Best places to visit in Norway

Norway stretches out like a dorsal fin giving room to its mountains. It has tourist infrastructures of excellent quality, however getting around the country is a different story. Islands, sounds, fjords, mountain passes and tunnels with roundabouts will become part of daily life if you go travelling in Norway. Advice from the Evaneos Travel community will help you to select your destinations from the many unmissable and surprising places, charming cities and nature reserves.

If you are coming by plane, a stopover in the capital, Oslo is inevitable. In summer you can enjoy lounging around on some of the many café terraces, go and see the city's opera house or the Akershus fortress. Both offer visitors lovely views. In winter, you may be more tempted to go and see the famous Holmenkollen ski jump or just to enjoy the typically Nordic, snowy atmosphere. From Oslo, you can travel by train, car, or boat to explore the many fjords and parks of southern Norway.

After that, take the plane and head for the far north, the part of the country that's hard to locate on a map. Tromsø for example is inside the Arctic circle. It is home to 60,000 inhabitants and is a dynamic city. The Arctic Cathedral, the Polaria Museum and the streets that harmoniously alternate modern and ancient buildings, all offer rich pickings for city strolls before you go to explore the nearby mountains on foot or on skis. This your chance to see the Aurora Borealis. Do you fancy visiting the heart of Lapland? Make sure you visit the centre of Sami culture in Kautokeino, not far from Finland and Sweden.

Do you like islands? The Lofoten Islands are a must-see. However, if you're looking for somewhere even more peaceful, head for the island of Senja, which is a truly varied paradise. There's something for everyone there, from solitude, beaches and fjords to jagged peaks plunging into the sea.

Lastly, since you've gone so far north, you might as well go the whole hog and see the North Pole!