Personal experience: Everything you need to know to travel to Norway. My dear Norway or how to save money while traveling in Norway

I was born, raised and live in the city of Vilnius. It just so happens that, considering myself a non-professional traveler, blogger, musician and photographer, I have been doing all of this for a very long time and to some extent I can consider myself an expert in all these areas. Since 2004, he began to travel actively and has currently visited 55 countries around the world. At the same time, I started taking a lot of photographs. I have been playing music since school, I have given a lot of concerts, composed, and played in various groups and projects. Well, my interest in history, especially military history, apparently lies at the genetic level. I write about unconventional travel, interesting places, history and music from all over the world. My texts are all original, most of my photographs are the same.

Most of us think that traveling around Norway is a very expensive undertaking. But until you try it yourself, you won’t know. The secret of saving for this country is simple - stay away from expensive hotels and restaurants, do not neglect spending the night in tents, buy food in stores, give up alcohol, travel by car and come here in a small group. If you adhere to these truths, then this is what can happen...

One of my acquaintances remarked that visiting Norway should be left for dessert, when you have toured our globe to the maximum and it begins to seem that nothing in this world will surprise you. We did not listen to this advice and, like hungry children, pounced on sweets at the first opportunity. The win-win option with cheap air tickets Vilnius-Oslo could not remain unnoticed by us. The idea was born of itself to refuse to visit the most expensive city in the world, Oslo, and go straight to the coveted fjords for a week.

And now our small company of five people was already standing on Norwegian soil at the Gardemon airport. Here we rented a very small Toyota Caris car. After loading our sleeping bags, backpacks and tent, the neat little machine began to resemble a shed, which really didn’t bother us. After all, a better understanding of the world for such unsurpassed travelers like us could not be found. We had to travel two thousand kilometers along almost the entire western coast of southern Norway. The starting point of our pre-planned route was Lysefjord. Photos of the Prekistolen rock beckoned our inexperienced hearts and nothing could stop us. Although already at the very beginning of our journey many trials awaited us...

I have nothing to write about Oslo - we passed through this super-expensive city using high-speed tunnels. The initially set goal of getting to know the nature of the country drove us forward. An exception was made only for the “stavkirke” or in our language the church near the town of Heddal not far from Oslo. This wooden structure, amazing in its modesty and at the same time sophistication, was mesmerizing. The carved fragments of the roof were somewhat reminiscent of Viking ships, and the wall ornaments in the form of runic signs and figurines undoubtedly possessed some kind of magical power. In this church, it seemed that Christianity and paganism were intertwined together, and there were legends. There are many similar churches in Norway, but this one is especially vivid in my memory.

In the town of Kongsberg we saw the first rapids, and then it went on and on, as if on an inclined slope - the first mountain pass, the first mountain valley, the first snow and, of course, the first real waterfall. It seems to me that this happens to everyone in the mountains - the first powerful, rapid waterfall, somehow unreal for the inhabitants of the plains. Its power, beauty, and swiftness are difficult to describe. He put us into a state of wild delight, from which we practically never recovered throughout the entire week of this trip. For us, this nameless waterfall became the gateway to an amazing land of fairy tales and daydreams.

In Norway, it is worth choosing paths that are as difficult as possible, avoiding, if possible, the popular tunnels here that pierce through huge mountain ranges. Of course, it is convenient, fast and safe, but if you are guided by such considerations when traveling, then it is not worth going anywhere from home. But serpentine narrow mountain roads almost always lead to places where the real world loses its power, giving way to the harsh, fantastically beautiful scenery of Mother Nature, where you feel like a bug and forget about all your petty problems and joys.

A road marked on the map as an almost dotted line led to the small settlement of Lysebotn, located at the very beginning of Lysefjord. In fact, the excellent asphalt surface was an added bonus to the magnificent desert mountain scenery. This road, like most others like it, is closed in the winter and, perhaps for this reason, is not so popular in the summer. At the very end, this path ends in an unforgettable serpentine down to the mouth of the fjord from a height of thousands of meters. This was my first serpentine driving, it gave me a lot of emotions. When, after a long descent, I looked at the path I had taken from the bottom up, I couldn’t believe that it was possible not only to drive down from this almost vertical mountain, but also to drive up.

Despite the fact that our company did not plan to do this, fate had its own way and the very next morning we drove back to the top without any problems and then went down again quite normally. It was in Lysebotn that my fear of driving in the mountains disappeared forever. But this was preceded by other not unimportant events. Immediately upon arrival, it became clear that there was no gas station in this tiny settlement, which meant that going back with an almost empty tank was impossible. The ferry ran only twice a day, early in the morning and in the afternoon. I had to look for accommodation for the night.

