Norway in winter: whales, fjords and northern lights

In 2017, the UN recognized Norwegia to be the happiest country in the world, as follows from the World report on happiness. And this despite the fact that winter reigns in the country for more than six months, and the sun comes only for a few hours. But the Norwegians do not lose heart, but do everything possible for an interesting and comfortable winter in their country, including tourists. We tell you what to see and what to do in winter Norway.

Flight hotel

1. Walk along Oslo

Photo: Vichie81 / Shutterstock.com

The weather in the winter in the capital of Norway is warm and wet, the temperature rarely drops below minus 7 degrees. Do not be surprised if it rains in January. But Oslo is a compact city, and for several hours enough to slowly study the center.

On the main street – Karl Yukhan, there are a town hall Oslo, where they are awarded the Nobel Prize (once a week, free excursions are arranged in the town hall),

The Royal Palace, the National Gallery with the famous work of Edward Munk “Scream”, a pier where local fishermen sell newly caught and cooked shrimp. Near the marinage there is a building of a new opera with a sloping roof, which can and should be up to. This is a favorite resting place for Norwegians-a panorama of the city center and a view of the islands of Oslo Fjord with bright wooden houses opens from the roof.

On the Aker-Bryugg embankment, you can see moored ships and try national cuisine in one of the restaurants. You can study national catering in the gastronomic center “Mathallen”. Here they sell food from private Norwegian manufacturers.

Next to the embankment is the Askerskhus fortress with the Museum of the Armed Forces, which is dedicated to the country’s military craft from the Vikings to the Second World War. Fans of history should look at the Vikings museum and the Kon-Tiki Museum, dedicated to the navigator to Tour Heyerdal. A partially restored legendary wooden vessel was installed here, on which he crossed the Pacific Ocean along with the team.

Photo: Efesenko / Shutterstock.com

If you are in Oslo for the first time, stock up on hot drinks and, despite the weather, go to Vigeland Park. More than 200 sculptures of a person from granite, bronze and cast iron are exposed in the open air. They show different states of people: emotions, relationships, classes, for example, such as struggle or dancing. The park operates all year round, and the entrance to it is free.

It is convenient and profitable to move around the city and visit museums with the OSLO Pass card – it gives the right to visit more than 30 museums for free and use any public transport.

2. View winter fjord

Photo: Shutterstock.com

The most famous fjords-Nerley Fjord, Sogne-Fjord, Luse-Fjord, Heyranger Fjord-are located on the western coast. In winter, the climate is soft here, and there are much fewer tourists than in summer. Thanks to the warm gulfstream, the fjords are usually not covered with ice. But the number of cruises and sightseeing ferries in the cold season is greatly reduced, and sometimes the flight is canceled due to bad weather. Due to a short winter day, excursion ferries leave in the early morning.

In winter, it is easier to go into a nervous-fjord voyage-this is the narrowest fjord in the world, the sleeve of the Big Sogne-Fjord. In 2005, Nerei-Fjord was included in the UNESCO World Heritage List. Its length is 18 kilometers, from all sides the fjord is surrounded by steep mountains, on the slopes of which there are cozy villages. Tourists are offered to try the Norwegian brown goat cheese.

You can look at the fjords from a height from the observation deck of Stegastin above the eurlan fjord. She protrudes from a cliff at a height of 650 meters at 30 meters. The site is open all year round. You can get to it from the tourist village with FLL.

3. Take a ride along one of the coolest railways in the world

Photo: Shutterstock.com

The National Geographic Flomes Railway included in the top ten of European travels, and Lonely Planet Traveller recognized her as the best railway travel in the world.

The train for an hour lifts passengers from the tributary of the Sogne-Fjord in the village of FLL to the Murdal station at an altitude of 867 meters above sea level. Outside the window during the trip there are all classic Norwegian landscapes: from the fjord and its valleys to the snowy peaks past waterfalls and mountain rivers. The Flomo railway has one of the coolest slope in the world: 80 % of the highway goes under a slope of 5.5 %.

You can climb the Murdal station along the Berggen railway from Oslo. In Mürdal, you can transfer to the Flomsk branch and go down to Flla to the Fjord (more about the Bergen railway, you can find out on the website www.nsb.no).

4. Ride on mountain skis or snowboarding with a view of the fjords

Photo: Shutterstock.com

Skiing is Norway’s national sport. Local residents are proud of the ski, the 2010 Olympic champion Axel Lund with a pig, and one of the first skills in the world of Sondre Nurheim, who in the second half of the 19th century invented skis mounts. The invention made skiing comfortable and became the prototype of modern models.

