NORWAY
Norway is situated in Northern Europe with the breathtaking coastline.
Norway has been nominated many times in tourist inquiries as one of the most beautiful places in the world. Its the Norwegian Fiords, with its high mountains and sharp steeps that meets the ocean, that makes the beauty. Nowhere else in the world is there such a jagged and dramatic coast line like in Norway, and it has become world famous for it.
In Norway there are some museums with one of the best foundings from the Viking age. Among other - the famous Gokstadskeppet and Osebergsskeppet - two well preserved viking battle ships from A.D.850, and a burial ship, all can be seen at the Vikingskiphuset in the capital Oslo (in the area of Bygdoy). Another most remarkable sight is the famous Stavkirche in Vagamo, a church from the A.D. 1100-1200 built in wood with incredible wooden decorations and handmade crafts. In the north lies Nordkap with the Midnight Sun (its the most nortern point of Europe). Not far fram Nordkap lies the Islands of Lofoten where tourists can go on killer whale and whale safari.
VISA INFORMATIONS FOR TOURISTS
All visitors to Norway must have sufficient funds, or return or onward tickets, and any documents necessary for further travel. The borderless region known as the Schengen area includes the following countries: Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, The Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain and Sweden. All these countries issue a standard Schengen visa that has a multiple entry option that allows the holder to travel freely within the borders of all. Visitors must hold sufficient funds, return or onward tickets and all documents required for next destination.
Americans: United States passport holders must have a passport valid for at least period of intended stay. No visa is required for stays of up to three months in any six-month period.
UK nationals: British passport holders must have a passport valid for at least period of intended stay. No visa is required for stays of up to three months in any six-month period.
Canadians: Canadians must have a valid passport (must be valid at least for period of intended stay). No visa is required for a stay of up to three months in any six-month period.
Australians: Australians must have a valid passport (must be valid at least for period of intended stay). No visa is required for a stay of up to three months in any six-month period.
South Africans: South African passport holders require a visa for travel to Norway. South African visitors also need a passport valid at least two months beyond the visa expiry date.
Irish nationals: Irish passport holders must have a passport valid for at least period of intended stay. No visa is required for stays of up to three months in any six-month period.
New Zealanders: New Zealand citizens must have a valid passport (must be valid at least for period of intended stay). No visa is required for a stay of up to three months in any six-month period.
TRAVEL ATTRACTIONS AND THINGS TO DO
Vigeland Park
City/Region: Oslo
Vigeland Park is the city's most visited attraction, a vast green area of duck ponds, trees and lawns that is a monument to the celebrated Norwegian sculptor Gustav Vigeland, who spent 40 years creating the life-size statues that decorate the walkways and open spaces. There are more than 200 works presenting the human form in a variety of poses and conveying a range of emotions. At the center of the park is the most impressive piece, the Monolith, a gigantic mass of writhing bodies carved from a single column of stone, and believed to be the largest granite sculpture in the world at a height of 46ft (14m). Surrounding the column are groups of human sculptures in various forms of interaction with each other. The most famous and most photographed piece is the Angry Boy, a fat child stamping his foot. There are many more sculptures to be seen in the park and in the nearby Vigeland Museum, featuring a display on the development of the artist's work and his sketches and plaster originals.
The Kon-Tiki Museum
City/Region: Oslo
Situated on the Bygdøy Peninsula, the Kon-Tiki Museum contains the renowned balsawood raft, the Kon-Tiki, on which Thor Heyerdahl made his famous journey across the Pacific in 1947 to prove the theory that the first Polynesian settlers could have sailed the 4,300 miles (6,923km) between Peru and Polynesia. The museum also contains the original reed raft, Ra II, on which Heyerdahl sailed across the Atlantic in 1970. Besides the rafts there is a huge stuffed whale shark, artifacts from his expeditions and exhibits from his visits to Easter Island, and an intriguing collection of archaeological finds from Easter Island, Galapagos, East Polynesia and Peru.
