Gjerstad is the kind of Norwegian countryside many travelers imagine but rarely take the time to find. Tucked between deep forests, clear lakes, and the Skagerrak coast just to the south, this small municipality offers a slow and very local slice of southern Norway. You get simple pleasures done well, like quiet hiking trails, swimming … Read more
Narvik is where steep mountains meet a deep blue fjord, where modern Arctic life sits right next to dramatic World War II history, and where winter auroras give way to summer’s endless light. Tucked into Ofotfjord in Northern Norway, it is smaller than Tromsø and quieter than Lofoten, which is exactly why many travelers fall … Read more
Bergen’s most famous skyline is not made by buildings at all. It is the ring of mountains that wrap the city, and the highest of them is Ulriken. Riding the Ulriken Cable Car is the easiest way to step out of the harbor bustle and onto a wind-brushed summit with fjord views, lichen-splashed rocks, and … Read more
The Flåm Railway is one of those rare journeys that feels like it was designed to make you slow down. It runs between the mountain station of Myrdal and the fjord village of Flåm, threading past waterfalls, high farms, and a valley that looks carved by giants. I grew up with these landscapes, and even … Read more
If you love rugged mountains, blue fjords, and a bit of industrial grit, the Ofotbanen railway delivers all of it in one ride. This short but spectacular line runs from the port city of Narvik to the Swedish border at Riksgränsen, where it connects with Sweden’s Malmbanan toward Kiruna and beyond. Built to carry iron … Read more
Vesterålen is the quiet, rugged neighbor to Lofoten, an Arctic island chain with long beaches, whale-rich waters, and mountain ridges that fold into tiny fishing villages. It is a place of big skies and even bigger weather, where the North Atlantic rolls straight in and sea eagles patrol the coastline. If you want the drama … Read more
Hammerfest sits on Kvaløya island in the windswept Barents Sea, an Arctic town with bright houses, serious weather, and a proud history of starting over. Locals will tell you it is among the world’s northernmost towns. Visitors come for wild coastline, grazing reindeer, and an easy blend of town comforts and raw nature. This Hammerfest … Read more
The Norwegian fjords are not one place, they are a coastline of deep blue water, knife-cut mountains, and quiet villages that feel both wild and welcoming. As someone who grew up with the fjords as weekend plans rather than bucket-list goals, I can tell you there are many good ways to see them, and a … Read more
Lillesand is one of those small Southern Norway towns that looks exactly like the postcard, white clapboard houses, bobbing boats, narrow lanes, and a calm harbor that glows in the evening light. Set between Kristiansand and Grimstad, it is a classic Sørlandet summer town, easygoing yet full of small discoveries for travelers who slow down … Read more
Røst is the far edge of the Lofoten archipelago, a low-lying scatter of islands where the sea rules the mood and the skies feel enormous. People come for puffins and other seabirds, for the stockfish heritage that ties these islands to Italy, and for the feeling of being small in the best possible way. Røst … Read more