Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
destination is the capital,
Oslo,
which
rises from the shores of the Oslofjord.
The city of
Fredrikstad,
at the mouth
of the Glomma, was once the market-
place for goods entering the country.
Its 17th-century Kongsten Fort was
designed to defend Norway from Swe-
den.
Tønsberg,
Norway's oldest town,
dates to the 9th century. This area is
also the site of the
Peer Gynt Road,
of
Ibsen fame, and the mountainous
region is home to numerous ski
resorts.
SOUTHERN NORWAY
Southern
Norway is sometimes referred to as
“the Riviera” because of its unspoiled
and uncrowded—but chilly—beaches.
It's also a favorite port of call for the
yachting crowd.
Stavanger,
the oil
capital of Norway, is the largest south-
ern city and is also quite popular.
There's much to explore in this Tele-
mark region, which is filled with lakes
and canals popular for summer canoe-
ing and boating.
Skien,
birthplace of
the playwright Henrik Ibsen (1828-
1906), is primarily an industrial town.
In Skien you can board a lake steamer
to travel through a series of canals.
The southern part of
Kristiansand
links Norway with continental
Europe. Close by is 10km (6-mile)
Hamresanden Beach,
one of the
longest uninterrupted beaches in
Europe. More fjords lie along the
western half of the district, notably the
Lysefjord, Sandefjord, and Vindefjord.
NORTHERN NORWAY
The
“Land of the Midnight Sun” is a
region of craggy cliffs that descend to
the sea and of deep, fertile valleys
along the deserted moors. It has
islands with few, if any, inhabitants,
where life has remained relatively
unchanged for generations. The capi-
tal of the Nordland region is
Bodø,
which lies just north of the Arctic Cir-
cle; it's a base for Arctic fishing trips
and visits to the wild Glomfjord. Nor-
way's second-largest glacier,
Svartisen,
is also in this region, as is the city of
Narvik,
a major Arctic port and the
gateway to the
Lofoten Islands.
The
islands, which have many fishing vil-
lages, make up one of the most beauti-
ful areas of Norway. Visitors come
here from all over the world for sport
fishing and bird-watching.
TROMS
Troms is the name of the
province, and
Tromsø,
from which
polar explorations are launched, is its
capital. Troms contains one of Nor-
way's most impressive mountain
ranges, the Lyngs Alps, which attract
winter skiers and summer hikers.
Alta,
site of the Altafjord, is reputed to have
the best salmon-fishing waters in the
world.
FINNMARK
At the top of Norway
is the Finnmark region, home of the
Lapps (or Samis). Settlements here
include
Kautokeino
(the Lapp town)
and
Hammerfest,
the world's north-
ernmost town. Most tourists come to
Finnmark to see the
North Cape,
Europe's northernmost point and an
ideal midnight-sun viewing spot.
Va rd ø
is the only Norwegian main-
land town in the Arctic climate zone.
In the 17th century Vardø was the site
of more than 80 witch burnings. The
town of
Kirkenes
lies 274km (170
miles) north of the Arctic Circle, close
to the Russian border.
2 Visitor Information
VISITOR INFORMATION
In the
United States,
contact the
Scandinavian Tourist Board,
655
Third Ave., Suite 1810, New York,
NY 10017 (
&
212/885-9700;
www.
goscandinavia.com), at least 3 months
in advance for maps, sightseeing
pointers, ferry schedules, and other
information.
In the
United Kingdom,
contact
the
Norwegian Tourist Board
(a divi-
sion of the Scandinavian Tourist