There are no problems with this in Norway. There is no such extensive network of campsites and roadside hotels as here anywhere else in the world. Places for tents, campers, cabins and luxury rooms for the financially advanced - in short, a full range of services was observed in almost any populated area. In Lysebotn we settled, unbeknownst to us, in a very remarkable place. It turned out that extreme sports enthusiasts from all over the world settled in a campsite near the very shore of the fjord. Jumpers or jumpers come here all year round to parachute jump from the local steep cliffs more than a thousand meters high. All the walls of the small two-story hotel that hosted us were covered with excellent photographs taken during such jumps, and in a small diner nearby there were several parachute canopies hanging from the ceiling. Several broken-down mountain bikes, snowboards and a guitar, clearly often used here for its intended purpose, also fit well into the interior of the eatery. Later, the guys told us that parachute jumping with a bicycle or skis, depending on the time of year, was especially chic among the local company.

Our immediate goal was to visit the Prekistolen rock, so we were planning to leave here in the morning. Unexpectedly, our plans were changed by a conversation with a Dutch traveler whom we accidentally met in a cafe in the evening. It turned out that this guy had been traveling on foot around Norway for three months. According to him, there are not many more beautiful places than the local mountains, even with all the abundance of choice in Norway. Well, he called Prekistolen a tourist attraction for fat and lazy Americans. But Kjerag, according to him, was a completely different matter. This was the name of an egg-shaped stone stuck in a crevice at an altitude of 1080 meters from the sea. You only had to look closely to see the image of this stone everywhere in Lysebotn. Road signs, postcards, guidebooks and paintings - the legendary stone was depicted everywhere. To simply drive through this place would be madness.

The walk to Kjerag took more than two hours, during which we climbed along barely noticeable paths, crossed streams and cracks, or briskly slid through snow drifts that had not melted after the winter. Elevation changes from 600 meters to 800, and then an entire kilometer into the sky sometimes forced us to practically climb rocks on our knees. But all the difficulties of this first foray along the mountain steeps of Norway were blocked by the extraordinary desert landscapes of Lisefjord. Despite the abundance of melt water, on these rocks, with traces of a glacier once sliding down, practically nothing grew on the plateau except moss. The severity of these places was added by dizzying abysses, in which the neighboring shores of the fjord and the lost village of Lysebotn were visible in the haze. Childish delight on the verge of insanity filled us when we approached the cliff from which paratroopers were jumping. I haven’t often complained about my fear of heights before, but here I didn’t want to approach the edge of a kilometer-long abyss. Unless you crawl up and look into the abyss with a mixed feeling of horror and intoxicating euphoria. The second shock awaited us near Kjerag himself.

Not a single postcard or even the most reliable story can convey the virgin beauty of this place. This, in general, not at all a small piece of rock seemed to hang in the air, ready to slide down into the abyss. While we were all trying out which angle would be best to capture this unforgettable sight, my wife suddenly appeared at the top of Kjerag.

It should be noted that even at the car site I noticed a remark at the end of the information stand: “Few of those who reach Kjerag dare to climb it. For most people, it’s enough just to admire it from the outside.” As I rushed after my wife, I realized what the compilers of this information had in mind. The stone could only be approached along a narrow sloping path from the outside of the high rock. Moreover, there was nothing to grab hold of with your hands. It was enough for me to look down to give up the risky idea. Don’t consider me a coward, but the instinct of self-preservation turned out to be stronger and I joined the very majority for whom it was enough to simply see this place.

It's a pity we didn't get to see one of the 2,000 jumps that are done here every year. On the way back to the car, we met more than one group of extreme sports enthusiasts with parachute backpacks on their shoulders. When, after a long descent, we finally found ourselves in our hotel, many of those guys were already, as if nothing had happened, looking through the recently filmed footage of the jumps. Undoubtedly, one advantage of this entertainment was the sheer speed of descent. What took our company more than three hours and buckets of sweat, they only needed a few minutes of free fall.

We continued our journey on the ferry, which took us along the entire Lisefjord to the village of Forsand. On the way, we were lucky enough to see fur seals, whose colony had chosen this wild corner of Norway, and the world’s largest wooden staircase with 4444 steps, and admire the absolutely correct square shape of that same Prekystolen rock. It seems to me now that your first trip to Norway should not begin, but end with Lisefjord, one of the most romantic places on Earth.

