Norway, situated on the western seaboard of Scandinavia in Northern Europe, borders Sweden, Finland, and Russia. With one of the longest coastlines in the world, snowy peaks, Norway is most famous for its breathtaking fjords. The capital and largest city of Norway is Oslo. Oslo’s city hall, Rådhuset, features paintings, tapestries, sculpture, and woodcarvings by Norwegian artists such as Edvard Munch, Per Krogh, and Dagfin Werenskiold. Another site in Oslo is Vikingskiphuset which is a museum containing Viking burial vessels, one of which contains remains which are believed to belong to the viking queen, Åse, and her personal slave. Oslo is also famous for its medieval architecture as well as its modern architecture, churches, and many art and viking museums. Vigeland Park and Akershus Fortress are also common tourist destinations in Oslo. Norway is known for the natural beauty that is encompasses. This is apparent in the wild forests, ancient architecture, its breathtaking fishing villages, and the midnight sun in the Arctic. Tourists who come to Norway are considered nature lovers as this is the main attraction of Norway. Norway has a temperate with hot summers and cold, cloudy winters. The highlands in Norway experience an Arctic-like winter with severe wind chill and snow. The coastal areas experience heavy rain in the winter, but generally milder temperatures.
Norway has a fairly low population with a mere 4.6 million people in its populace. The official languages of Norway are Bokmål Norwegian and Nynorsk Norwegian, although most people speak Bokmål Norwegian. English is spoken in Norway as well as Sámi and Finnish. In Norway it is considered impolite to drink before the host makes a toast. When visiting a Norwegian in their home, it is customary to bring a small gift. Casual dress is acceptable for everyday wear, but when attending social functions or going to a fancy restaurant, formal-wear is expected. Tipping in restaurants is customary with amounts up to 5%. Smoking in public areas in generally prohibited.
Bergen is famous for its fjords. The fjords can often be reached by boat or by cable car depending on which vista visitors wish to see. Bergen also has many museums, galleries, medieval period architecture, and an aquarium. Other areas known for its fjords are Fjordland which has Geirangerfjorden, which is a beautiful S-shaped fjord and Sognefjord, which is the the longest and the deepest fjord in the world. Nærøyfjord is also a great place to visit, being the narrowest branch of the Sognefjord and location of the Jostedalsbreen glacier.
Many major European airlines operate in Norway. Most flights come into Oslo International Airport as it is the largest airport in the country and is located 30 miles outside of Oslo. For those interested in reaching Norway by sea, there are ports in Bergen, Kristiansand, Larvik, Oslo, and Stavanger which regularly have passengers coming in from the UK on ships operated by Fjord Line and DFDS Seaways. Traveling to Norway by rail is another popular option as Norway is a part of Europe’s extensive train network.
For those who are residents of EU countries, duty free items include 200 cigarettes or 250g of tobacco products and 200 leaves of cigarette paper and one liter of spirits and one liter of wine or two liters of wine and two liters of beer as well as 50g of perfume or 500ml of eau de toilette, and any gifts, food, fruit, medication and flowers for personal use with a value no more than 3500kr. For those who are residents of non-EU countries, duty free items include 400 cigarettes or 500g of tobacco products and 200 leaves of cigarette paper, one liter of spirits and one liter of wine or two liters of wine and two liters of beer and two liters of beer as well as 50g of perfume or 500ml of eau de toilette, and any gifts, food, fruit, medication and flowers for personal use with a value no more than 3500kr
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