Norway - Land of Fjords

With thousands of kilometers of extremely irregular coastline, the ocean is never far in Norway. In many places, deep fjords reach far into the interior of the country. No wonder that Norwegians feel a strong relationship with the sea. Through the centuries it provided them fish, today it’s the primary reason for Norway’s wealth through offshore oil & gas.

Stories

Water droplets in marvelous patterns on the high tundra

Evey once in a while you encounter something in nature that you cannot comprehend. During a norwegian hike I noticed something weird right next to my feet.

The Microcosmos of the Rondane

The Rondane is a mountainous area in central Norway. Besides low shrubs, not much seems to be growing here, but if you take a closer look, a microcosmos appears right under your feet.

The hike to Steindalsbreen

The Lyngen peninsula is dominated by a 90km long mountain range, often referred to as the Lyngen Alps. The glaciers in the area offer magnificent hiking opportunities.

Besseggen - Hike amongst giants

The spectacular views on the mountain ridge Besseggen make it one of the most popular hikes in Norway. Each summer, some 60.000 visitors walk the ridge in a strenuous 6-8 hours hike.

The hike to Lamlitinden (Hadseløya)

The island Hadseløya offers magnificent hiking opportunities, like the beautiful hike to Lamlitinden.

Kjenndalsbreen

Just like other glacier arms in Europe, Kjenndalsbreen has shrunken significantly over the recent years. Though, the magnificent drive along Lovatnet still makes a visit a wonderful experience.

Lovatnet and its dramatic history

A view at Lovatnet makes you feel like you just entered a fairy tale. Azure waters, steep mountains and glaciers, waterfalls, and lush green vegetation seem to create the perfect picture. The valley is also the gateway to the Kjenndalsbreen and Bødalsbreen glacier arms. The fertile valley has attracted farmers for centuries and it’s known to be inhabited as far back as the fourteenth century. but the tranquil appearance of Lovatnet hides a rather grim history. Steep mountain slopes create a risk of avalanches and rock slides, and just that has happened quite a few times in this valley.

The Lyngstuva shipwrecks

The rocky northern cape of the Lyngen peninsula is notorious for its strong tidal currents. Many ships have ended their journey here prematurely, and two of the shipwrecks can easily be spotted at the cliffs of Lyngstuva.

Aurora in September

The Northern lights, or Aurora Borealis, is an amazing light show that forms when electrically charged solar particles enter the earth’s atmosphere and collide with gases like nitrogen and oxygen. The lights can be observed around the magnetic poles of the northern and southern hemispheres. (the phenomenon at the South Pole it is called Aurora Australis). An aurora usually consists of green-blue light, though there can be shades of purple or even red.

Haukelifjell

Haukelifjell is a mountain and a mountain pass in Telemark, South Norway. The road E134 across the pass connects Oslo with Haugesund on the west coast. Haukelifjell borders the Hardangervidda, a vast mountain plateau at 1200m-1400m. Generally, the road is open throughout the year, but with the highest point at Haukelifjell (1085m), the road is sensitive to severe snowfall and may close sporadically.

Briksdalsbreen

Briksdalsbreen is one of the most-visited glacier arms of Jostedalsbreen. It is set in Briksdal Valley, at the end of Oldedalen Valley. In high season, the path to the glacier can get pretty crowded, with a tourist train taking the cruise ship visitors up and down the hill. There’s even a souvenir shop.

Austerdalsisen

Svartisen is the largest glacier of Northern Norway, part of the Saltfjellet-Svartisen National Park. It is not nearly as crowded as the glaciers in Southern Norway and the area offers very nice hiking opportunities.

Sea eagles of the Lofoten

Nordland has a large population of white-tailed eagles, or Sea Eagles, which are present all year round. The majestic birds of prey are the lagest birds of prey in Norway and can have a wingspan of up to 2½ meters. The sea eagle is a protected in Norway and most Western European countries. At some point in the 1970s only 500 breeding couples were left in all of Western Europe. Fortunately, the population bounced back and Europe now has 9.000 to 12.000 breeding couples. A large portion of that lives in Norway.

Nordic engineering

Despite the elaborate network of ferry services, overland travel in the land of fjords is pretty time-consuming. Road construction in the rugged coastline of Norway has always been a challenging job, but the Norwegians never stop to improve their road network.

The decline of Bødalsbreen

Jostedalsbreen is the biggest ice mass in continental Europe. Its glacier arms stretch into many of it’s surrounding valleys. Often they are named after those valleys or villages nearby. Bødalsbreen is one of those glacier arms, at the north side of Jostedalsbreen, though in the last decade it lost some of its dramatic appearances.

Låtefossen

Driving on Route 13 between Odda and Skare, it’s impossible to miss the beautiful roadside waterfall Låtefossen. The twin waterfall is 165m high, the photo shows the cascades of one of the two parts. The waterfall is fed by melting water from the Hardangervidda plateau, so its flow is highly influenced by the season, with spring and early summer seasons having the biggest flow.

Senja in September

A Rough coastline, barren mountains, farmlands and forest, and tiny fishing villages; the island Senja has everything that makes Norway fantastic.

Viewpoint Snøhetta

The viewpoint Snøhetta combines the beauty of nature with Norwegian architecture. The shell of steel, wood, and glass makes a warm shelter at 1200m and gives a beautiful view on Dovre-Sunndalsfjella National Park. The valley in front of the pavilion is a former artillery range of the Norwegian Armed Forces. The area is now cleared and given back to nature. The highest mountain of Dovrefjell, Snøhetta (2286m), completes the view in the background.

The ferries to Scandinavia

If you’re traveling by car from mainland Europe to Scandinavia, the various ferry services are a good option to get there. There are several carriers providing services, with DFDS, FjordLine, StenaLina and Color Line being the most important companies. The ferry lines each have their character, emphasizing for example on speed, or luxury.