Svalbard
One of the most intriguing sites in northwest Spitsbergen is Virgohamna, on the bleak, gravelly island of Danskøya, where the remains of several broken…
Must-see attractions in Norway
Central Norway
This national park, 17km southwest of Lom, is one of Norway's best wilderness destinations. It has a network of hiking trails leading to some 60 glaciers…
The Western Fjords
It's a picturesque run of 21km or so up the Lodalen valley to reach this offshoot of the glacier, perhaps the least visited of the four main tongues. The…
Longyearbyen
Having opened for business in 2015, Svalbard's very own brewery makes the very quaffable Spitsbergen IPA, Spitsbergen Pilsener and Spitsbergen Pale Ale –…
The Far North
Hard up against the Swedish and Finnish borders, Øvre Dividal National Park is a remote, 750-sq-km wilderness area rich in woodland, high-country views…
Longyearbyen
Museum is the wrong word for this impressive exhibition space. Themes on display include life on the edge formerly led by whalers, trappers, seal and…
Svalbard
On the west coast of Spitsbergen, the oddly shaped, 86km-long, 11km-wide island of Prins Karls Forlandet is a national park set aside to protect breeding…
Central Norway
Lillehammer's stunning metal-and-glass art museum looks like a spaceship that's landed in the middle of town. It explores Norwegian visual arts from the…
Vesterålen
The town's landmark red lighthouse, automated for many years, opened in 1859 and still shines on. To climb its 40m and 148 steps, arrange a guided tour…
Trøndelag
The lovely Stiklestad Church was built in 1150–80 above the stone on which the dying St Olav reputedly leaned. The original stone was believed to have…
Bergen & the Southwestern Fjords
This 13th-century stave church's wooden cross, according to local legend, sweats every midsummer's eve; the sweat is said to have healing powers. The…
Bergen
KODE 3 is all about Edvard Munch: overall, the collection here is arguably even better than Oslo's Munch Museum. The rooms are fabulously intimate:…
Bodø
At Kjerringøy, some 40km north of Bodø, the entrepreneurial Zahl family established an important trading station in the 19th century. The trading post…
Bergen
Reopened in 2017 after two years of renovation works, this impressive museum makes a good place to start your explorations of KODE's collection. Two new…
Sofienberg, Grønland & Tøyen
This monographic museum dedicated to Norway's greatest artist, Edvard Munch (1863–1944), houses the largest collection of his work in the world: some 28…
The Northern Fjords
You'll have seen that classic photo somewhere, beloved of brochures, of the overhanging rock Flydalsjuvet, usually with a figure gazing down at a cruise…
Ålesund
For the best view over Ålesund and its fishhook-shaped peninsula, as well as the mountains and islands beyond, head up the 418 steps to the summit of…
Stabbursnes Naturhus og Museum
Western Finnmark
The Stabbursnes Naturhus og Museum serves both the Stabbursdalen National Park and Stabbursnes Nature Reserve. It sells field guides, maps and fishing…
Oslo
This private art museum contains works by Joan Miró and Pablo Picasso, as well as assorted impressionist, abstract, expressionist and contemporary…
Longyearbyen
This fascinating private museum houses a stunning collection of artefacts, original newspapers and other documents relating to the history of polar…
Austvågøy
Given the view, it's little wonder owner Cathinka Mæhlum was inspired to set up a workshop and gallery beside Kabelvåg's pretty harbour. Drop in to admire…
The Northern Fjords
Petter Aune set up this operation, where freshly caught Aukra salmon are smoked with pure local wood and herbs, after tiring of the poor quality…
Austvågøy
Here at 'Englishman's Wharf' is the open studio and gallery of three talented local artists: potter Cecilie Haaland, wildlife photographer and guide John…
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…
Austvågøy
This fabulous art gallery inhabits an arresting, restored 1950s factory with a changing cast of cutting-edge temporary art exhibitions. The design shop at…
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…
Aker Brygge & Bygdøy
This folk museum is Norway's largest open-air museum and one of Oslo's most popular attractions. The museum includes more than 140 buildings, mostly from…
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…
Vesterålen
Nyksund's small museum contains a number of local artefacts and before-and-after photos that chart the village's transformation. Then again, the whole…
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),…
