Norway / Kingdom of Norway – Let’s explore here
Norway is a Scandinavian country located in the North of Europe. Its coastline is comprised almost entirely of fantastic huge fjords and thousands of islands. Although the coast is stated as over 1,500 miles long, measuring around the fjords it measures almost 18,000 miles in length! The highest point is Mount Galdhøpiggen in Jotunheimen National Park, at 8,100 ft (2,469m) above sea level.
Because of Norway’s length and the fact that it crosses the Arctic Circle, it has a larger number of different habitats than almost any other European country.
For hundreds of years it was in a union with Denmark; later it was in a union with Sweden – until 1905. It’s incredibly resource rich and as a consequence it’s a wealthy country.
But more to the point, it is an ABSOLUTELY MAGNIFICENTLY STUNNING country! Just beyond words. There are not enough superlatives to describe it as you drive around! Everywhere you go is yet another gift of nature and yet another photo opportunity, it is staggering! If you’ve never been, go! You will not regret it!
Current travels
We’ve created a blog for our visit to Norway. You may find it helpful, and you may pick up some tips, or more likely mistakes not to make that we’ve made 😉
On our current road trip we travelled from Charlottenberg in Sweden to Sundvolden in Norway. We stayed in the Sunvolden Hotel, which is the oldest hotel in Norway (1648). The very nice receptionist was super keen to show us one of the original rooms in the restaurant – incredible!
We then went West towards the national parks and the fjords, which were just jaw-dropping! It took us an age to get to where we wanted, as we just had to keep stopping to marvel in the staggering views and take photos. We then travelled up to Inderøy in the fjord bay of Trondheim before moving onto the west coast and heading North across the Artic Circle up to Tromsø and the most northerly tip of mainland Europe – Norkapp.
Our initial trip to Nordkapp failed as all roads were impassable due to road closures and work on the main tunnels to Magerøya – the island that Nordkapp sits on. So we re-entered Sweden in a bid to see the country in sunshine!
We then travelled on to Finland. Never having been to the country, but clearly having seen fjords on TV, we were absolutely astonished just how incredible the country is – it really is a sight to behold. We met lots of interesting people and really improved our knowledge of this intriguing and beautiful country.
This is a more accurate map of the route that we took on our road trip through Norway.
Sundvolden – Kaupanger – Geiranger – Trollstigen – Mjelva – Inderøy – Arctic Circle Centre – Røkland – Bognes – Lødingen – Svensby nr Tromsø – Helligskogen. Aidejavri – Nordkapp – Lakselv – Darvunjarga
Our best places in Norway
Kongens Utsikt – The King’s view
Kongens Utsikt is a simply incredible viewpoint on the top of a mountain in Sundvolden. Not for the faint hearted, it’s definitely challenging, as it’s so steep from the outset. It’s about 6km in length. After 1 mile or so of steep uphill from the outset at the Sunvolden Hotel, it mostly levels out at the top of the mountain, leading to a viewpoint that is simply out of this world – a MUST SEE! Getting back down enables you to discover muscles in your legs and hips that you didn’t know you had – unless you’re super fit of course!
Kaupanger
Great little sight right on the fjord – fantastic views! Amlasden Fjordcamping.
Mjelva
Great little camp sight at one end of the Troll road – Melva camping!
The troll road
Possibly the best road in the world? Definitely one of them! It takes you from the Geiranger fjord right the way through a cascade of fantastic view posts to Melva. If you want the exact road coordinates, please contact us.
What currency do they use in Norway?
In Norway they use the Krone. The use of credit / debit cards is now widespread, although not guaranteed – have some cash just in case, particularly in café’s and restaurants and some smaller supermarkets. Traveller’s cheques are accepted in major cities. There are lots of ATMs.
You should make yourself aware of the amount that your bank charges you for using credit and debit cards abroad. Often credit cards are cheaper for purchasing items directly, and for withdrawing cash from ATMs.
What language do they speak in Norway?
They speak Norwegian in Norway, although more than 9 in 10 people can also speak fluent English. German, Spanish and French are also spoken, although to a much lesser extent.
What time zone is Norway in?
Remember, when you’re planning your next trip to take a look at what time zone it’s in.
Do I need a visa to visit Norway?
We’ve created a dedicated, more comprehensive page on visas, which you should find helpful. Check it out!
What’s it like to drive in Norway?
We’ve also created a dedicated page to driving abroad, which you might find helpful 🙂
Is wild camping legal in Norway?
Yes, wild camping is fine in Norway.
Is it safe to drink water in Norway?
Yes, it is safe to drink tap water in Norway. Bottled water is also readily available across the country.
If you’ve got some awesome pictures, or some useful info that you’d like to share, let us know!
And don’t forget to check out all the other pictures!