Norway [2022]

“No bad views.”

Norway is a country absolutely plagued with natural beauty. Fjords, mountains, glaciers, lakes, valleys - It has it all... This is one country to which we will definitely return for more hiking, outdoor rock climbing, and troll hunting!

Pre-trip Notes

Transportation
- Trains
  - Oslo airport -> Oslo Central Station: Got tickets for this at the airport - cheap and very easy!
  - Oslo Central Station -> Stavanger S.: Booked this one in advance, as we heard it’s the most cost-effective option. You can pay at the station or onboard, but it will be more expensive. There is a snack bar (did not open until noon), but it has very limited options. If we hadn’t run out of time, we would have bought food and beer in advance!
- Oslo trams: Downloaded the Ruter app and easily booked tickets as we needed them to get around the city.
- Boats
  - Commuter ferries: We didn’t have a pass for using the one car ferry that we took in the Stavanger area. So, we followed the instructions to pay by using the website ferrypay.no.
  - Bygdøyfergene (Oslo museum ferry): The first time we took it, they didn’t ask for tickets. The second time, the credit card machine wasn’t working. The third time, well, we paid on the boat. Apparently, you might be able to get cheaper tickets somewhere near City Hall.
  - Hurtigruten Coastal Cruise (Bergen -> Tromsø): In hindsight, we should have used it only as hop-on hop-off transportation. In any case, you get to see some of the most scenic views of the fjords. As for the excursions, they were nice but absolutely not worth the price.
- Wheels
  - Car rental (Stavanger -> Bergen): They are very strict on pre-rental damage reporting. We took an hour, in the rain, to document all damage not previously reported (including small dents and scratches) so we wouldn’t be charged for it later. We’re glad we did, because it looked like the previous renter drove it through a forest. Anyway, make sure you complete the due diligence, because car rental is expensive in Norway and they will get you on damages.
    - There are occasional speed cameras (especially in the tunnels) that are labeled, so watch your speed because tickets can also be very expensive.
  - Taxi: Only ever used one in Tromsø. We couldn’t get the app (Taxifix, previously Tromsø Taxi) to work (verification code/text wouldn’t go through). You can hail them curbside or give them a call for a ride (+47 03011).
  - Bus: Took a bus in Stavanger to get from the train station to the airport (to get a rental car). To get a ticket was a bit confusing, so we suggest you ask the information desk at the station to find out where to get tickets and which platform to take. We ended up taking a train/bus combo, the latter having about 30 stops but honestly it went quicker than we thought it would.
Luggage
- Radical Storage (previously Bagbnb): Used this to hold our luggage between the Airbnb checkout time and the Hurtigruten check-in time so we could explore Bergen for the day.
Other
- We had no idea about the Vinmonopolet (alcohol monopoly), which only allows the government-owned retail stores to sell liquor above 4.75%. Alcohol sales also close early. We tried to buy beer one evening around 8 pm at a 7-Eleven, and the beer-specific refrigerators had chains and locks on them.
- Drinking and driving: An obvious no-no at all times, but know that if you are ticketed for the offense (>0.02%), you’ll be looking at a fine based on your personal income/salary.
- Generally, things close early in Norway, despite the midnight sun.
- Money: We didn’t need cash once. Everything is electronic, and we didn’t have any issues using our credit cards

What We Did

Oslo

Oslo Opera House: We didn’t go inside, but the exterior is a very open, walkable space great for views, most notably She Lies by Monica Bonvicini, as well as the common bathers/swimmers.
Munch Museum: Amazing place! There are so many great works by Munch here. Some of the more famous works at the museum include: Madonna, Love and Pain, The Kiss, Jealousy, and The Scream. There are three versions of The Scream at the museum, but only one is shown at a time. We saw the lithograph version, and we learned that the most famous version was painted on cardboard! There is a dedicated room for Munch’s largest pieces (originally created for the University of Oslo), for which they had to install via a slot in the side of the building (The Sun, The Human Mountain, The Researchers). Our favorite part of the museum, however, was the Satyricon (death metal band) & Munch exhibit. It’s a dark room lined with Munch pieces while Satyricon plays in the background. It was so unique; we loved it. There is also a new and interesting sculpture outside of the museum called Moren (The Mother) by Tracey Emin.

