When most people sit down and start to brainstorm where they want to travel in the world, Norway is often not a place that first comes to mind. People immediately think of Caribbean islands, popular European countries, South East Asia, or maybe Australia. It’s really unfortunate because Norway is easily one of the coolest, most beautiful, and exotic travel destinations in the world. People think that this northern Scandinavian nation is just a cold pile of rocks thats sparsley populated. While it certainly gets cold in the winter, the summer months are very appealing due to the moderate weather. More people live in New York City than the entirety of Norway. But despite is small population and remote location, Norway enjoys a high standard of living, it’s home to incredible cities, and is consistently ranked as the happiest nation in the world. Clearly Norway has a lot to offer, despite it being considered somewhat of a hidden gem. So what makes Norway so incredible, and why should you travel here?
Photo from visitnorway.com
5. Its location
I already mentioned this a bit above, but Norway’s location by its very nature makes it a hidden gem. Norway is located on the western part of Scandinavia which makes it very unique. While the southern most tip of the country is somewhat close to the majority of Europe, it’s still far away enough that makes it an exotic destination. So while Norway does experience many European influences, it is still very much a location that you would consider to be “out there”. This is especially true for the central and northern areas of the country. Additionally given Norway’s high latitude and relative close proximity to the Arctic Circle, the country experiences pretty extreme daytime changes in relation to the seasons. From November to January, daylight hours are very short and in some northern territories the sun basically never rises. However during the rest of the year, it’s almost always daytime, with some parts experiencing as much as 20 hours of daylight each day. This makes for a truly unique experience, and if you come during the summer months, you can get the most out of your trip as the sun is practically always in the sky. While the winters are cold in Norway, the spring and summer seasons offer extremely pleasant weather that fluctuates between 60°F and 80°F so it’s truly very beautiful here.
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4. The culture and people
While Norway has always been a fairly isolated nation, it has a rich culture and a friendly population. There are some nations in the world that are fairly unwelcoming to outsiders, foreigners, and travelers but that is not the case for Norway. As I have previosuly mentioned, Norway has been rated as the happiest nation on Earth for many years in a row, so it’s not like the people are mean or anything. Far from it actually. Norway, like most Scandinavian nations, is an extremely progressive, liberal, and accepting place in general. Their citizens enjoy a high standard of living, and this means that the cities and towns are very beautiful and clean. Additionally something like 90% of Norwegians speak English, so don’t sweat it too much over the language barrier as there practically is none. In general, Norway is extremely inviting and progressive which makes it a great travel destination.
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3. The cruises
While plenty of people want to take cruises to the Caribbean, Norway is actually a major hot spot for cruises. The country is home to a few cruise liners, and given its geographical location, there are plenty of different cruises to be had in Norway. Additionally not only are these cruise ships some of the best in the world, they are also fairly affordable. People don’t pick Norway as their first destination to travel to, so since its a hidden gem, you can get fairly competitive prices on luxury cruises. It’s also great to take a cruise during the summer months here, because that means you can party for 20 hours each day given the fact that the sun never really sets.
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2. Year-round “winter” sports
I put the word winter in quatations as Norway is one of the few locations in the world where you can participate in activities like skiing, snowboaring, and snowmobiling year-round. So while those sports are typically considered “winter” sports, in Norway they are “year-round” sports. There are plenty of mountains whose base has a premium resort and lodge that enjoys the temperate summer weather, yet at the top of the mountain you’ll find snow. If you’re someone that likes to participate in these activities, Norway is honestly one of the best locations to visit. Again, since the quality of life in Norway is so high, you’ll have plenty of luxurious resorts and destinations to choose from. The entire sport of skiing can actually trace its roots to Norway, and if you have to quench your itch to rip up some mountains during the summer, Norway is a great spot to do so.
Photo from senjalodge.com
1. The fjords and the scenery
Out of all the various reasons to come and visit Norway, the counties fjords and landscapes are arguably the most appealing. Created by glaciers that carved out the lands millions of years ago, fjords are only found in a few countries with the ones in Norway being arguably the most beautiful. If you are an outdoorsy person that wants to travel somewhere exotic, Norway is an incredible place. The terrain is truly unlike anywhere else in the world, and the countries fjords extends for hundreds of miles. Since the country is also fairly remote, you can enjoy this incredible nature in relative levels of peace and comfort. The Norwegian fjords and the outdoors are one of the last undisturbed parts of nature in the world, and all it will take is a quick look at a few pictures, and you’ll quickly realize why so many people love to travel to Norway.
Photo from visitnorway.com
