VLDB 2005's Unofficial Guide to Norway

Norway is a rather big country (386,958 square kilometers) with a relative small population (4.5 million). Due to the sheer size of the country and also the somewhat unpractical organization of the land, it takes some time and a lot of travel to cover every place of interest. In the official tourist guides (links available at the tourist information page), you can find information about "everything". For those of you who want some starting points, we have gathered a small collection of outstanding destinations, which are presented from north to south.

Svalbard

Svalbard, a group of islands between 74 ° – 81 ° North and 10 ° – 35 ° East, is halfway between mainland Norway and the North Pole. The easiest way of getting to Svalbard is by airplane from Tromsø. The flight from Tromsø to Longyearbyen is approx. 1 hour and 35 minutes. SAS Braathens and SAS fly this stretch 7 – 9 times per week. Spitsbergen travel provides a lot of Svalbard information and offers a wide range of organized tours on Svalbard.

Nordkapp

At 71° north, Nordkapp (Cape North) is on the top of mainland Europe. With its massive walls reaching more than 307 meter above sea level, the North Cape Plateau stands only 2000 kilometers south of the North Pole.

Lofoten

Lofoten is the archipelago to the west in the ocean, north of the Arctic Circle, at the 67th and 68th degree parallels. Lofoten is renowned for its magnificent scenery and traditional fisheries culture, for the fishermen's "rorbu" cabins, the Northern Lights and the Midnight Sun. Amazing photos from Lofoten can be found in Lofoten photogalerie (the text is in German but the photos can be enjoyed without German skills). More tourist information can be found at Lofoten-info.

Røros

Røros (150 kilometers southeast of Trondheim) is an old mining town with soul and atmosphere. The complete town center is under a preservation order and is found on UNESCO's World Heritage List on line with other cultural treasures like the buildings in Versailles and the pyramids of Egypt.

Hurtigruten

Hurtigruten — The Norwegian Coastal Voyage ("The world's most beautiful voyage") from Bergen to Kirkenes along the west coast of Norway. The whole journey from Bergen to Kirkenes and back to Bergen again takes 12 days, but you are free to travel only parts of the journey. Every day, the northbound route arrives in Trondheim at 08.15 and leaves at 12.00, while the southbound route arrives at 06.30 and leaves at 10.00. Read more about Hurtigruten at cybercruises.com.

Ålesund

Ålesund (350 kilometers southwest of Trondheim) is internationally renowned for its Art Nouveau architecture. After a town fire in 1904 Ålesund was rebuilt in the distinctive architectural style with turrets, spires and imaginative ornamentation. The Atlantic Sea Park is one of Scandinavia’s largest saltwater aquariums and one of the most popular tourist attractions in northwestern Norway.

Bergen

Bergen is the kingdom's second largest city, with over 225 000 inhabitants and situated on the west coast of Norway. Popular attractions in Bergen are Mount Floien and the Funicular (Fløibanen), Mount Ulriken and the cable car (Ulriksbanen), Troldhaugen – The Home of composer Edvard Grieg. The old wooden buildings along the harbor front in Bergen, Bryggen, were placed on UNESCO’s World Heritage List in 1980. More information at Bergen – gateway to the fjords.

Lillehammer

Lillehammer (350 kilometers to the south of Trondheim) hosted the 1994 Winter Olympic Games. The city's biggest attraction is the Sandvig Collection at Maihaugen, which ranks as the largest open-air museum in Europe and houses 185 buildings plus more than 40000 objects. Lillehammer also hosts the Norwegian Olympic Museum.

Oslo

Oslo (500 kilometers south of Trondheim) is the capital of Norway and without competition the biggest city in the country. Oslo has a lot to offer. We would especially recommend the Viking Ship Museum, The Norwegian Museum of Cultural History, the Vigeland Park, the Munch Museum and the Ski Jumps in Holmenkollen.

Norway is a monarchy with King Harald V as the reigning monarch. Information about the royal family and the royal castle (photo) in Oslo can be found at the royal house of Norway.