Klatreverket Torshov climbing gym: Our new favorite thing to do while traveling is going to the local climbing gym if we can’t get to the crag. Norway is well-known for its gyms and climbers, and this place didn’t disappoint! It has massive walls, as well as smaller rooms/sections for top rope, auto belay, bouldering, and training. We hardly ever boulder, and their bouldering walls are taller than we are used to. So, we decided that’s how we wanted to spend our time. We liked it so much we visited twice.
Emanuel Vigeland Museum: Gustav Vigeland is Norway’s most treasured sculptor. However, instead of visiting his works, we opted to see his younger brother’s mausoleum, because it looked particularly disturbing. It takes time getting used to the very dark hall, but once they adjust, you begin to see the massive wall paintings comprised of naked women, children, death, and sex.

Fram Museum: This place had a lot more meaning for us after having visited Antarctica. The Norwegian explorer, Amundsen, was the first to reach the South Pole (also the first to reach the North Pole by airship, which he did because he thought it had already been reached overland, later to be disputed). The Fram Museum contains so much information on him and his expeditions, as well as several other Norwegian explorers (Nansen is another notable one). The biggest (literally) highlight of the museum, however, is the Fram ship itself! You can walk all around both inside and out, and they even have sound/video playing on the walls outside the ship that make you feel as though you are sailing through a storm yourself.
Oslo Cathedral: We didn’t go inside, but we walked past to see the Devil of Oslo, which is an interesting sculpture found among the ruins of St. Hallvard’s Cathedral. The cathedral was built in 1697, but the Devil of Oslo is about 900 years old. There is also a memorial in the form of iron roses (Jernrosene) honoring the victims of the Oslo terrorist attack in 2011. The roses are located in the garden adjacent to the cathedral, and the project was initiated by Tobbe Malm with the help from well-wishers around the world.
Det kongelige slott (The Royal Palace): We visited a few weeks before it was open to go inside, but it is a cool place to walk around and take pictures of a few statues, including the central statue of the French-born king of Sweden and Norway, Charles III John, who ruled during the 1800s. You can also see a few members of His Majesty The King's Guard.
Rådhuset (City Hall): Before visiting the actual building, we indulged in the courtyard’s slackline - very fun! As for the city hall, the red brick frame may not be so interesting, but the facade has other intriguing elements (sculptures and a clock). Unfortunately, the interior was closed due to a religious holiday (there are supposed to be amazing artworks by several Norwegian artists). However, outside we were able to enjoy the wooden friezes by Dagfin Werenskiold, which depict ancient Norse mythology. Our favorite was a story about a man who was punished by the king by having his hamstrings cut and making him create jewelry. As revenge, the man killed the king’s sons, used their eyeballs in jewelry and made their heads into cups, which he had sent to the king as a gift. Metal.
Akershus Festning (Fortress): Free to walk around the exterior (we didn’t go inside), which was a great thing to do on a beautiful, sunny day (best spot is hanging out by the cannons out front). There was one interior aspect we could view for free, which outlined some of the history of Queen Margaret, who was responsible for uniting Norway, Sweden, and Denmark at the end of the 14th Century.
Nobel Peace Center: This wasn’t originally in our plan, but we’re really glad we visited. The museum outlines the history of Alfred Nobel, as well as the history of the prizes (physics, chemistry, physiology/medicine, literature, and peace). Nobel was an inventor, (hundreds of patents), writer, and peace advocate with his most famous invention being dynamite. The Nobel Peace Prize is awarded in Norway, and the 2021 winners (Filipino and Russian) have fought for trustworthy new sources in countries controlled by government propaganda (more than other countries anyway…). The museum also has a hall of winners (ipads on metal rods), where we were surprised by just how many American presidents have received the award (Wilson, Teddy, Obama, Carter). There is also a room holding the first Peace Prize won by a Norwegian. The prize’s design was created by the beloved Norwegian sculptor, (Gustav) Vigeland.
Norsk Folkemuseum (The Norwegian Museum of Cultural History): Large open-air museum established at the end of the 19th Century. The property includes lots of different historical cultural buildings from all over Norway (mainly farm- and storehouse-related). The crown jewel is the Stave Church from Gol, which is about 800 years old. The church actually came from a town that “no longer wanted it,” and it requires coating with pine tar every couple of years as maintenance.

