A lot of tourists that come to Norway don’t know what they should visit. The country is almost always cold, and the weather is unpredictable. Everyone does the same couple of things. They get to Oslo via plane, then go to Bergen or Stavanger to see the mountains, and then they go home.
However, if you have the extra time and you really want to see a country that was ruled by the Vikings, then you could simply rent a car and travel. There are plenty of things that you can do, and there are thousands of small spots that you need to see. Click on this link to read more.
For those people that don’t want to mix with the crowd, there are a few unique things that they might want to do. Here are some of the best suggestions of the things you can do when you go to Norway, and you will see just how wonderful and peculiar this country really is. A few of these are season exclusive, so try to reserve a spot in advance.
Surf the Arctic
Wait, surfing is supposed to be done on a sunny beach, right? Wrong. Norwegians don’t have sunny beaches like the warmer places of the world, but they still want to surf. This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to get aboard and try your luck in the Arctic.
Yes, there are people that are surfing the icy waters in January, and even beginners can take a shot at it. For this, you would have to go to Lofoten, and experiencing this will be a story that will stay with you for the rest of your life.
Even if you don’t want to do it yourself, watching other people ride the chilly waves is one of the things that you’ll never be able to forget. While you’re there, you can also go whale watching. You might have a general idea of how big these animals really are from seeing them on TV, but it’s a completely surreal experience when you hear and see them up close.
They are gigantic. Going on this kind of tour will have you sitting in a small boat since that won’t disturb the whales.
See if you can spot a UFO.
If you’re the type of person that believes in extraterrestrial life, then one of the best things to do is to go from Stavanger to Hessdalen. During the 80s, a lot of people spotted some strange lights in the sky. Those lights continued to show up for the next 20 years, and people thought that the cause was unidentified flying objects.
There still isn’t a concrete explanation on why those lights appear, and they happened at least 20 times a week during those times. Nowadays, the sights have been less common, and they only happen a couple of times per year.
Still, if you rent a car, you can pass by this place and take a look at the night sky for the entire night. Looking at the stars and the aurora formations will make you feel like you’re on another planet.
Stay in an Arctic Dome
Thousands of years ago, people that lived in the northern regions of the Earth didn’t make houses. That was something that they got from the middle parts of Europe and Asia. They lived a pretty basic lifestyle. In the morning, they ate breakfast, then they went fishing, and then they came back to sleep in their houses made of ice.
Well, that last part is quite intriguing. How can you sleep in a house made of ice? Well, they took ice blocks from the lakes, and then they put one on top of the other to make a spherical structure that’s called an igloo. Finland is famous for that.
However, Norway isn’t that far behind. They have a couple of igloos that are made of ice, but they also have arctic domes. During your travels, stop by at one of these to see how they look like. Sure, they might be a bit on the expensive side, but you can go to a hotel in any other place in the world. When you have the chance, why not splurge for a bit.
Check out some fjords.
The chances are that you’ve never seen a fjord before. Nothing beats exploring arctic countries on water. There are plenty of ways in which you can do this. A small RIB boat is a great idea, maybe a ferry, or even a kayak or a private tour.
Make sure to bring your camera because the shots you’re going to see are incredible. After you come back, try to make some friends and see if you can get invited to a party. The whole soul of a country can be felt through its people.
There is a stereotype that Norwegians are cold, but the country is too! Since alcohol is quite expensive, they do most of their drinking at home. Spending a night with a couple of new friends always sounds like fun.
Live in a Viking village for a day.
Have you ever wanted to be a Viking? Well, here’s your chance. Turn on your car and see the village where everyone lives their fantasy of being a Viking. There are people that actually live like that, and you can go and have a conversation with them.
The reasons why they chose a simpler life might surprise you, or you might want to spend some time and see whether it makes sense to do it. The village is close to Gudvangen, and you can get there quite fast.
Enjoy the cold in a hot tub.
Imagine being in a hot tub while everything else around you is covered in snow. That’s a cool story. When you do this, it’s smart to take a hat with you since your hair will get frozen, and that can make it break easily. Or, if you’re on the more adventurous side, try to take a few pictures like that.
