Oslo
Frognerparken attracts westside locals with its broad lawns, ponds, stream and rows of shady trees for picnics, strolling or lounging on the grass. It…
Must-see attractions in Norway
Fredriksten Fortress & Museums
Southern Norway
Crowning the hilltop behind Halden is the 1661 Fredriksten Fortress, which has resisted six Swedish sieges and never been captured. The fortress covers a…
Oslo
The Norwegian royal family's seat of residence emerges from the woodland-like Slottsparken, a relatively modest, pale-buttercup neoclassical pile. Built…
Dovrefjell-Sunndalsfjella National Park
Central Norway
This 4367-sq-km national park, Norway's largest continuous protected area, protects the dramatic highlands around the 2286m-high Snøhetta. It also…
Bergen & the Southwestern Fjords
Perched 600m above Eidfjord are two farms that were, until 1974, completely inaccessible by road. Until then, residents had no choice but to lug all their…
The Coast
Kaupang, 5km east of Larvik, was a former Viking town built around AD 800 and occupied until 960. It is believed that up to 1000 people once lived here…
Southern Norway
The profusion of silver mines in Kongsberg's hinterland is known collectively as Sølvgruvene. The easiest way to visit is with the tours that leave from…
Norwegian Museum for Hydroelectric Power & Industry
Bergen & the Southwestern Fjords
A tour around a hydroelectric power station might not sound that promising, but this is one industrial landmark that's worth a detour. The Tysso 1 power…
Central Norway
Røros' copper industry was booming when local notables decided to finance the construction of this lovely – and large – Lutheran church in 1784, at a cost…
Bodø
Norway's 10,000-sq-metre aviation museum is huge fun to ramble around if you have a passing interest in flight and aviation history – allow at least half…
Bergen
Modern-art aficionados will want to make a beeline to KODE 4, which is home to a large permanent collection of European Modernist works including the odd…
Bergen
This interesting museum provides a window into the world of Hanseatic traders. Housed in a rough-timber building dating from 1704, it starkly reveals the…
The Western Fjords
The main target for most visitors on the northern side of the park is this impressive glacier, which can be reached along a scenic 23km road from Olden…
Sverresborg Trøndelag Folkemuseum
Trondheim
Three kilometres west of the centre, this folk museum is one of the best of its kind in Norway. The indoor exhibition, Livsbilder (Images of Life),…
Bergen & the Southwestern Fjords
Around 18km west of Haugesund, the tiny island of Utsira barely covers 6 sq km and is home to just 235 people, but its size belies its reputation in the…
The Northern Fjords
Fourteen kilometres out to sea from Kristiansund, the island of Grip has a long tradition of cod-fishing stretching back centuries, but was abandoned by…
The Northern Fjords
For the highest and perhaps most stunning of the many stunning views of the Geiranger valley and fjord, take the 5km toll road (130kr per car) that climbs…
Oslo
The Historical Museum is actually three museums under one roof. Most interesting is the ground-floor National Antiquities Collection (Oldsaksamlingen),…
Oslo
For a more in-depth look at Gustav Vigeland's work, this museum is just opposite the southern entrance to Frognerparken. It was built by the city in the…
Western Finnmark
The Stabbursnes Nature Reserve extends over the wetlands and mudflats at the estuary of the Stabburselva. Birdwatchers come to observe the many species of…
Southern Norway
This cultural centre is 11km northeast of Fredrikstad. The most intriguing feature is the Ode til Lyset (Ode to the Light), a 'sound sculpture' by Arnold…
Ålesund
Ålesund's celebrated Sunnmøre Museum is 4km east of the centre. Here, at the site of the old Borgundkaupangen trading centre, active from the 11th to 16th…
Tromsø
Near the southern end of Tromsøya, this museum has well-presented and documented displays on traditional and modern Sami life, ecclesiastical art and…
Central Norway
Of all the beautiful mountain roads of central Norway, one stands out for its combination of scenery and storytelling: Peer Gynt Vegen. Running for 60km…
Arctic Highway
The Vefsn Museum is split over two sites. In Sjøgata, the Jakobsensbrygga Warehouse is an excellent small museum that portrays, via some particularly…
Bergen
Housed in a series of wonky wharfside warehouses dating from the 18th century, this museum delves into the industry that sustained Bergen (along with the…
Norwegian Museum of Travel & Tourism
The Western Fjords
A museum examining the history of tourism might not immediately sound like the biggest must-see, but bear with us: the story of how people travelled…
Southern Norway
Don't miss the imposing Oscarsborg Fortress, which lies on an offshore island and dates back to the 1600s. It was the Oscarsborg batteries that sank the…
Central Norway
West of town (1.5km), this extensive open-air museum includes 18th- and 19th-century buildings, a folk history exhibit featuring the creepy Devil's Finger…
The Western Fjords
The River Lærdalselvi is one of the top spots for wild salmon fishing in Norway. Salmon fishing has been part of the culture here since time immemorial,…
Bergen & the Southwestern Fjords
This ancient stone church was built under the reign of King Håkon Håkonsson. Work began in 1250, although it's thought that a much earlier wooden chapel…
The Northern Fjords
The beautiful islet of Ona, with its bare rocky landscapes and picturesque lighthouse, is still home to an offshore fishing community of about 25 people…
Nordland
A long way from anywhere – it's 40km south of Namsskogan, which is, in turn, 125km south of Mosjøen along the Arctic Highway – the Namsskogan Familiepark…
Tromsø
This Arctic-themed attraction provides a multimedia introduction to northern Norway and Svalbard. Kick things off by watching the two panoramic films:…
The Western Fjords
Spectacular wooden stave churches get all the attention around here, but this little gem of a medieval parish church built of stone shouldn’t be…
Stavanger
This beautiful church is an impressive but understated medieval stone cathedral dating from approximately 1125; it was extensively renovated following a…
Oslo
The highlights of a visit to Oslo Cathedral, which dates from 1697, are the elaborate stained-glass windows by Emanuel Vigeland (brother of Gustav) and…
Tromsø
Fittingly for a town that was the launch pad for many pioneering expeditions to the North Pole, Tromsø's Polar Museum is an old-fashioned romp through…
Ålesund
At the peninsula's western extreme, 3km from the town centre, this aquarium can consume a whole day. Be introduced to the North Atlantic's teeming…
The Northern Fjords
Kristiansund's old town lives on in a part of the island of Innlandet, with clapboard buildings that date back to the 17th century. The grandiose…
