Holidayhomes in Norway

Norway is situated in the northwestern corner of Europe, surrounded by the Barents to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the west and the North Sea to the south. To the east lie the countries of Sweden, Finland and Russia. The kingdom of Norway also includes the Svalbarg (Spitsbergen) archipelago and the volcanic island of Jan Mayen in the North Atlantic Ocean. Norway is a beautiful and fascinating holiday destination. Because of its location, Norway has an extremely varied landscape. You'll find rugged high mountains, rolling hills, vast forests and deep lakes and fjords. Nature is still mostly untouched. Colorful wooden houses lie happily on green slopes and provide the landscape with additional atmosphere.

Southern Norway is quite varied and diverse and consists of the counties of Telemark, Eastern Agder and West Agder. The archipelago, with its beautiful beaches, is ideal for water sports. Just behind the coastal forests begin the mountains of the southern Norwegian interior, also called the kingdom of the moose as it has the highest moose density in the world. The main cities of southern Norway are Kristiansand, Arendal and Risor. Eastern Norway consists of the provinces of Oslo, Akershus, Østfold, Vestfold, Buskerud, Hedmark and Oppland. In the heart of eastern Norway lies the capital of Oslo, at the head of the Oslo Fjord. Oslo is a unique European capital as it is surrounded by a hilly and wooded natural area (called the Oslomarka) twice the size of the city of New York. Oslo is a vibrant city oozing with fun - on the street along the harbor, in cafes, parks and shops. Oslo is a city among nature, with numerous parks, lakes, forests and hills lying within city limits.

The area around the Oslo Fjord is one of the oldest inhabited regions of Norway. Thus not surprisingly many relics from the Viking period have been found here. The main findings consist of Viking ships found at Oseberg and Gokstad. These are now on display at the Viking Ship Museum in Oslo.

Almost nowhere else in the world can you find fjord shores like those in western Norway. The ice age carved deep bays into the coastal mountains, some of which reach up to 200 km inland. The most famous fjord is Geiranger Fjord (a UNESCO world heritage site). It is wedged between steep mountain walls up to 1000 meters in height. But Norway consists of more than mountains, fjords and unspoilt nature. Coastal culture is reflected in the art of boat building and a history of trade between coastal towns. In Norwegian architecture, the wooden stave churches are a special phenomenon. The provinces of Fjord-Norway are Rogaland, Hordaland, Sogn og Fjordane and Møre og Romsdal, with the most important towns being Bergen, Stavanger and Ålesund. In central Norway you will find one of the most famous Norwegian national parks, Dovre. Dovre is the only region in Norway where musk oxen can be seen. This is also a great place for hiking. Further east lies Roros, a beautifully preserved mining town that is on UNESCO’s world heritage list. Here you will find many large and fast flowing rivers. Along the coast there are fjords and islands with idyllic fishing villages, lighthouses and harbors. The mountainous and wet inland of central Norway is not very touristy, but is very suitable for a fishing, canoeing or rafting holiday. The provinces of central Norway are Sor-Trondelag and Nord-Trondelag, the main cities being Trondheim, Roros and Namsos.

Northern Norway is divided into the provinces of Nordland, Troms and Finnmark. The bulk of this sparsely populated area lies above the Arctic Circle. Characteristic of this area is the vidda (tundra), the North Cape and the region of the Sami with their reindeer herds. Here you will find an extreme contrast between summer and winter. The landscape is varied and consists of hills, mountains and vast open areas. In between there are large rivers with waterfalls and forests. Fjords penetrate deep into the country. Off the north Norwegian coast there is a large archipelago, with the districts of Lofoten and Vesteralen which are among the finest in Norway. The major cities of northern Norway are Bodo, Tromso, Alta and Hammerfes.