Travel ideas and tips for a holiday in Northern Norway, where to sleep and where to eat, but above all which experiences and countries not to miss for a low cost trip to Norway.
Nature with a capital "n", the times marked only by her, throughout the year. In Northern Norway, geographically beyond the Polar Circle Article is more true than ever. That's why a trip to these parts is recommended 365 days a year. #NorwayTBnet
Going during the long winter you will enjoy the endless night, the darkness that makes you yawn all the time, but also the sunrises and sunsets of a mythical length. Too big a gift, you won't be able to limit photos and videos with all those bright colors.
THEsummer instead it will stun and disquiet with its perennial days and that “cursed” sun that will reach the horizon at most and then start to rise again, almost having fun not letting you sleep.
In the middle the seasons of passage, those of colors, which also in Northern Norway herald the awakening and the next hibernation, but which here are little gems of normality loved by all.
Here are a series of ideas for experiencing this area on the edge of the world, which is still easily accessible thanks to the many flights from Oslo and the various airports here.
Narvik
Why go to Narvik?
It is a town that in the past has had a lot of importance on a strategic level, its port inserted in Ofotfjord fjord it never freezes thanks to the Gulf Stream that reaches this area, and for this Narvik became important for all factions of the Second World War and here Germany saw the first lost battle of the war. A museum that will open in the coming weeks will testify to this historical period.
As for me in Narvik I recommend you to go during the winter for 2 reasons:
1. Il Narvikfjellet ski area, unique in the world of its kind. You can get off the track and arrive directly in the city, the track dominates the town, but above all you can ski looking at the sea. Let's say that this is a practically unique plus in the world.
2. In less than 15 minutes you go up to almost 700 meters and from there you overlook the port and the fjord and you will be in the ideal position to admire the Northern Lights if the evening is the right one. Precisely for this reason, experiences are offered in the various lodges located on the Narvik heights, including splendid nighttime snowshoeing.
All information can be found on the VisitNarvik website.
The Vikings
Are you a fan of Vikings and their saga?
Northern Norway is one of the main areas and here you can learn more about history and customs while remaining amazed at how far this people was ahead, even compared to many of our realities.
An example above all the role of the woman, by the Vikings fully equated to man, indeed as it should be considered, even more important since it gives life.
So you hear stories of female soldiers, women possessors and with powers over large territories and so on. A world that seems so ancient and instead more far-sighted and intelligent than ours.
In the Lofoten Islands, in the Bøstad area, the remains of a Viking house were found and on that ground in addition to creating a museum full of pieces that show Viking culture and their movements, a very active group allows you to relive the house itself, with copies of materials from the past. they can touch, use and in the case of food also eat.
These reconstructions often fall short of amusement park exaggeration, but in the case of the Vicking Museum he never exaggerates and all this allows us to better understand how a Viking lived and how he welcomed guests.
Whale watching
Andenes, a town at the extreme tip of the group of islands called Vesteralen, is the undisputed center from which to leave for a photographic safari to whale.
I put my hands forward, also in this case the best time is winter, in these months the herrings migrate inside the fjord called Andfjord and the large cetaceans (sperm whales) follow them closely, so going out to sea in this period is almost a guarantee of sightings.
The problem is always the weather, in the event of disturbances or strong winds the departures are canceled, but you can be re-entered into an excursion of the following days if you can stop.
Info and reservations on WhaleSafari.no
The world of stockfish in Svolvær
Let's go back to Lofoten and we do it to discover one of the riches of Norway in general, it stockfish. This large market has its center in Svolvær, a picturesque town wedged between fjords and mountains.
here from March to June they are exposed to dry thousands and thousands of cod, which will then become stockfish and will reach above all the tables of which country?
Yes, you guessed it: we Italians are the buyers par excellence, approx 80% of the stockfish Norwegian ends up in Italy.
Surely the scent (some call it stinks) of the stockfish placed on large triangular wooden structures is one of the attractions of Svolvær, a little less and above all more disturbing the heads of the fish also positioned to dry in the part below the structures.
However, everything is part of the culture and rituals that have been repeated for hundreds and hundreds of years.
Dispassionate advice: do not get lost one night in the Rorbu, typical fishermen's houses refurbished and equipped with every comfort and also a dinner based on stockfish and local specialties.
One idea for both experiences is Svinoya Robuer, a reality that has both accommodation and an excellent restaurant.
The above are just 4 ideas to entice you to a trip to these lands, but the possibilities are endless: trekking, climbing, towns lost in time and breathtaking landscapes, water everywhere that allows the mountains to mirror themselves, creating the illusions and mirages of the great North.
To get a general idea of Northern Norway the official tourism website is as follows: NordNorge.com