Having crossed the Lysenfjord road bridge, from Forsand we steadily began to move up to the north of the Scandinavian Peninsula. Despite the average speed, which does not exceed 50 km/h in the mountains, in four days our Toyota Caris almost reached the ancient capital of Norway, Trondheim. True to our plan to avoid big cities, we then turned back towards Oslo. This amazing route ran along high mountains, eternal snow, huge lakes, fast rivers and, of course, a myriad of waterfalls. Norway can rightfully be called the queen of waterfalls in the world. Sometimes it seemed as if there was one waterfall for every house here. Among the high rocky mountains with caps of snow on top they cannot be counted. Nevertheless, it is not at all difficult for me to single out among the abundance I saw the three most impressive ones.

One of these prizes in my ranking undoubtedly belongs to the double Latefossen waterfalls. There is no way to get past it. The road passing through an ancient stone bridge goes right next to the waterfall itself. Two powerful streams rush down with a deafening roar literally a few meters from the freaking motorists. The entire bridge is constantly shrouded in a cloud of water spray. Tourists who decide to stay here do not stay long, risking getting wet to the skin and going deaf from the constant noise of falling water.

Having turned a little from the planned path, we decided to visit the place marked on the map with the name Våringfossen. A long, drawn-out climb up through numerous tunnels and winding turns brought us to a large parking lot with a huge number of people and cars. The Voringfossen waterfall turned out to be the highest and most majestic of all we saw on this trip. Several powerful streams of water fell in strange white streams from the edges of the semicircular depression. The height of the waterfall reached almost 200 meters. From the observation deck the entire waterfall was in full view. Not far from the edge of Vorigfossen was a three-story oblong motel building. Next to God's gigantic creation, the hotel looked like a matchbox built by people. I felt like I was just a grain of sand here in the eternal cycle of life.

And one more waterfall that is undoubtedly worth mentioning is Tvindefossen. Unlike the others, we went to it, knowing in advance where we would end up and what we would approximately see. Image Tvindefossen is one of the most common natural brands in Norway. Nevertheless, the almost ideal stepped shape of the waterfall, its beauty and royal grandeur cannot but delight tourists who come here. The 60-meter-high waterfall seems to be woven from hundreds of small cascades and streams. With its shape it resembles some kind of royal throne or pedestal. There is a large campsite at the foot of Tvidefossen. Fascinated by the fabulous beauty of this place, we, along with many others, also decided to spend the night here. Here we managed to pitch a tent almost at the very edge of the waterfall on a small island formed by streams from Tvindevossen. Despite the rather loud roar of falling water, I slept very soundly that night, and the stunning morning landscape from the tent opening could even replace a hearty breakfast. In short, a decent waterfall in a beautiful place in the fabulous country of Norway - this is the assessment of an inexperienced tourist like me.

It is worth noting that, despite the delightful natural scenery of all these overnight stays, breakfasts, lunches and dinners, which never ceased to amaze us with their diversity and sophistication, there were places from which we wanted to escape, and quickly. None of our modest company will forget our third overnight stay in Norway. Here, as soon as we paid for the place and began to set up our tent, we were fiercely attacked by local midges. She literally covered all the uncovered parts of the bodies in a swarm, clearly taking great pleasure in our fury over this matter. The only thing that saved us from this hopeless situation was the inappropriate behavior of insects indoors. As soon as the midge hit a tent or car from the air, it immediately lost all its aggressiveness, apparently dreaming of only one thing - to get out into the wild. But in the morning, our company managed to set a time record for closing the camp. Within 15 minutes of waking up, the tent and all our things were thrown into the trunk and interior of the car, and a couple of seconds later we were already racing away from this version of the Norwegian hospitality of the little bloodsuckers.

Probably everyone imagines that the roads of Norway are magnificent. However, we must not forget about the huge differences in elevation of its mountainous part. Apparently tired of this endless winding up and down the rocky slopes, the Norwegians decided not to spare money on building convenient through tunnels. It's no joke to cut many kilometers of holes in the rock! Those travelers who prefer these convenient, but so dull paths lose a lot to the splendor that can only be seen by following old crooked and inaccessible routes. There is nothing more amazing than watching how quickly the landscape changes from the bright green coast of the fjords to the deserted, improbable gray background of the slopes of the ridges. The most interesting thing awaits the traveler at the top. Here the road continues in the middle of eternal snow, blue ice and only in places a thawed surface with numerous streams and puddles. Sometimes three-meter-high snowdrifts surrounded our path, threatening to take away our memory of the summer from which we had arrived only a few minutes ago.

