........ and as you can understand I am so enthusiastic about my home
country that I am not able to be objective in the thoughts and information I
share with you in this case. But anyway also I hope you understand by reading
this article why I got these strong inspirations.
Photo. Lofoten Nordland,
North
Norway.
Man jumping in full enjoyment on
naked rock (photo number
092003-99#1472, photographer Terje Rakke/Nordic life / NTR - the
Norwegian Tourist Board www.ntr.no).
More reasons which explains why Norway is one of the most exciting tourist
destination in the entire world:
8. Base jumping from the Trollveggen, Andalsnes
(Åndalsnes).
Ready for a
free fall? Trollveggen is over 1800 meters in Romsdal. It's one of the world's
most beautiful mountain walls. For several years it has been very popular to
jump down the wall in a parachute. Base jumping come to Norway in the end of the
70s. It's recommended to take more than several hundred jumps in a parachute
before a person tries base jumping.
Base jumping means that you throw yourselves out from a permanent
infrastructure (the exit point) and lands with a parachute. BASE stands for
"Building-Antenna-Span-Earth". This is definitely the extreme sport that gives
you the ultimate "adreline" kick. Not everybody has survived, but the venture
activity is still going on in Norway. Take you time also to experience the
incredible beautiful and steep GOLDEN ROUTE: Geirangerfjorden - Trollstigen.
9. Svaldbard - the wildest nature and wild
life
Real adventurous
travellers go to the Svalbard archipelago in the northern part. Here you can
find seals, walruses and polar bears sun bathing on ice floes. It's no wonder
that Norway prizes its stunning natural wonders and retains a robust frontier
character unusual in Europe. Svalbard is an Arctic pearl in northern Norway. It
covers a group of islands. The largest islands are Spitsbergen, Nordaustlandet,
Barentsøya, Edgeøya and Prins Karls Forland.
There are settlements in Longyearbyen (Norwegian administrative centre) 1,700
inhabitants, Barentsburg (Russian mining community) 900 inhabitants, Ny-Ålesund
(Norway's international research centre) 40 inhabitants, Sveagruva (Norwegian
mining community) 210 commuters, Hornsund (Polish research station) 8
inhabitants. About 60% of Svalbard's land-mass is covered by small and large
glaciers. Only 6-7% of the land-area is covered by vegetation. The most fertile
areas are in the inner fjord-regions of Spitsbergen.
The Svalbard reindeer and the Arctic fox are found on most of the islands. A
species of mouse, a vole, has found its way to the Isfjord area, most likely as
stowaways on boats. The polar-bear is considered a maritime mammal as it spends
most of its life on the drifting pack-ice. A large number can be found on the
islands east of Spitsbergen. You should be prepared to encounter a polar-bear
wherever you are on Svalbard, so it could be an exciting experience to explore
Svaldbard.
10. Rafting and paddling down one of Europe's best and wildest rivers - Sjoa.
Rafting down the wild Sjoa River in Gudbrandsdalen is a WHITE WATER
experience you never forget. This is river which both gives and takes. The Sjoa
River is world famous for fishing, rafting and kayaking. Today the river has a
modern infrastructure for several water activities. Many international
competitions have been arranged in the area, and Sjoa is now probably one of the
most attractive rivers in Europe for extreme water adventures. Take an
adventurous trip with various sections: calm stretches, intimate canyons, and
exciting rapids.
11. Glacier wandering
Glaciers give clear indications of the fluctuations of the country`s climate. Glaciers can be defined
as a slow-moving mass of permanent ice.
|
Photo. One of Norway`s glaciers.
Walking on glaciers is a fantastic activity that puts you 10,000 years
back in time.
Here it's possible to explore a world of blue ice, deep crevasses,
miniature ice peaks and more. |
 |
In the Jostedalsbreen National Park, where glacier arms stretch down into
green valleys, you can view the largest glacier in mainland Europe at close
range, and join experienced guides on thrilling walks on the blue glacier ice.
The Jotunheimen National Park and the mountains surrounding the fjord are
also perfect for short walks, mountain hikes, climbing and skiing, and the
trails will lead you further, deeper and higher into Sognefjord's most
fascinating places.
Photos. Glaciers
in Norway - for thrilling walks around on timeless ice.
12. Cave wandering
Norway offers an unique opportunity
for an exciting UNDERWORLD EXPERIENCE . Caves in Norway have been
carved out by river over hundreds of thousands of years resulting in a maze of
spectacularly sculptured chambers and passage-ways. There is a surprise around
every corner. The caves offer everything from the physically easy but incredible
beautiful sections.
These tours could be quite challenging, and not for people who suffer of
claustrophobia. You can take the "scenic tour option", or go for the challenge
of the "find your own way out" route. Perhaps you meet Norway's underworld
creatures as trolls, gnomes and brownies as the world famous Norwegian author
Henrik Ibsen wrote about in the dramatic novel Peer Gynt.
13. Whale safari
Another fantastic wild life experience in Norway is Whale
Safari. Because of the short distance from Andenes to very deep oceanic waters,
Andenes is the only place in northern Europe where you can see the giant male
sperm whales on relatively short trips. Here you can encounter the world's
largest toothed whale just off the coast of the fishing village. The Whale
Center offers a unique combination of tourism, education and research. The Whale
Safari with an expert guide lasts approx. 3-5 hours.
The chance of seeing the whales is reckoned to be 90%. The Safari begins with
a guided tour at the Whale Center. A multi media show on whales and their
environment is shown several times a day. Research projects on living whales
have also been an important part of the Whale Center since the establishment.