The Viking Ships Museum
City/Region: Oslo
Situated on the Bygdøy Peninsula, the Viking Ship Museum houses three 9th-century Viking ships that were excavated from ritual burial mounds in the south of Norway. Their excellent condition is due to the clay in which they were embalmed. Viking ships were used as tombs for royalty who were buried with everything they might need in their life after death. The biggest and best preserved of the ships is the Gokstad, and the finest is the Oseberg, a richly ornamented dragon ship with an intricately carved animal head post, that was the burial chamber of a Viking queen. The elegantly carved sleigh used by the Viking royalty, and a hoard of treasure was found on the buried ship and is displayed at the back of the museum. Raised platforms allow visitors to view the inside of the ship's hulls.
Bryggen
City/Region: Bergen
Bryggen, the site of the old medieval quarter, is a charming, compact area of brightly colored wooden homes that once housed the city's merchants. Steep cobbled lanes are lined with a vivacious blend of cafes and artists workshops. The Hanseatic wharf area, with many buildings dating from before the 17th century, has been declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and is considered to be one of the most important examples of the civilization of a medieval settlement in the world. This was once the working area of the merchants and is the oldest part of Bergen, characterized by a maze of lopsided wooden buildings with pointed gables facing the harbor. The Bryggens and Hanseatic Museums as well as the 12th century St Mary's Church are all in the Bryggen area. At one end of the wharf is Bergen's famous fish market, a colorful market also selling flowers, fruit, vegetables and souvenirs.
Hanseatic Museum
City/Region: Bergen
The Hanseatic Museum is housed in one of the oldest and best-preserved wooden buildings in Bryggen, the former home of a wealthy merchant. Furnished in the 18th century style, it provides a glimpse of the working and living conditions of the Hanseatic merchants during the Middle Ages. The austere layout and maze-like rooms are saturated by the smell of fish and leave a lasting impression.
Bryggens Museum
City/Region: Bergen
The archaeological museum was built around the remains of the oldest buildings discovered in Bergen, dating from the 12th century, and the ruins have been incorporated into the exhibits along with excavated tools, ceramics and skeletons. The museum houses various artifacts and traditional costumes and imaginatively attempts to recreate life in the Middle Ages with displays of domestic implements, handicrafts, runic inscriptions and items relating to seafaring and trade during medieval times.
St Mary's Church (Mariakirken)
City/Region: Bergen
Bergen's oldest surviving building, the beautiful Romanesque stone Church of St Mary's, dates from the beginning of the 12th century. The interior is decorated with old frescoes and a splendid Baroque pulpit that was donated by the Hanseatic merchants in 1676. The twin towers of the church are distinctive among the low red-tiled roofs of the old quarter.
Tromsø Museum
City/Region: Tromsø
The Tromsø Museum is northern Norway's oldest and largest museum with exhibitions devoted to the cultural and natural history of the region. There is a comprehensive display relating to the traditional culture and music of the Sami or Lapp people and their nomadic, reindeer-herding way of life. There are also daily films in summer about the Northern Lights.
Arctic Cathedral
City/Region: Tromsø
The spectacular design of the white and ultra-modern Arctic Cathedral is visible from afar, situated on a small hill on an island linked by the spindly Tromsø Bridge. It is an architectural masterpiece, made up of eleven large triangular sections representing the eleven faithful apostles and symbolising northern Norwegian heritage, culture and faith. It bears an interesting resemblance to the Sydney Opera House in Australia, but its color and shape can also be likened to an iceberg. The cathedral has one of the largest stained glass windows in Europe, and the interior is decorated with grand chandeliers that are made up of many prisms of color and lights, representing hanging ice formations.
Polaria
City/Region: Tromsø
Polaria is an information and experience center for the whole family, combining interactive experiences with knowledge about the arctic environment. There is a panoramic film about the arctic wilderness of Svalbard, an Arctic Walkway that creates a snowstorm experience and the Northern Lights spectacle. The seal pool is especially exciting at feeding time, and an aquarium provides a close look at arctic sea mammals and life in the freezing waters.
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