Travel to Norway

We have to admit that Bergen is our one of our favorite towns in Norway... because there is so much history there, and because the old center seems so small and manageable. Our most personal reason is because we have good travel buddies who have a summer hutte (a summer house) on nearby Varaldsoy Island in the middle of the Hardangerfjord. That's relative of course.... As the crow flies, it's not far, but by narrow roads and two ferries, it's a two hour drive. Still Bergen is the closest airport to fly into. And what a great city. Its Norway's second largest city, and it's a city with a long history. It was Norway's capital in the 12th and 13th centuries, and later it was a trading hub for the Hanseatic League. During that time it was probably the largest of all the towns in the Nordic countries because of shipping... later it was one of the four most important trading stations of the Hanseatic merchants.

If you stick to the old center, you'll find it a completely charming city. The area in and around the harbor is attractive and easy to walk. Down one side of the waterfront you'll find the Hanseatic Quarter which is called Bryggen. It's the heart of the old town, and this is where you find the colorful buildings you always see in the tourist brochures. Roaming around in this part of town, you'll really feel the history. Check out the Hanseatic Museum which is housed in a medieval merchant's home with type furnishings representative of the era. The wooden buildings in this quarter have burned down several times through the centuries, but they have always been rebuilt in the "old style". The area is touristy and full of pricey little restaurants and boutiques, but it's a fun place to stroll and cries out for you to use your camera.

The Fish Market, Torget i Bergen, is situated in the very heart of the city at the end of the harbor, but you won't only find fish here. It's full of vegetables, flowers and .... yikes.... even souvenirs. It's colorful and camera friendly. For an affordable lunch buy some freshly boiled shrimp and eat on the waterfront. For one of the best views of the city, take a ride up Mount Floyen in the Funicular... The Floybanen. You'll only be 320 meters (1050 feet) above sea level, but you can see a panoramic view of the city and the surrounding mountains and islands. The station is 150 meters from the Fish Market. The Funicular departs every 30 minutes on the hour and half hour. Picnic up here or take in the sunset.

This city is a good starting point for the Norway in a Nutshell fjord tours... especially if you want to try and make it a day tour. There are also coastal ships that depart from here and steam north along Norway's scenic coast. Bring a raincoat or an umbrella. There's more than twice as much rain here as in Oslo. Our friends on Varaldsoy tell us they'll have to spend the winter in Florida to work on a tan. Like all of Norway, things tend to be expensive, but with so many areas to walk and so many free views, you shouldn't feel the pinch too much. With all of this to see and do, you really should add Bergen to your travel wish list.

Now it seems as though there is no other option other than to find help yourself. There are many types of aids that can help you. The Norway Scholarship is a type of international funding that is given to qualified people to assist them in their financial need.

If you thought that going to college would be difficult because of your financial status, than think again because there are all types of assistance out there to help you over this problem. No matter your race, sex, or age, there is help for you. Scholarships are offered to qualifying people that find themselves in financial bind but have been approved for these types of funds. The amount is based upon the issuer and the persons qualification.

This scholarship is granted to those who plan to do their study in Norway. This particular scholarship is used at the University of Oxford. It has been used since 1920 and it is still going on strong today. Many people are not aware of this type of funding. It can help take a load off your mind when it comes down to getting your child ready for college. No matter what he/she is planning on majoring in, they can still qualify for a scholarship.

If you are even in Norway and you are thinking about doing your studying there, you may want to consider filing for this type of scholarship. It is to help people advance in their international studies.  It is just another form of funding for college. This is the only scholarship in Norway offered by the University of Oxford. Now are many other funds for your college education. The Norway Scholarship is just a little better because you will not have to look for any other funding. This scholarship takes the place of all the government grants and aids that are offered.

Here are a few of the favourites:

Trysil
Trysil is the most trendy center for skiing in Norway, and the biggest if you count the amount of pists and lifts. They contain a major focus on security and the balance with all kinds of slopes.
Trysil has 32 lifts and 65 pists.

Oppdal
Oppdal is close to E6(the highway through Norway), and is roughly speaking 190 miles south of Trondheim.
This is a place for you if you wish to ride in the slopes, offpiste or only choose to walk on skiis.
All the lifts are on 4 individual mountaint tops. Many of the slopes are faced to the south - prefect for you if you'll like a tan in the early on summer. Oppdal has 17 lifts and 39 pists.

Hemsedal
There are other places with more lifts and longer slopes, but Hemsedal is more compelte once it comes to other offers aswell, like afterskii, entertainments and restaurants. This makes Hemsedal to the principally complete skiplace in Norway. Hemsedal has 22 lifts and 39 pists.

