Norway: Overview
The epic Kingdom of Norway, land of the midnight sun, is located in Northern Europe and it limits with Barents Sea to the north, with Russia and Finland to the northeast; with Sweden to the east; with the strait of Skagerrak to the south and with the Atlantic Ocean to the west.
This country of mountains, fiords and glaciers makes you think that some epic saga has come to life before your astonished eyes. But Norway is not only about ice, besides the western stunning fiords, it has sunny beaches, beautiful forests and extense farm lands.
Climate
The best time to visit this country is between May and September. End of spring’s weather is particularly pleasant and temperate, there are much more daylight hours, flowers and trees are in bloom and many tourist places and hotels are open. The natural phenomenon of the midnight sun indicates the beggining of summer, especially in the north of the Artic Circle. In Nordkapp, far north of the country, the sun doesn't shine from May 13th up to July 29th. Unless you are really interested on skiing during winter or seeing the Aurora Borealis in the polar nights, the cold and dark Norwegian winter is not the finest time for a visit, since most hotels and camping areas on the surroundings of the most important cities are closed.
Important information
Scandinavian citizens can enter Norway without a passport. Citizens from the USA, Canada, Ireland, the UK, Australia and New Zealand do not need visas for stays up to three months. The same applies to EU and EAA countries and to most of those of Latin America and Commonwealth.
The official currency is the Norwegian "krone" (NOK). Most hotels, banks and post offices change traveler's checks in euros or American dollars. The most used credit cards (American Express, Diners, MasterCard, Eurocard, Approves and Access) are accepted at the main hotels, gas stations, stores, restaurants and large warehouses. However, you can have some trouble when paying with foreign credit cards at pharmacies and supermarkets. Also with Visa and Access you can get cash advances from ATMs.
Citizens from countries belonging to the EU who are affiliated to Social Security in their own country are entitled to receive immediate medical asistance with all expenses covered in Norway. They are only required to present a Social Security affiliation certificate. Travelers coming from other countries should hire a medical insurance before their visit.
Where to go
Oslo, the capital and biggest city in Norway, is one of the most beautiful cities in Scandinavia and, in spite of its staid reputation, it has a great mixture of nature, culture and entertainments to offer to its visitors. Some of the places you must visit in Oslo are Karl Johan avenue, House of Viking ships, Polar Ship Fram, park Vigeland, Akershus Fortress, Holmenkollen’s ski slopes and the Museum of Arts and Popular Traditions of Norway.
Tromsø region is one of the best options if you what to enjoy a coast full of glaciers, cascades, fiords, valleys and mountains which are waiting for adventurers. Here is also the most Nordic university city in the world, where you can live a crazy night life. You should also visit the cities of Harstad and Finnsnes.
The city of Bergen, old but of a young spirit, is the "Door to the Norwegian Fiords". There are many places for you to enjoy, among them, you can go to Ulriksbanen Cable car, Mariakirken (St Mary’s Church), a 800 year-old building; Gamle Bergen Museum (Old Museum of Bergen), an outdoor museum which has 40 wooden houses of the 17th and 18th centuries’ Bergen; Bryggen (The Pier), a famous European neighborhood during the Middle Ages, inhabited by Hanseatic merchants; and Bergen Museum.
Stavanger offers a perfect combination of amusement and nature, you can choose among the night life, the picturesque pedestrian streets, the mountains and the sea. Also this is an ideal place to follow the prints of the past and visit the old part, the Main Church, the Archaeological Museum, the Preserves Museum and the Marine Museum, the ancestral house and museum Leedal and the galleries.
The city of Trondheim has been one of the most visited ones since the Middle Ages and it is at the moment the third most important city of the country. As well as Tromsø, this is an important university city, considered as one of the main technological centers in all Europe. Among the places that you must visit here are Nidaros’ Cathedral, the Museum of Folkloric Art of Trøndelag, Kristiansten Fortress and Stiftsgården. Besides this, you can make a ship trip through river Nidelven and the fiord, enjoying excellent views of the piers and the city or ride along the city in one of the 300 free bicycles that you can find in Midtbyen (downtown).
Festivals
The most important celebration in Norway is the Constitution Day that takes place on May, 17th. In this party Norwegians take the streets dressed with their traditional clothes. On midsummer’s Eve, generally celebrated on June, 23rd, people meet around bonfires in the beach. The lapps (inhabitants of Sami) organize colorful [Easter parties in Karasjok and Kautokenio which include reindeers races, "joik"(traditional songs) and concerts.
