Vipps is everywhere in Norway. Friends split a pizza bill with it, flea markets put out hand-written numbers for quick payments, and even tiny farm stands use the bright orange logo. If you are visiting, it is natural to wonder whether you can get Vipps as a tourist and use it the way locals do. … Read more
If you spend any time in Norway, you’ll notice Norwegians paying for everything with their phones. That orange logo is Vipps, our go-to app for splitting dinner, buying a waffle at a flea market, or sending money to a friend in seconds. As a foreigner, you can absolutely join the party, but there are a … Read more
Musk oxen look like they belong in a nature documentary from another era. Thick coats, sweeping horns, and a calm, ancient presence. In Norway, you can meet them on their own terms in the wild, most famously at Dovrefjell. I grew up with weekend trips in these mountains, and I still get a rush the … Read more
Preikestolen, also known as Pulpit Rock, is one of Norway’s most iconic hikes. The square-topped cliff towers 604 meters above the blue waters of the Lysefjord, with panoramic views that make even lifelong Norwegians like me slow down and stare. The trail is well built, the logistics are straightforward, and the payoff at the top … Read more
Becoming a parent in Norway comes with a strong safety net, and maternity leave is a big part of that. We use the broader term parental leave a lot here, because both parents have individual rights and a shared pot of time to take. Still, if you’re pregnant and planning time off, there are a … Read more
Norway’s landscapes are famously dramatic, and our national flower fits right in. Tucked into cracks of bare mountain rock, the bergfrue grows where you’d swear no plant could survive. Its tall, airy sprays of white blossoms light up dark cliff faces and glacier-fed ravines, a small celebration of life in places most people only pass … Read more
Norway looks dramatic from the surface, but the real magic begins once you slip below it. Cold, clear water, cathedral-like kelp forests, historic wrecks, and wildlife that ranges from wolf fish to curious seals make this one of Europe’s most rewarding dive destinations. If you are used to warm water, Norway will feel different in … Read more
Norway’s national bird is a small, plucky river specialist that most visitors never expect. Meet the white-throated dipper, or fossekall in Norwegian, a chocolate-brown songbird with a crisp white bib that loves cold, rushing water. You will not find it hopping in treetops or skimming the sea. Instead, it patrols mountain streams, bows from boulders, … Read more
If you ask a Norwegian what our national dish is, the answer comes quickly and with a small smile. It is fårikål, a simple pot of lamb and cabbage that shows up every autumn when the air gets crisp and the mountains turn copper. This is not fancy food. It is the kind of meal … Read more
Visiting the Midgard Viking Center in Borre is one of the easiest ways to step into the world of Norway’s seafaring ancestors without needing a time machine. Set beside the grand burial mounds of Borre National Park in Vestfold, the center blends a modern museum with living history, outdoor archaeology, and atmospheric reconstructions like the … Read more