Somewhere beyond the Jostedalsbreen glacier, our Toyota again rose to a height of thousands of meters above sea level, and around the next snow-covered turn we suddenly saw an active ski resort. As expected, there were lifts, rental points for the necessary equipment, snow removal equipment, and the inevitable cozy cafe. I probably looked wild from the outside in shorts, a T-shirt and a baseball cap among young people wrapped in overalls with skis and snowboards. But now it became clear why the Norwegians are the constant champions of winter sports.

The Jostedalsbreen glacier itself turned out to be a remarkable local attraction. Unfortunately, we were not able to climb it ourselves. But the view from below of this shapeless block of compressed bluish ice could not leave us indifferent. There was something very cold and gloomy about this ancient glacier, which was slowly disappearing from the face of the earth, a silent witness and participant in the glorious tales of Vikings and trolls.

Having traveled around the glacier along its western side, we began to look for accommodation options for the night. For this purpose, it was decided to turn onto a narrow path leading into the mountains to a place called Bodal. The higher we rose, the more anxious our souls became. There was something subtly eerie in the mountain walls on either side and the quiet lake surface along the road. There was also obvious tension with spending the night here. Somehow the whole thing looked unusually wild and deserted; in general, it was a very picturesque mountain valley. About halfway along the route, we made a short stop at a roadside information stand. The history of this place turned out to be sad and instructive for the king of nature - man. In 1905, a natural disaster occurred here near a small village. A giant mudflow, undermined by the annual melting of snow, descended into the valley. Part of a steep mountain range collapsed into a deep-sea lake. In a matter of minutes, tons of rock filled the water surface of the lake stretching for many kilometers. Just a few kilometers away, a village was overwhelmed by a giant wave. More than 35 people are missing. But something else was surprising. Exactly 33 years later the disaster repeated itself. A new gigantic collapse occurred in exactly the same place. This time, the village that had grown up nearby over the years was washed away. Again more than 70 people died. Oddly enough, people still live in this seemingly God-cursed place. The reason for this was not only the fertile soil of these places, but also the fact that, according to scientists, such a catastrophe can no longer happen, since the underwater space of the lake is already completely littered with rock from previous disasters.

We found ourselves in a creepy place! But it was too late to turn back. Suddenly we saw a roadside sign for Bodan Camping. Having gone down almost to the very shore of the lake, we stopped at a deserted, but, nevertheless, neatly trimmed clearing. Judging by the state of the half-rotten benches and the collapsed toilet (exotic for Norway!), one could assume that the campsite had not been in operation for many years. In all other respects, this place was ideal for our first free overnight stay in these parts. Of course, it was not difficult for us to guess that we found ourselves somewhere nearby near a lost village. The ill-fated rock was clearly visible from the side, with really visible traces of the mudflow. And a kind of melancholy appeared in my soul... When I went to get water from the lake, I unexpectedly made an amazing discovery for myself. Looking at the mountain range on the opposite shore of the lake on the rocks darkened by moisture, I suddenly began to notice some regular shapes. From these shapes a giant, slightly sloppy design was formed. I did not have to make much effort to see in these contours the figure of a giant warrior with a sword in one hand and a shield in the other. Of course, it is not difficult for the reader to accuse me of having an overly wild fantasy, but my friends could also easily confirm these lines. Although I agree that we were all very overexcited that evening. Sleep could not come to us for a long time that night. We listened to the slightest rustle and creaking in the night forest, and the image of a merciless Viking warrior could not leave our crazy heads.
But the first rays of the sun quickly dispelled our fears, and the natural pattern on the rock no longer seemed so scary in the morning. We were racing forward again! Ahead of us was one of the most advertised places in Norway - the Troll Road.

This day was no exception from the rest. There would probably be enough adventures and stunning sensations in Norway for the next year. Our company even started a morning joke: Well, what will surprise us this day?! - and every new day he never ceased to amaze. Along the way, we first found ourselves in winter again. Moreover, the further north we went, the more Norwegian June looked like late January, and the more amazing it was to go down to the shores of the fjords into the realm of bright green summer. This was especially felt in the town of Gerenger on the shores of one of the most famous Norwegian fjords included in the UNESCO World Heritage List. Although, in my opinion, the whole of Norway should be included there as a resting place for human illusions and tensions.

