Norway is easily one of my favourite travel destinations of all time. I have been to this country multiple times, with my earliest excursion in 2008 and my most recent in 2017. I have visited areas such as Stavanger, Bergen, Oslo, Geiranger and Tromsø, discovering that each has its own individual charm and vibe.

Stavanger & Trondheim

This trip took place in the spring of 2012. I was travelling with a friend of mine and we started the trip in Stavanger, moving on to Trondheim (via flight) after a couple of days. My highlights from this trip were visiting the majestic Nidaros Cathedral in Trondheim and going on a boat tour to the Lysefjord near Stavanger (see photos of these below).

The Nidaros Cathedral was built around the year 1070, and is part of the Church of Norway denomination. It has one of the most impressive façades that I have ever seen on a cathedral, and for this alone I would recommend paying a visit. I remember that photos weren’t allowed inside, which was a bit of a shame, but understandable, and I honestly wish that I could remember more from this visit, as my memory fails me a bit! Hopefully my photo below does it some justice, and you can see what I mean by its imposing stature.

Our boat tour to the Lysefjord is a memory that will stay with me forever. The scenery on this tour was absolutely stunning, and we were fortunate enough to have a completely clear and sunny day, so visibility was great. We even saw a seal or two on this trip, as they tend to frequent this area – this was an unexpected delight! Another unexpected treat was the opportunity to sample some waterfall water – you cannot beat fresh mountain spring water! This is a recommended activity if you happen to visit the Stavanger region – just make sure to go on a nice clear day!

The Norwegian Fjords (Bergen, Geiranger & more)

I embarked on a cruise to Norway with Princess Cruises in the summer of 2013. This was predominantly a fjord based cruise, however we did also stop by in the city of Bergen, also known as “the gateway to the fjords”. I remember that typical to Bergen, it was raining the whole time we were there, therefore we stayed inside for most of this particular excursion! Whilst I did not get enough time to properly explore Bergen (it seemed nice, but we only had half a day or so here!), the fjords alone were more than worth visiting.

The Geirangerfjord impressed us the most – a vast expanse of lake surrounded by dramatic, rugged mountains. It was here that we had a little wander up the hill (despite me being ill at the time!) and took some amazing photos looking down to the lake below. As this is one of the most visited tourist sites in Norway, it can get very busy, especially when the cruise ships drop off their passengers for the day. We found this to be a bit overwhelming at first, so a wander away as far as possible from the hubbub of the crowds around the lake and facilities was top of the agenda. Enjoy some photos of the scenery below, as my descriptions alone won’t do the place justice!

Geirangerfjord gallery

Oslo

This trip took place a few years later, in the winter of 2016, where I stayed in central Oslo for several days. The weather was freezing cold most days (around 0 degrees c or less), but there were plenty of indoor attractions to keep me warm! Before I move on and whilst on the topic of freezing cold, did you know that some of the main walkways in central Oslo are heated from underground, so that ice and snow cannot settle on them, saving people from nasty slips and falls? Sounds crazy, but is really genius!

Being the capital city of Norway, there are museums aplenty to visit in Oslo. Ones that I paid a trip to and would recommend in particular are the Norsk Folkemuseum, the Nobel Peace Center, the Holmenkollen Ski Museum, and the Munch Museum. See below a selection of photos from these different museums.

Although I am afraid of heights, the Holmenkollen Ski Jump has some of the best panoramic views over Oslo. I had to conquer my fears, at least for a little while! Looking down the ski jump gave me the serious heebie-jeebies, and I cannot understand how anyone in their right mind could release themselves down this terrifyingly steep slope! I took some awesome photos up here though, and I wish that I had a better camera (phone!) at the time, so that I could have taken some higher quality photos!

Tromsø

In the winter of 2017 I stayed for several days in the centre of Tromsø, in the arctic circle. This was by far my most “magical” trip to Norway, since this was where I caught my first glimpse of the northern lights! As with Oslo, it was bitterly cold (and in fact colder than Oslo!), with the sun often not rising high enough to be seen during the day. There was some form of daylight from about 10am in the morning, and it got pitch dark at around 2pm in the afternoon – a bit of a shock to the system if you aren’t used to arctic living!

For this trip I was staying in the Clarion Collection Hotel Aurora, which was a decent sized, standard chain hotel complete with a mini spa area, but best of all, an outdoor hot tub! It was in fact from this hot tub one evening that I first caught sight of the northern lights – another experience in Norway that I will never forget.

On the topic of the northern lights, on this holiday I also took a tour of the northern lights in a Tesla Model X. The official tour company’s photos came out a lot better than mine, however mine were still pretty decent, and showed the dramatic and ethereal atmosphere that captivated us all up a blizzard swept hill! If you ever plan to visit Tromsø, I would recommend one of these tours – they are not cheap, however they offer some of the best views from the best known vantage points around for the northern lights. One small downside was that our Tesla decided to malfunction once we reached our destination, and the doors got stuck open whilst it was blowing up a blizzard around us outside! This issue soon fixed itself, but it was a bit of a disconcerting experience, as I am sure you can imagine!

And that concludes my whistle stop tour of Norway! I would love to hear your thoughts, and whether you would visit one day – which region would you visit and why? I am also happy to answer any questions on my experiences in the country – ask away!