1. OSLO & THE OSLO FJORD: Royal home and capital city; friendly and walkable, offering a promenade that rivals Parisian boulevards, art museums in the park, harbor life with its own fjord.

2. SOUTHERN NORWAY: Embarkation point for ferries to Denmark. This southernmost part of Norway is a favored resort region to both Norwegians and Danes, who love its charming coastal fishing villages and patchwork farmland in the rugged interior — both maintaining strong traditional Norwegian lifestyles. Lodgings in Kristiansand & Lillesand.

3. STAVANGER: Port city emigration point for many Norwegian-Americans, and fine touring base for Norway's southwest coast fjord region. Slightly larger than Bergen with excellent genealogical resources. Stavanger's great harbor is a primary port for Norway's extensive North Sea oil operations. Its very walkable, attractive waterfront region is home to excellent restaurants, shops, a quaint old town, and a traditional outdoor market.

4. HARDANGER FJORD: Norway's largest fjord reaches deep into its mountainous heartland. Traditional villages amid spectacular scenery. Playground for outdoor activities in all seasons.

5. SOGNE FJORD: Narrow arms of the North Sea extending far into Norway's mountainous interior. Steep fjord walls reaching from sea level to alpine heights. Remote villages connected by ocean-going ships, convoluted, tunneled roadways, and a spectacular mountain railway.

 
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6. HARDANGER PLATEAU: Northern Europe's largest mountain
plateau is also Norway's largest National Park incorporating much of the high wilderness between
Oslo and Bergen. Europe's largest reindeer herds and plenty of moose, too. Spectacular scenery
for sightseeing, hiking, skiing, and whitewater rafting.

7. BERGEN: The best of Norway's west coast and perhaps of all of Norway in one location — a friendly, walkable city center with history, scenery, culture, art, and a saltwater harbor with great mountain views. And an easy touring base for visiting the rugged Norway you always dreamed about.

8. TROMSØ & NORWAY'S ARCTIC FAR NORTH: Europe's answer to Alaskan frontier towns — tunnels with traffic circles blasted into the heart of the mountains; native Lapland culture and crafts found side-by-side with oilmen and gold miners; the North Cape; wild reindeer herds and moose.

ALL SCANDINAVIAN
LOCATIONS