But now the curtain is up - we are on the deserted plateau of the Troll Valley. Here, suddenly, amazing unearthly scenery began to appear on our way. The giant rocks on both sides of the road suddenly came to life right before my eyes. Silent, formidable guards, petrified for centuries, looked without emotion at the earthly cockroach whirlwind. Mount “Bishop” really resembled a minister of religion in a cassock sitting down to rest. Well, the huge rock “King” looked like a bearded Viking, slightly bowing his head with a crown. Ancient legends came to life right on our way. Neither numerous crowds of tourists, nor heaps of souvenirs, nor extreme skydivers could knock down the feeling of the insignificance of our human existence. The ancient spirits of the Trolls paid absolutely no attention to the human rubbish at their feet, condescendingly allowing themselves to be seen through the eyes of photo and video cameras: “Vanity of vanities, gentlemen! You are insignificant, but we are eternal!

Our time was running out. For dessert we wanted to see the Atlantic, and only after that we could calmly return home through Oslo. However, before that, luck smiled again and we managed to taste the delights of Norwegian fishing.

On the way to the Atlantic, we stopped for the night at a campsite right on the shore of another fjord. Our attention was immediately attracted by a huge number of fishing people, from young to old, both from the shore and from various floating devices. You should have seen our faces when the guy from the camping reception immediately gave us a fishing rod without further ado, in response to our question about how we could go fishing here. Imagine my surprise when, after the first attempt to throw a hook into the water (and it should be noted that I had not fished from the shore since childhood!), I pulled a huge starfish ashore. Following it, a pink sea urchin soon found itself in the bucket, and my friend and comrade Zhenya soon caught a medium-sized cod. Apparently, underwater life was in full swing here. It seemed that this night in Norway was supposed to be fun, but a fishing rod suddenly snapped in half and a spoon that sank to the bottom of the fjord radically changed our plans. The reception was no longer working and my friend and I dejectedly trudged off to bed. Nevertheless, I will never forget the taste of morning cod fish soup and the sparkle of Zhenya’s eyes from such unexpected Norwegian bites!

Norway won our hearts, and the spirits of ancient Trolls and Vikings moved into our souls, but, as if wanting to finally trample our heads, swollen with impressions, a few more exciting adventures were finally prepared for us. Trollkirka or Troll Church was a complex of interconnected caves located an hour's walk from the highway to the Atlantic.

These caves are located on three levels and are connected to each other by a complex system of manholes and passages of various sizes. We decided to overcome the first level of the caves, about 70 meters long, together with my wife. To put it mildly, it was eerie walking along a passage devoid of sunlight, every now and then, climbing over rubble of slippery stones and jumping over numerous channels. But what a reward awaited us at the end of this path! Having squeezed through another rubble on our way, we found ourselves in a huge grotto up to 7 meters high. Daylight came through from numerous crevices in its vault, and a powerful cascade of water fell right in the center from somewhere above. Truly, Mother Nature herself created a real altar here. And the sophistication of her fantasies could be the envy of any architect in the world. Anyone could go down to the second grotto on a higher level, including those who are afraid of the dark and suffer from claustrophobia. This grotto was not inferior in beauty to the first one we saw, although it lacked the effect of surprise. Here, too, there was a waterfall in the center, and the height of the vault reached 9-10 meters. I managed to find the entrance to the third level of caves, which were much narrower and less passable. But here the arguments of reason turned out to be more powerful than my eternal passion for new adventures. Moreover, time was running out. We set off on our way back to the car abandoned on the side of the road.

The final chord of our trip was a visit to the so-called Atlantic Road. This was the name of the path passing through several dozen islands, connected by long dams and fancy arched bridges. Some of them wriggled in all conceivable and inconceivable directions, as if trying to violate the imaginary laws of mathematics and logic. The guidebook advised driving along this route in the fall during storm season. Surely we should have done this another time.

Well, it is here, dipping my feet into the cool waters of the Atlantic Ocean, that I can put an end to my story. There was no doubt left; I found myself in a kind of captivity in Norway. These colorful mountains, deep fjords, fierce waterfalls and quiet villages with their ancient spirit inhabitants easily won a piece of my heart and soul, forever leaving in them an inexorable desire to return to the boat again and again...

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Why is it worth buying tours to Norway ?

Every year, more and more travelers refuse to travel to the usual southern resorts and turn their attention to the north, in particular to the countries of the Scandinavian Peninsula. Has gained particular popularity among tourists Norway. The nature of this state surprises everyone who arrives here for the first time. There is no scorching sun or many kilometers of beaches here, but you will not find such majestic beauty as anywhere else. The ancestors of the Norwegians were the legendary Vikings - excellent hunters and brave sailors, thanks to whom many geographical discoveries were made. And currently, Norwegian resorts offer tourists a real men's vacation - hunting and fishing in Norway considered the best in Europe.

