Norway offers a large variety of holiday experiences. As a tourist you can choose everything from traditional museums to modern adventure centres and unique and exciting natural attractions. Whether your special interest is historical sites, geology, flora or fauna, you will find places to expand your knowledge while you are visiting. This variety gives you the wonderful freedom of choosing exactly the holiday experience you are looking for.
Norway is a country of rich and diverse natural landscape that provides a fantastic setting for outdoor activities. It also offers excellent facilities for indoor sports. Enormous variation and undreamed of possibilities are the hallmarks of an active holiday in Norway. You can hike in untouched mountain areas, meeting almost no one, or join a group for a walk on a glacier. You can travel by horseback, bicycle, canoe or on foot. Sample nature's bounty by picking wild berries or mushrooms - or try your luck at fishing. Be tempted by the swirling clean water and choose from a wealth of different water activities. You may find it surprising that the Norwegian countryside is accessible to everyone, but the right of public access is guaranteed to everyone under Norwegian law. An active holiday outdoors or indoors? Check out the possibilities on the following pages.
Norway is a winter country and the home of winter sports. Morgedal in the county of Telemark is the cradle of skiing, and Norwegians still maintain that they are born wearing skis. Interest in skiing is great, both as a competitive sport and as a popular leisure activity. There are networks of ski trails all over the country, prepared by local ski associations. And even when darkness falls, people are found out skiing on the many lighted trails for both downhill and cross-country skiing. Ski jumps are also widespread, but these are normally only accessible to the experienced. Don't think, however, that you must be able to ski in order to enjoy winter Norway. Dog sledding, sleigh rides, tobogganing and snow scooters are only some of the many alternative ways of having fun in the snow. And in the far north - in the land of the Sami - reindeer sledding is a common activity in the winter snow.
Whether you enjoy hiking in steep mountains, in deep forests, or along quiet forest trails and byways, it is possible in diverse Norway. Well-marked roads and trails in the mountains, forests and other natural areas make it easy for even the least experienced to find their way. The landscape is varied and so are the hiking possibilities, and thanks to Norway's right of public access, most places are open to you as a hiker.
If you would like to see something besides woods and mountain scenery and are looking for a completely different hiking experience, glacier walking is an exciting alternative. Or, if your preference is for hiking with a cultural context, then walking a nature trail or a pilgrim way might be the choice for you.
Welcome to Norway-an escape from the ordinary! Here is a country of contrasts, with breathtaking scenery so varied it never ceases to amaze. Here you can witness the wonders of the shifting landscape, from beaches to flatlands and lush open fields. You can explore deep forests where sunbeams filter through the leaves giving a glimpse of the trolls and goblins lurking behind the pine trees. Or feast your eyes on the famous blue-green fjords, cutting a swathe through the mountains into the heart of wonderland Norway-it's a fairy tale within your grasp. In summertime, it is the land of the Midnight Sun; in winter, the land of the Northern Lights.
While Norway is known for its nature and fjord-lined coastline, it has more to offer than breathtaking scenery. Norway is also fun and excitement; walking in the footsteps of the Vikings; riding on a reindeer sleigh; hiking, biking and paragliding; or just sitting back and enjoying one of the world-class cultural events.
In year 2000, cultural events and festivities are especially abundant as Bergen is celebrated as a Cultural City of Europe and Oslo celebrates its 1,000-year anniversary. Never has there been more to see and do in Norway than this year! The full schedule of events for both cities can easily be accessed online.
The Norwegian Tourist Board's official website: www.visitnorway.com can help you plan your trip, find discounted accommodation and transportation, give hints on shopping and dining and much more that can add to your vacation experience.
Norway beckons! It welcomes you to a memorable, scenic journey through a rich cultural and historical heritage. You'll have plenty to write home about! We hope that our website will inspire you to embark on an exciting voyage through this country of contrasts.
Select exactly the components you want in your vacation. You choose your hotel, room category -from sea views to suites-, rental car, private transfers and customized sightseeing tours. We do it all! Our Virtuoso Travel and Cruise Consultants will create the Norway vacation you have always dreamed of.
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