Ski resorts are located in Norway everywhere, but the most popular is skating in the Fjord region. The mountains here rise from blue, not freezing water to a height of almost 2,000 meters. This region will be especially liked by enthusiasts of embankment.

Large ski resorts in the Fjords area are located in the OSS, Murkdalen, Sirdal, Sogndal, Sogne-Fjord, Wandfjell and the Alpapass region (in the last ski Pass gives the right to use lifting in nine resorts). Almost all resorts have ski schools.

Photo: Shutterstock.com

You can ride on the slopes in Oslo. The Trivann Winter Park with the tracks is located 30 minutes from the city center. It is easy to get from the capital to large resorts in East Norway: Jotunheim, Tryusil, Hemsedal, Lillehammer (here in 1994 the winter Olympics took place, and you can stay at the resort at the ice hotel: to sleep at a temperature of –3 to –7 degrees on an Arctic bed, under a cozy sheep)

Nurefel and others.

It is worth going to the north of the country for the sake of skiing at sea. But the climate there is more severe – on average the temperature drops to –20 degrees, and there are frosts under –40.

Among the locals in Norway, another type of active rest is also common: a one -day trip with a small margin of provisions: a hot drink in a thermos, chocolate and sandwiches. Contact local travel agencies to organize such a vacation.

5. Cross the polar circle

Photo: Shutterstock.com

To cross the Northern Polar Circle, go to Cape Nordkap – the northern point of continental Europe. Here, only the ocean and the Spitsbergen archipelago will be separated from the North Pole.

Thanks to the Gulf Stream, the climate on the cape is soft: in winter, the average temperature is 3 degrees, but sometimes drops to –15. From November 21 to January 21, polar nights come in the region and the sun does not rise above the horizon. But this does not interfere with the development of tourism: in winter, they ride dogs and deer teams, snowmobiles, observe the northern lights and go to the subcularly fishing for local lakes.
The Cape North Cape Hall operates on the cape all year round.

6. visit Lofoten Islands

Photo: Shutterstock.com

The islands are also located behind the polar circle, in the Norwegian Sea. Lofotins go to the species of harsh polar nature, over the northern lights and in original fishing villages with bright houses.

On the islands you can stop in a traditional fishing hut – Rorbu and try the local dish – Törrfisk. This is a dried cod, caught during spawning.

There are many traces of the Vikings on the islands. Archaeologists have discovered the largest dwelling here – in length it has 83 meters. The find was restored and made a living museum out of it.

7. See the northern lights

Photo: Shutterstock.com

Norway is considered one of the best places for observing Aurora Borealis (Aurora Borealis – the Latin name of the northern lights). In the northern regions of the country, the polar radiance regularly appears in the sky, and the soft climate and developed infrastructure make the “hunt” for it accessible and comfortable.

The belt of the northern lights covers the territory from Lofoten Islands to Cape Nordkap. A popular place among tourists is the city of Tromso. This is the largest city in North Norway, immediately behind which untouched nature begins. Tromso offers many diverse tours behind the northern lights, including snowmobiles.

Aurora Borealis is observed in Norway from the end of September to the end of March. It is believed that the probability increases in dry cold weather. You can track forecasts through the Norway Lights application.

8. Look at the most powerful stream of water in the world

Photo: Shutterstock.com

Next to the Norwegian town of Budyo in a narrow strait between the two fjords, you can see the strongest tidal current in the world – the whirlpool of the Salisturum. The stream of water rushes in a narrow strait at a speed of 40 km/h and encounters an indeed, as a result of which deep funnels are formed with a diameter of up to 12 meters. This phenomenon is repeated every six hours. Travel agencies make up a daily schedule depending on the phases of the moon. The Salisturum is observed from the bridge that connects the shores of the Fjord and passes over funnels. Especially brave tourists go on a boat to powerful funnels, but this is dangerous entertainment.

9. See the tunes in wild conditions

Photo: Shutterstock.com

In winter, in Norway, you can see whole packs of whales right from the shore. From October to February, killer whales and hunchbacked whales are fesching with small fish in the cold waters of the Lofoten Islands, often jumping out of the water. The closest to the shore they are approached by the Westeroline archipelago, which is located north of the Lofoten. It is better to contact a travel agency and sail a few kilometers from the shore in a boat to see giant water animals nearby.

The author of the text: Denmark Gaisina