Norway in summer

If you don't like extreme heat, a summer holiday at one of the Norwegian resorts will be just the thing. In summer, Scandinavian nature blooms with bright colors. This is the best time to enjoy walks, clean mountain air and wonderful fishing. In addition, in the summer, resorts in Norway host a large number of various festivals, which will give your trip a special flavor. You will also be able to visit the most beautiful nature reserves, where you will get acquainted with the flora and fauna of the country.

Northern Norway

If you come to the northern part of Scandinavia in winter, you will be able to admire a unique natural phenomenon - the northern lights. The nature of this region is quite harsh, but it has long attracted brave people with strong character - climbers, hunters, skiers. In the summer, you will have the opportunity to take part in a whale safari and go to sea with local fishermen. Norway tour operator Tourtrans-Voyage will help you with choosing a resort and hotel, because we know everything about this country. Buy your ticket now! The quality of holidays at Norwegian resorts is immeasurably higher than the cost of a trip to Norway.

Kingdom of Norway(Norwegian Kongeriket Norge, derived from the Old Norse Norðrvegr - “way to the north”) is located in northern Europe in the western part of the Scandinavian Peninsula. The waters of the Barents Sea (in the northeast), the Norwegian Sea (in the west) and the North Sea (in the southwest) wash the country. Neighbors on the border are Sweden (east), Finland and Russia (northeast).

Thanks to Norway's geographical location and length, each region of this green northern country is distinctive and unique. If in the west you can contemplate numerous fjords, then the central part of the country stands out for its medieval monuments and ancient buildings, the northern part for such an unusual phenomenon as the midnight sun (white nights), the southern part for coastal resorts and warm summers for Norway, and the eastern part for good opportunities for active outdoor recreation - fishing in numerous rivers and lakes, hiking through forests and valleys, camping. Let's take a closer look at what the kingdom of Norway has to offer to us travelers.

The west coast has a rather majestic landscape - a land of fjords, mountains rising from the waters, and waterfalls falling from cliffs. Kristiansund and Ålesund are famous for the richness of their waters, cod and herring are especially good there; Molde is known for its beautiful roses and jazz festivals, but the name Bergen already speaks for itself (see the “Cities” section above). At the same time, they pass through the mountains winding roads Eagle Path and Troll Trail.

Geirangerfjord included in the UNESCO World Heritage List and is one of the most visited, there are two of the most famous waterfalls - Seven Sisters and Wedding Veil. The magnificence of this fjord amazes once and for all - steep cliffs with snow-capped peaks and harsh nature, powerful streams of mountain waterfalls flowing into the waters of the fjord - this is unforgettable!

Sognefjord is the second longest fjord in the world and the longest fjord in Norway - 204 km, and its depth is 1308 m. Cutting deep into the coast, it divides further into two branches - Aurlandsfjord and Nærøyfjord, with the latter listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. And it is here that you can enjoy completely unique views of the fjord and mountains from above - at an altitude of 650 meters above sea level there is Stegastein observation deck, adjacent to the Aurlandsvagen mountain road. The Flåm railway or cruise ship will take you to these magical places.

The beauty of the mountains Ljusefjord will not leave anyone indifferent. The most interesting and spectacular things here are Kjeragbolten and Preikestolen. Kjeragbolten- a huge round stone stuck in a crevice between two rocks at an altitude of 1084 meters; many tourists like to take pictures on it. Preikestolen Rock is also a famous landmark of these places - it hangs over the fjord at an altitude of 604 meters on an almost completely flat high-mountain plateau.

The central region displays a fine example of medieval architecture – Nidaros Cathedral- the largest building of its era in Scandinavia with monumental sculptures and elegant stained glass windows. Old wooden buildings Trondheim(the third largest city and the first capital of Norway) is also of interest to visitors to the central part, and to the east of it is the mining town of Reros - an ancient town with mines, an ancient church and many wooden buildings included in the UNESCO World Heritage List.

In the northern part, the traveler will see the harsh wild nature; in the summer you can watch wonderful white nights, and in the winter - the magical northern lights.
Or visit the most extreme point of Europe - Cape Nordkapp and feel the breath of the North Pole, and if you want to plunge into the vibrant nightlife - welcome to the city of Tromsø (it is called Northern Paris).

