Overview to Norway: Travel Guide and Tourist Information
Clinging to the very top of Europe, Norway’s long, thin stretch of land shares many similarities with South America’s Chile. And, like Chile, with its breathtaking natural landscape, Norway is a country to be savored over long periods of countryside adventure and personal discovery.
Well-known as one of the more expensive places to visit, this financial burden can actually into the backpacker’s best interests. Whilst the capital Oslo is undoubtedly an attractive and friendly place, a trip out into the countryside also sees cheaper prices and a whole lot of fun.
From the rural south to the windswept north, Norway consistently caters for activity travel and outdoor pursuits. There’s skiing, fishing, rock-climbing, trekking and mountain-biking around just about every (mountainous) corner.
Jotunheimen's majestic mountains are ideal for committed trekkers, while the vast majority of the country is perfect for long-haul cross-country skiing come winter. In the summer months, mountain biking opportunities are plentiful, especially in one of the many National Parks.
However, it’s the fjords that make up the most iconic of Norway’s many striking landscapes. Miles and miles of mountain-clear straits and inlets, flanked by snow-covered peaks, offer the visiting explorer with an experience like no other.
Many chose to access the area via train from Oslo, or use the pleasant city of Bergen as a convenient base before plunging on. Catching a ferry from Sognefjord to Balestrund is equally viable,and allows the passenger to experience the (slightly eerie) serenity of the fjords.
The sheer, empty calm of these areas mean travelers can explore the country without seeing another soul. And that, in the end, probably accounts for Norway’s particular appeal; with 70,000 feet of land to every person, this really is a place in which to lose yourself.