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The-Joy-of-Travel

The land of Thor

With ever popular Viking-inspired series such as Game of Thrones and The Last Kingdom, it’s no wonder that Norway has become one of the most sought-after travel destinations of 2018.

It's a stunningly beautiful country with strong Nordic traditions and vast opportunities for exploration. For the luxury traveller, consider the small ship fjord cruises such as Tauck’s seven-day voyage from Bergen to Oslo. 

The adventure traveller can research GAdventure’s trekking itinerary, which follows in the footsteps of Leif Eriksson and traces the volatile Viking history. 

Insight Vacations offers many tours ranging from 13-29 days. Wonderfully immersive opportunities to learn more about this vibrant and culturally rich county.

Norway was voted “Best Place to Live on the Planet” in 2015. Well paying jobs, spectacular health-care and clean, fresh air were but three of the qualifications that placed them first out of 200 countries. 

The capital city is Oslo. Best known for it’s green spaces and wonderful museums and architecture, Oslo is also fast becoming an international destination for its eclectic summer music festivals.

Cosmopolitan coffee houses and a cutting-edge restaurant scene is putting a new twist on traditional Norwegian fare. There is so much more to sample than just aquavit and lapskaus.

The Royal Family of Norway is evident at its massive palace in Oslo where you can view the daily changing of the guard as well as the incredibly scenic King’s Road between Oslo and Trondheim.

An absolute “must do” is the Bergen Bana train ride from Oslo to Bergen. You’ll depart at 8 a.m. and your camera will begin a nonstop photo-op as the train roars over Norway’s mountainous centre. 

The barren, windswept heaths, glaciers, forests and raw rugged beauty will take your breath away. Your seven-hour journey will have you climb over 1,300 metres, go under 30 kilometres of snow sheds, cross over 300 bridges and traverse 200 tunnels.

Norway’s biggest claim to fame is her awe-inspiring fjords, a series of saltwater inlets that infiltrate her entire coastline and are home to a plethora of flora and fauna. They're a haven for hikers, climbers and mountain trekkers. 

The longest and deepest inlet is Sognefjord, which is home to the village of Flam. Accessible via the Bergen Bana train, Flam is a perfect jump-off point to spend a night enjoying the local culture and sampling the famous goat cheese “geitost."  

Sightseeing cruises depart at 90-minute intervals to explore the scenic inlets. Waterfalls, sheer rock walls, towering precipices and the inexplicable rawness of nature at its purest awaits.

Depart Flam in the morning to continue your way to Bergen. A World Heritage UNESCO city, Bergen’s colourful wooden structures are a picturesque backdrop to her rich heritage. 

There are year-round opportunities to visit Norway with dog sledding and snow-shoeing tours in the winter however most travel is during the peak summer months of July and August.  Euros are not accepted, and you will be expected to withdraw Norwegian krone from local ATMs. 

Norway will not disappoint.

This article is written by or on behalf of an outsourced columnist and does not necessarily reflect the views of Castanet.

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About the Author

Joy has long been a believer in the art of travel: the belief that a vacation is something to be anticipated savored and then long remembered as one of life’s great adventures. 
Website: thejoyoftravel.ca

You can contact Joy at [email protected].



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The views expressed are strictly those of the author and not necessarily those of Castanet. Castanet does not warrant the contents.

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