In this part of the country it is impossible to ignore Lofoten Islands, famous for its beautiful untouched nature. There is the world's largest deep-sea coral reef and one of the most dangerous whirlpools in the world (Malström), about a quarter of all seabirds in the country live there, ancient caves contain rock paintings of primitive people (Kolhellaren cave in Refsvik), settlements built as far back as 5th century and a complex of buildings erected in the 19th century (Nusfjord village). With all its diversity, Lofoten is a place of peace and tranquility. And their individuality is given by both the red fishing houses themselves against the backdrop of breathtaking landscapes, and the ropes stretched between the buildings with fish hanging on them. After all, dried cod is one of the symbols of these places.

Southern Norway is a region where picturesque villages with cute houses blend harmoniously into the austere landscape of the rocky coastline.
The largest city in the region is Kristiansand, next to which there are several islands - Flekkerey, Oxey and Gronningen - their beautiful nature and views attract tourists every summer. Towns such as Lillesand, Tvedesand, Brekkeste, Gamle and Ny Hellesund, scattered along the coastal cliffs among flowering gardens, also add their charm to the region. Here is also the village of Lynger, the best preserved small settlement in Europe.
In the county (Norwegian province) of Telemark you will find the place where skiing began - Morgedal, and nearby is the Telemark Canal.

Norway and Vinsky are incompatible things.
Maybe because I love with my soul more than with my eyes.
Norway is a beautiful country. But her beauty is cold and largely repetitive.
I assumed that 5 days would be enough for the trip, but I miscalculated - what I wanted to see and where I wanted to go was realized in 2 days. On the third day we could safely fly home.

But in order: the basis for the trip was a very correct report from kortchak: It is good because it gives a visual image. Moreover, this is not a monstrous accumulation of photographs, which is what many reports “shine” with, but a correct selection of thumbnails with comments. The only thing missing from the report is the names of places in the original language. Well, route maps. What I will give in my essay.

Several times along the way, the instinct of a mushroom picker and berry picker kicked in. Then the car squealed on the brakes and after a few minutes it was possible to pick a handful of large wild strawberries or wild raspberries. Or a basket of porcini mushrooms. It's surprising that no one collects this. I read somewhere that Norwegians despise mushroom picking and do not eat them at all, preferring to export champignons from the ubiquitous Holland. What an asshole, what else can I say... Pasta with porcini mushrooms or soup... mmmm

The landscape that flashed along our path gradually changed from herbs, wildflowers, pines and birches, to dwarf vegetation and mosses. We drove into the tundra, dotted with numerous lenses of lakes. Here and there along the road and at a distance from it, pyramids made of stones appeared. We wondered what this was for. I remembered the military campaigns of Tamerlane, my companions spoke much more interestingly: these are landmarks for the Norwegian spatial orientation system (GLONAS in Norwegian), or this is a shelter for trolls from the sun...

We stopped along the way to get something to eat. Small town. Cafe. Let's go in. Dear mother! I have never seen such prices for hamburgers: 10 euros for two buns and a defrosted cutlet between them. However, you need to eat something. I took lasagna heated in the microwave with a whole pack of bread to go with it + beer. The cost of this snack could be compared with the cost of a good lunch in an average Moscow restaurant. Having picked at the hot mass that had spread over the plate with a fork, I noticed a fairly large number of people with black skin passing by and smiling cheerfully. This is the thing that is in front of me now - just right.

We arrived at the Fossli hotel around 6 o'clock. The waterfall, noisy a few meters from the hotel, was nothing special to remember. Oh yes, I forgot to say that after seeing the waterfalls in South America and South Africa, all the Norwegian waterfalls, of which I suspect there are a great many in the country, will look modest. Well, let him make noise - let him make noise.

Oh, Norway, a fairy tale country, gloomy in winter, beautiful in summer, but always magical.

It is not for nothing that a trip to Norway is one of the most expensive trips to Scandinavia. Even travelers accustomed to European prices sometimes look amazed when signing Norwegian checks. At the same time, Norway has a lot of incredibly beautiful and interesting places that are worth visiting, and planning your trip yourself will help you save a lot of money.

Planning and transport

First of all, take care of your visa; any Schengen visa is suitable for traveling to Norway on your own. You can apply for a visa to Norway yourself or through an agency.

During the summer, many low-cost airlines offer significant discounts on air tickets to Norway. However, pay attention to the arrival airport specified when booking - some of them are often located very far from cities. For example, I flew to Oslo in 2012 for 60 euros round trip, but the cost of getting to the airport was about 25 euros one way because I did not bother to book a train ticket from the airport in advance.

When planning, it is worth deciding on the route for an independent trip to Norway and the method of transportation. The most popular route among tourists is the Oslo-Bergen-Trondheim trip. More sport-minded tourists like to travel to the northernmost point of Norway - the North Cape, while crossing the Arctic Circle.

