The Hardangerfjord


NORWAY - the land of the Fjords, Midnight Sun & Northern Lights

The Kingdom of Norway, is a constitutional monarchy located in Northern Europe, the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula.

Norway & the Vikings. During the Viking Age (800-1050 AD) the Norwegian Vikings explored Europe through trade and warfare. With their Viking ships they traveled to the Mediterranean countries, to England, Scotland & Ireland, and as far as to America.  The Viking age was characterized by expansion and immigration. Many Norwegians left the country to live in Iceland, the Faroe Islands, Greenland and parts of Britain and Ireland. The modern-day Irish cities of Limerick, Dublin, and Waterford were founded by Norwegian settlers.
Oslo is often called the Scandinavian Viking capital. Oslo has a magnificent Viking Ship Museum with the Norwegian Viking history and the magnificent Viking ships
● View photos of Oslo - Norway's capital & the Viking capital

Norway climate. Due to the Gulf Stream ocean current Norway experiences warmer temperatures than expected at such northern latitudes, especially along the coast, with summer temperatures of around 15 to 20 degrees Celsius, and winter temperatures mostly above zero degree Celsius (+32º F). Even the Arctic city of Tromso does not have very cold winters, with a mean temperature in January of -3 degrees Celsius. The mainland experiences colder winters with snow, excellent for winter activities.

Norway coast. Norway has an extensive and unique coast line, with islands, skerries, fjords, narrow passages & mountain peaks, stretching from Skagerak and the south of Norway along the North Sea to the Arctic Circle and northwards to the North Cape, the barren Finnmarken coast and the Barents Sea towards the Russian border. The coast stretches over 2,500 km, and over 83,000 km including the fjords and islands.
The cruise along the spectacular coast of Norway is often called the World's most beautiful voyage. The Norwegian Coastal Steamer has been cruising along the coast of Norway for more than 100 years, carrying cargo, people living along the coast and foreign cruise passengers. This ship line is called Hurtigruten in Norway, and used to be called the post boat as it used to bring the post along to the tiny fishing settlements and islands along the coast.
● View Cruises to the amazing coast of Norway     ● View photos from the Norwegian coastal cruise

Economy in Norway. Norway has experienced rapid economic growth since the World war II, and is now amongst the wealthiest countries in the world, with a Scandinavian welfare system. Norway is the world's third largest oil exporter and the petroleum industry accounts for appr. a quarter of the GDP.

Norway - a peaceful country. As Norway has only approximately 4 million inhabitants Norway is considered a quiet, peaceful & safe country. The largest city in Norway- the Norwegian capital Oslo- has 500 000 inhabitants. Norway was ranked highest of all countries in human development from 2001 to 2006, and came second in 2007. It also rated the most peaceful country in the world in a 2007 survey by Global Peace Index.

During the ice age both the ice and the rivers carved deep valleys in the mountains. As the climate changed, most of the ice melted, and the valleys were gradually filled with salt water from the coast, thus creating the Fjords. Not all of the ice melted though, leaving parts of the high mountain areas covered with ice, thus creating the glaciers. The Sognefjord is Norway's longest and deepest fjord, considered the main fjord of Norway. The Sognefjord has many scenic and narrow branches (side arms), such as the narrow Naeroyfjord, the Aurlandsfjord, the Fjaerlandsfjord & the Lusterfjord. Due to the fjords cutting through the western country the car ferries crossing the fjords are considered parts of the road system in Norway.

The climate in the western Fjord areas is excellent for fruit growing, with the most spectacular late spring fruit blossom you have ever seen. The strawberries, cherries and raspberries are extremely tasty due to the growing conditions of the short, bright summers.
● View roundtrips & cruises to the Fjords of Norway     ● View photos from the Norwegian fjords