Stavanger

Sverd i fjell (Three Swords): Created by Fritz Røed, the monument memorializes the Battle of Hafrsfjord when Harald Fairhair united all of Norway in the 1st Century. The swords are huge!
Stavanger Cathedral: Closed for renovations…rude!
Gamle Stavanger: We didn’t go to the area, but we could see some of it from afar. These old houses (18th Century) are supposed to be one of the highlights of Stavanger.
Kjerag: The iconic, scary-ass boulder wedged between two cliffs. And, we got on top of it… The hike took us ~5 hours total, including about 45 minutes at the rock itself. The hike was moderate to difficult with lots of chains to help with the scrambly bits. At the top, we even saw some crazy wingsuit base jumpers!
- To get there, we took a ferry from Lauvvik at 5:55 am to Lysebotn (parking at the terminal in Lauvvik was free). The ferry ride was incredibly beautiful! From there, we took a shuttle with SBK Base right there at the Lysebotn ferry terminal to get to the trailhead. You can only get there by car, as the switchbacks up to the trail are narrow and also include a tunnel.

Preikestolen (Pulpit Rock): ~5 hours, as well, but not as challenging as Kjerag. We also took our time. It was super foggy, and we opted to take the Hill Trail when the route bifurcates near the top. The Hill Trail goes through a beautiful valley full of massive boulders and lush plant life. At the top, we mozied to get in line for the iconic cliff picture. Then, we took the more popular Cliff Trail back to the start.
- Parking was 250 NOK for the day

Langfossen: We did this hike on our way to Odda, and it took us about 4.5 hours. We went past the “top” of the trail and continued on past the open field, pasture cabin, and streams. There are a couple of cabins much further up the way that are part of the Norwegian Trekking Association that runs over 550 cabins that range from no service, self-service, to staffed. These were built to encourage recreational outdoor adventure. How cool!

Visited friends: Visited with a previous Abu Dhabi neighbor at his house for BBQ, as well as a fellow AUH4 Hasher at a restaurant downtown.

Odda

Airbnb: We stayed in an Airbnb on the fjord, so the views were absolutely stunning. We definitely recommend staying here!
Trolltunga: In total, the hike took us 7-8 hours. The hike itself is not that difficult, but it is long and the elements can make temperature control difficult. We constantly found ourselves putting layers on and taking them off as it sometimes rained, then it would be pure sun, followed by high winds trudging through the snow. But, we really enjoyed it. The views are so worth it!
- We opted to start at P2 parking (The “true start;” 500 NOK; you can pay at a machine when you get there), which began with about 4 km of paved switchbacks to P3 (600 NOK (pre-pay) + toll to get from P2 to P3). We started walking at 6:30 am and were offered a ride at about the second switchback, and we gladly took it. What feels more like the “trailhead” starts at P3 anyway (it’s just a boring paved road to get from one parking lot to the next). This easily saved us 1.5 hours. We didn’t hitch a ride back down, so the switchbacks added about 45 minutes to get back to P2 from P3.
- Words of advice: In early-mid June, there was still a good amount of snow/slush. So, waterproof shoes are a must. Even our hiking boots were soaked by the end. We saw people walking in tennis shoes, and some sporting shorts. Bring some layers just in case! Also, start early in the day to ensure you get a parking spot and to give yourself plenty of time for the hike.

Flåm

Flåmsbana: Beautiful, scenic railway originally built as a link to the Bergen line. You can take it one-way or get the roundtrip ticket (Flåm to Myrdal and back). It passes several waterfalls, one of which includes an amazing performance by a dancer representing Huldra, the creature in Norse mythology who lures men into the forest and mountains. With the spray of the waterfall and dramatic music, it was epic and really unique!

Bergen

Fløibanen (funicular): You can hike to Mt. Fløyen, but our feet were tired from four days of hiking. So, we tried the funicular. Just a few minutes’ ride to the top, you’ll find a handful of trails around the mountain. We saw that canoeing was available on the website, but weren’t available when we were there. It may have been due to the dense fog, which seems to be a common occurrence, so be aware your views at the top might not be “great.” We still enjoyed walking around for a couple of hours.
Bryggen: A cultural area at the heart of Bergen, which was originally built in the early 1100s. However, several fires have plagued Bergen, most notably a fire in the early 1700s, which destroyed Bryggen. The area was rebuilt, and very few of these later “originals” remain. The buildings are now used as a museum, as well as several shops.