The least expensive way to travel is by train, especially since the Norwegian Railways website provides a large number of discounts, tariffs, and group cards. Norwegian railways are very comfortable, clean, equipped with vending machines and free Wi-Fi. In addition, train travel usually takes place in very picturesque places, and the Flåm Railway is especially distinguished in this regard. The ticket price is 350 Norwegian kroner (18-20 euros), but the impressions of the surrounding beauty will remain with you forever - for me, one of the standards of picturesqueness is still the view from the window of the carriage on the way from Flåm. However, it is better to book tickets in advance, at least a couple of weeks in advance. Within the city limits, it is better to travel by bicycle; entry into many places by car is prohibited, since Norwegians are very concerned about the ecology of the country in general and the level of gas pollution in cities in particular.

Living in Norway

You can also save on accommodation during an independent trip to Norway. Firstly, you should take care of booking two months in advance and get a discount, and secondly, you can moderate your needs and get by with a hostel instead of a hotel - a bed in a four-bed room will cost from 20 to 40 euros per night. If you are a fan of outdoor recreation and plan to live in a tent, then carefully read the rules for living outdoors - they are issued at all airports. They stipulate at what distance from the city you can put up tents, where you can light a fire, and where to dispose of the garbage that has accumulated during your stay. Otherwise, you will face a fairly high fine, although Norwegians believe that nature belongs to everyone, but they are severely punished for damaging it. If you pitch a tent on someone’s land, then its owner may well demand from you a certain, although usually quite symbolic, amount, in exchange for providing the right to use the toilet and electricity.

An intermediate option between a tent and a hostel is a cottage, the so-called Norwegian “hytta”. Be sure to make sure that the cottage you choose contains all the necessary amenities stated when booking - cottages costing up to 150 euros per week are often just a wooden box with beds and a table, and a dry closet somewhere on the street, one for three or four cottages.

Independent travel to Norway by car.

Traveling to Norway on your own by car will be very expensive. Even if you rent a car in the country itself, the rental cost will be about 30-40 euros per day + insurance premium up to 2000 euros + gasoline up to 2 euros per liter. In addition, there are about 50 toll roads in Norway, the cost of driving along which is automatically charged to the credit card after registering on the corresponding portal. A trip around Norway by car can only be considered profitable if you live in it, without staying in hotels or hostels.

Food in Norway

Groceries in Norway are expensive, especially imported fruits. The cost of a cup of coffee with a bun in the simplest cafe is about 10 euros. Therefore, when I was in Oslo, I ate mainly at McDonald's or bought food at large supermarkets Rimi and Kiwi.

Chinese and Indian restaurants often have buffets - you pay 15 euros and eat as much as you want, but I personally didn’t like the food there - it was too greasy and heavy. In seaside cities, for example, in Bergen or Lofoten, caught seafood and fish, both raw and baked or grilled, are sold right on the pier - very cheap and incredibly tasty. However, if you have the proper equipment, you can catch your own fish completely free of charge.

Self-guided tour of the Norwegian fjords

You can travel independently through the fjords in Norway not only by car. Various travel companies organize many excursions to the Norwegian fjords, but their cost ranges from 30 euros for a two-hour excursion to 150 for a full-day boat trip. You can visit the fjords in Norway on your own - in many cities, Fords are located almost in the suburbs, so you can just take a bus or bike and go admire the nature.

• Don’t be afraid to travel to Norway on your own - this is one of the most peaceful and safe countries with a very developed tourist infrastructure. When I left a bag with food and clothes on a bench at a bus stop, I picked it up safe and sound the next day at the bus company office.
• To travel to Norway on your own, you will need at least basic knowledge of English or German. This is not Prague, do not expect that you will meet Russian-speaking people here at every step.
• Do not litter or litter in nature, do not light fires outside the campsite or specially equipped fire pits, and under no circumstances cut down trees, especially in the north, where there are few of them - the fines are simply astronomical.
• Despite the high prices, in Norway there is always an opportunity to save money, for example, purchasing products at discounts, ordering group tickets, purchasing special “Oslo Pass” cards, which give the right to free visits to museums and public transport.
• One of the saving options is to travel between coastal cities by sea - the cost will not be much higher than by bus, but you will get plenty of views of the fjords. I sincerely recommend Geiranger with its incredibly beautiful springs, waterfalls and mossy river banks. By the way, there is a lot of water in Norway and it is very clean, so you can safely drink from the tap or collect it from streams in reserve.