Getting there: You can go to Andenes by air from Bodø or Evenes, by ferry from
Gryllefjord on the island of Senja (June-August only) or by highway Rv82 from
Lofoten. You can also take the local bus from Sortland to Andenes. The trip
takes 2hr 15min.
You are not only a spectator - you will also become part of
a natural phenomenon that is unique. Tysfjord is especially known for
its great concentration of killer whales that enter the fjord every fall.
The killer whales follow the spawning herring, which also every year has
come to Tysfjord in great shoals between October and January. Nature is
overwhelming north of the Polar circle. The days are short, but at night the aurora may
really light up the sky. Tysfjord is a municipality with distinctive features.
The area is impressive with its wild and beautiful scenery with deep fjords
and steep, majestic mountains. The mountains are spectacular and the fjords
abounding in fish of various species. Tysfjord is situated where Norway is at
its narrowest. From Hellemobotn and to the Swedish border there is only 6 km.
The county is a two cultural commune as it is center for the Lule-Sami
population in Norway.
14. Northern Light
Northern lights is the name of a light phenomenon often
seen in the northern regions. Of all naturally occurring heavenly phenomena, few
come close to a night with a magnificent northern lights display. Flickering
curtains of dancing light against the dark skies, northern lights is certainly
one of the most spectacular of nature's phenomena. Should you be outdoors one
evening during winter, take a minute and glance up at the skies.
If you're lucky
you might catch a glimpse of some flickering curtains of lights, apparently
dancing across the dark sky. This is the northern lights, a celestial phenomenon
that has amazed people for centuries (source: Nordlyssenteret - read more about
the Norwegian wonder: www.northern-lights.no).
15. The
waterfalls
Nine of the 20 highest waterfalls in the world are in
Norway. The waterfalls are among
Norway's
finest attractions, and many of them are found in the western part of the
country. The Seven Sisters fall into the Geirangerfjord, an
unrestrained, cascading veil of water and spray. The Vøringsfossen is the country's most famous waterfall
because of its magnificent sight. Its located on one of the main roads between
Norway`s two largest cities, Oslo and Bergen. But
if you find Norway`s secret places you are going to see some really beautiful
waterfalls.
Photos. Some waterfalls from untouched
Norway.
The
Mardalsfossen with its 297 metres of free fallholds the record for the highest
vertical fall in northern Europe
. For most of the year the water flows
through pipes, but from 20 June until 20 August the
raging torrents are released to delight the summer visitors from
the whole world.
It`s possible
to get close enough to many of the waterfalls to feel the spray on the
face. It`s also possible to walk underneath or behind some of them,
such as the Steindalsfossen waterfall in Hardanger and Storseterfossen waterfall
in Geiranger (source: Fjord Norway - read more about the
Norwegian waterfalls: www.fjordnorway.com).
Some other
attractions
Norway is the host for the world's
biggest football tournament Norway Cup in the capital Oslo, and it's also famous
for arranging long and high famous ski jumps in Holmenkollen arena in the same
city. Holmenkollen ski jump is still Norway's most popular tourist attraction.
Tusenfryd amusement park and Kristiansand Zoo are on top of the Norwegian
Tourist Board's list of the 50 most visited attractions too.
|
Photo. Holmenkollen ski jump. It`s popular
both in the summer and in the winter.
In the winter you can see ski jumping. The best jumps can be over 130
metres. Would you like to try? |
 |
The Vigeland Park, also called the Frogner Park, located in the capital Oslo, is Norway's
most visited attraction with over 1 million visitors each year. Here you can
admire approximately 200 sculptures by Gustav Vigeland (1869-1943), who also
designed the park.
| Photo. The Vigeland Park, also called the
Frogner Park, located in Oslo. |
 |
Would you like to meet the world's northern people?
Experience the wildest wild life? View and feel the thundering waterfalls,
beautiful fjords and calm mountain lakes? Go on polar expeditions? Practise you
favourite extreme sport in the best environments? Enjoy the world wildest party
life? Explore mysteries? Do you want to have a really good time and a memory for
life? Ready for an unique adventure in Norway?
Stein Morten Lund, 20 May
2004
Additional information
To find out more about Norway, please check out some of the following
web-sites:
- Norwegian Tourism
Board: www.visitnorway.com
- Information
about Norway: www.norway.org
- Oslo Promotion A/S
(tourism and congress information): www.oslopro.no
- Oslo
Teknopol: www.oslo.technopole.no
- Confederation
of Norwegian Business and Industry: www.nho.no
-
Nordlyssenteret - northern
lights: www.northern-lights.no
- Fjord
Norway - www.fjordnorway.com
- Fjord
Travel Norway, Bergen: www.fjordtravel.no
-
Norwegian Mountain Touring Association (DNT): www2.turistforeningen.no
According to DNT, the organisation
has for around 135 years shown the way to the most magnificent experiences of
Norwegian scenery. Walking or skiing trips give you time to look and space to
think. The Norwegian wilderness lets you experience freedom and solitude, far
from noisy roads and frenetic cities. Almost 200,000 of Norway`s 4,5 million
inhabitants are members of the organisation.
NT offers its members budget accommodation at over 380 mountain cabins all
over the country, plus a discount at privately-owned cabins and mountain lodges
incorporated in our route network. The buildings vary from two-bunk cabins to
the large staffed mountain lodges sleeping almost 200 people.
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