Hurtigruten Cruise (Bergen -> Tromsø): Overall, we enjoyed our time but didn’t find that the excursions were worth the cost. If we could do it again, we would only use the cruise as a means of transportation and relied on ourselves to figure out what to visit at each port.. However, there is no other way to see some of the most incredible views of/in the fjords other than by taking the boat.

Geirangerfjord: It is very large and we were able to enter the fjord, which was rightfully declared a UNESCO world heritage site. We also visited the Ørnesvingen Viewpoint, walked around Gudbrandsjuvet (network of bridges over a river/waterfall system), drove past a Viking bridge (but didn’t stop…), visited Trollstigen Camping & Gjestegård for Norwegian treats at Trollstigen Drift, and ended the day with views of and drove down Trollstigen Pass (Trollstigen Rest Area for pictures; 11 hairpin turns in the side of the mountain).

Trondheim (cycling): We biked around the city for a few hours. We saw the Emigrant Monument - Leiv Eiriksson Statue, Rockheim (rock music museum), Nidaros Cathedral, Old Town Bridge (beautiful view of colorful houses along the river), and the bike assist escalator (not working that day).
Arctic Circle: Monument (Globe) on Vikingen Island representing the Arctic Circle, at which point the ship blared its horn in triumph (lol).
Svartisen Glacier: Beautiful glacier that has unfortunately receded dramatically in the last decade. From the ship, one 45 minute drive and 20 minute ferry ride got us to Engen Café. From here, you can drive, walk (what we did), or bike (book in advance on the ferry) to Brestua and beyond. We didn’t have much time to explore, so we went as far as we could, climbed a few rocks, and returned to the cafe. On our way back to the ship, we drove over the Salstraumen current (one of the strongest tidal currents in the world!).

Lofoten Islands: This one was almost entirely by bus (Stamsund -> Svolvær), which was disappointing since the Lofoten Islands are known for their breathtaking views (we got out at one photo stop). We drove by (did not stop) the Lofotr Viking Museum (Viking Longhouse, which is the largest ever found!). The longhouse was discovered when a farmer (not long ago) found Viking pottery while tilling his land. This was significant, as it was not thought Vikings lived that far north. The excursion ended with a fishing village museum (Lofotmuseet). It’s not the best fishing museum of the Lofoten Islands, but scrambling up the rocks nearby was really great with nice views!
Trollfjord: We boated around this fjord around midnight. The water was like glass and the views were stunning.

Tromsø

Polaria: We didn’t go in, but we at least stopped for some photos. The architecture is really cool, and they have some polar exploration information boards outside for reading.
Ishavskatedralen (Arctic Cathedral): Very unique church, inside and out. Beautiful stained-glass wall behind the altar.

Tromsøbrua (Tromsø Bridge): We walked it once - much wind!
Fjellheisen (Tromsø Cable Car): Expensive, tbh. But, the views at the top are amazing. You can see the entire island and the surrounding snow-capped mountains. It’s such a beautiful area. We walked around for about an hour and marveled the garnet-mica schist lying about (shiny gold-colored rocks).
Tromsø arktisk-alpine botanisk hage (Arctic–Alpine Botanic Garden): Our favorite thing in Tromsø! The plants/flowers/trees are so unique. And, it’s the most northerly botanical garden in the world. Highly recommend!

Tromsø Klatresenter AS climbing gym: Unfortunately, we didn’t get to spend much time here, so we mostly auto-belayed and top-roped. Auto belays are not common in Norway, let alone ones this tall. So, we were advised to test them before climbing to the top (lol). All the routes we tried were really nice and much different from what we were used to in Abu Dhabi.
Charlottenlund aktivitet- og friluftspark (Charlottenlund Recreational Park): We walked back to our Airbnb through the park. It has a very peaceful, open trail.
Mizuno (Midnight Sun) Half Marathon: Our favorite half so far! The route started at 10:30 pm and was an out-and-back from City Hall to the airport, surrounded by snowy mountains. It was unreal, and temperatures were great (~45*F or 8*C). As the name suggests, the sun never set by the time we finished (sometime between midnight and 12:30 am).

Food