes from 08:45 with the last crossing returning from Bygdøy at around 18:30 in April and September, 21:15 in summer, with earlier final departures the rest of the year. Keep an eye out for the king's ship KS Norge on the ride over,…
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Sognefjellet Road
Snaking through the park (and providing access to many of the trailheads) is the stunningly scenic Sognefjellet Road, billed as 'the road over the roof of Norway'. It connects Lustrafjorden with Lom and was constructed in 1939 by unemployed youths to a height of 1434m, making it the highest mountain road in northern Europe and providing those with a vehicle a taste of some of Norway's finest mountain panoramas. So fine is the road that it has been chosen as one of 18 'National Tourist Routes'.
Access from the southwest is via the multiple hairpin bends climbing up beyond the tree line to Turtagrø, with a wonderful vista of the Skagastølstindane mountains on your right. If…
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Realm of the Polar Bear
8 days (Longyearbyen to Longyearbyen)
by G Adventures
From close-up encounters with icebergs and glaciers to the region’s plentiful wildlife, this is a voyage of non-stop highlights. Always on the lookout for…Not LP reviewed
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Thor Heyerdahl Statue
Larvik's main historical claim to fame is as the home town of Thor Heyerdahl (1914-2002), one of Norway's premier explorers. The quirky scientist, anthropologist and explorer spent a lifetime trying to prove that the world's oceans were vast highways that were essential to understanding ancient civilisations, a novel idea in the hallowed halls of scientific research.
In 1947 he sailed 6000km in a balsawood raft, the Kon-Tiki, from Peru to Polynesia to prove that the South Pacific may have been settled by migrants from South America rather than Asia. His theories were supported by discoveries of similar fauna and cultural artefacts in Polynesia and South America and by the…
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Nidaros Cathedral
Nidaros Cathedral, constructed in the late 11th century, is Scandinavia’s largest medieval building. Outside, the ornately embellished west wall has top-to-bottom statues of biblical characters and Norwegian bishops and kings, sculpted in the early 20th century. Within, the cathedral is subtly lit (just see how the vibrantly coloured, modern stained-glass glows, especially in the rose window at the west end), so let your eyes attune to the gloom.
The altar sits over the original grave of St Olav, the Viking king who replaced the Nordic pagan religion with Christianity. The original cathedral was built in 1153, when Norway became a separate archbishopric. The current…
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United Bakeries
Offers quiche, salads and gourmet sandwiches (Nkr89).
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Villa Paradiso
No-frills Italian food (mostly pizzas), pleasant service and family friendly.
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Bryggerhuset
This engaging little café-cum-crafts shop serves terrific coffee, bakes its own bread and offers home-made food like crepes and waffles.
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Hotel Havana
International deli with everything from French cheese to Belgian chocolates. The chorizo and manchego sandwiches (Nkr55) are an especially good bet.
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Tullins Café
This dimly lit café offers a little bit of everything, from salads and burgers to pasta and stir-fry dishes. It’s a favourite among students.
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Emma’s Drømekjøkken
Upstairs from Kaffe Lars, this stylish and highly regarded place pulls in discriminating diners with its imaginative cuisine. Advance booking is essential.
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Stockfleths
Founded in 1895, the award-winning Stockfleths is one of Oslo’s oldest coffee shops. It also serves thick slices of wholegrain bread with brown cheese, a favourite Norwegian snack.
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Kvams Flisespikkeri
Paintings, block prints and other artworks by Ketil Kvam adorn this lovely Bryggen gallery, with a range of cheaper prints available up to original artworks. Most have a Bergen theme.
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Sushi Bar
The name says it all; the house speciality is sushi in multifarious forms. To savour the flavours, go for the 16-item sushi moriawase selection (Nkr198). It also does takeaway.
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Delicatessen
One of Grünerløkka's numerous cool-kid cafes, it features sturdy wooden tables and big windows that fold away in the summer to overlook a riverside park across the street. Good Italian sandwiches.
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Varberg
Fine views over the town centre are to be had for those who climb to the summit of Varberg, the hill with the prominent TV mast. The path to the top takes about 20 minutes from the centre of town.
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Nomaden
Affiliated to the art gallery next door, this welcoming café, where cool jazz trills in the background, serves sandwiches, gooey cakes and fresh coffee and has its own changing art exhibition.
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Pasvikturist
Offers a wealth of tours as well as a day's trans-border visit to the Pechenga valley and mining city of Nikel (around NOK990), and a guided weekend in Murmansk (around NOK1700). For both you need a visa.
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Holmenkollen Ski Jump
The Holmenkollen Ski Jump, perched on a hilltop overlooking Oslo, offers a panoramic view of the city and doubles as a concert venue. During Oslo's annual ski festival, held in March, it draws the world's best ski jumpers.
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Biffhuset
On two floors, wood-panelled and low-beamed, the Beef House is a seriously meaty place, strictly for ardent carnivores. Just tick/check your menu card, indicating size, cut and accompanying sauce, hand it to the server and sit back.
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Bergen Art Museum
Beside the Lille Lungegårdsvann lake, this art museum exhibits a superb collection of 18th- and 19th-century pieces by international and Norwegian artists, including Munch, Miró, Picasso, Kandinsky and Paul Klee.
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Polar Museum
The quaint, Arctic-themed Polar Museum has displays on local hunting and fishing traditions. There's extensive coverage of the 38 winter hunting expeditions in Svalbard undertaken by local explorer Hilmar Nøis, who also collected most of the exhibits.
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Laizas
At the ferry terminal, just beside the tourist office, the young team at this airy, welcoming place put on a handful of tasty hot dishes, good salads and snackier items such as focaccia, wraps and sandwiches. There’s also an internet terminal (Nkr1 per minute).
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Escalon
Tapas has taken Bergen by storm and no-one does it better than Escalon. The friendly young waiters are happy to make suggestions on wine selection and the tapas are tasty and the closest you’ll find in Bergen to what you’ll get in Spain. Highly recommended.
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