Stranda
National Geographic assumed that the norwegian fjords are one of the greatest places to travell to in the world. Close to the most trendy "Geiranger fjorden" is one of the most royal mountains for downhill skiing in Norway. Are you one of those who likes offpist is Stranda the greatest place north of the Alphs. Here the mountains are very steep, it is alot of snow and the view over the fjords are magical. But if you are one of those who likes it furthermost in the slopes or is gonna travel with your household, there would probably be better alternatives in Norway than Stranda. Stranda has 5 lifts and more or less 10 pists.

Hafjell and Kvitfjell
Hafjell and Kvitfjell is more or less 30 miles north of Lillehammer, and roughly speaking 3 hours with a car from Oslo. Since OL in Lillehammer in 1994 have these two places developed alot. In Hafjell and Kvitfjell there is slopes for the whole family and for all skill levels. There are 5 places around Lillehammer which all uses the "Ski Resorts Ski Pass" This is a liftpass that allowes you to travell freely connecting all those 5 places. This will acquire you a absolute access to 43 lifts and 66 slopes.

Geilo
Geilo is one of most safest places in Norway when it comes to having enough snow. Geilo has slopes for the complete family and can even offer you the opportunity to try kite-skiing, which Geilo have one of the best circumstances for in the world. Additionaly Geilo provides about 220km slopes in place of cross-country skiing.
Geilo has 20 lifts and 38 pists.

Beitostølen
Beitostølen is about 3 hours with a car from Oslo. Beitostølen can offer lots of wounderful untouched off-piste adventures, but does also offer the whole specter of different types of slopes for the family. Here you can find two centers with a total of 9 lifts, 21 slopes and 320km of pists for cross-country skiing.

Walking amongst Norway's fjords offers visitors some of the most unique and beautiful scenery in the world, from steep mountainsides to immense waterfalls. We take a look at some of the best places to go hiking in Norway for fantastic views of the fjords.

Bergen

Cruise ships often start their journey of Norway's fjords from this bustling ferry port. Huddled amongst towering mountains, the town is famous for its Fish Market which not only sells raw oysters but also holiday souvenirs and vegetables. Next to the Fish Market you will see Dyvekegangen which is the narrowest street in Norway at just 99cm wide. Walking in Norway's narrowest street may not seem a particularly enjoyable prospect, especially for the claustrophobic amongst you. However the Dyvekegangen is home to the popular Dyveke's wine cellar a Victorianesque building which is definitely worth the stroll.

Also located in the centre of Bergen is the Witch Stone, where 350 suspected witches were burnt at the stake from 1550 to 1700. Equally gruesome is the dungeon at the Rosencrantz Tower which was used from 1400 to 1800.

Voss

The town of Voss is one of the best locations for hiking in Norway, with an abundance of lakes and mountains. It is also the gateway to the breathtaking Sognefjord, which makes it one of the best places to spend a couple of days before continuing on to visit this natural wonder. Whilst the town of Voss may be incredibly scenic for walking in Norway it is also the ideal place to take part in a number of adventure sports. Skiing, waters ports and paragliding are all common in this area and the extreme sports festival, Ekstremsportveko, takes places every year in June.

When all the sports that the region has to offer have worn you out, it's time to take a break from walking in Norway and board the scenic railway which stretches from Bergen to Flam. The railway cuts into the side to the mountain and descends 865m in 13 miles to the shores of Aurlandsfjord. Aurlandsfjord can be experienced from boat and kayak and the mountains are the perfect place for walking in Norway's scenic landscapes.

Sognefjord

Sognefjord is Norway's most dramatic fjord and the area is sure to be the highlight of your hiking holiday in Norway. The fjord is not only the largest in Norway, but also the second largest in the world, extending more than 200km inland to the national parks of Jotenheimen and Jostedalsbreen. Both parks are equally attractive, and both merit a visit whilst on your walking holiday in Norway. Jotunheimen, 'the Home of the Giants', contains Norway's highest mountain, Galdhøpiggen, and all the country's peaks above 2300m.

Meanwhile Jostedalsbreen's craggy mountain peaks and verdant grass make the park ideal for hiking but the area is equally attractive by boat as it boasts the largest glacier within mainland Europe. If the glaciers are something that particularly fascinate you whilst on your walking holiday in Norway then you may even want to join a glacier walking tour and enjoy a thrilling walk with an experienced guide on the blue glacier ice.

When you are walking in the forest and along the river at night, remember you are not alone. There are little elves in the forest, and people in Norway call them the trolls. Every nation has its own tradition legends about spirits. And for Norway, it is the troll. The trolls have long red nose, massive hair, and somewhat ugly. They are said to be the spirit of trees and the earliest conquer of Norway. The trolls are in charge of the night and the Norwegians are in charge of the day.

The first day I stepped into the earth of Norway, the sculptures of the trolls started to grab my eyes. They were really every where. They are at the doors of shops, in the train stations, by the street of the city and at the door of someone's house. The bigger ones can be 2 meters tall and the smaller ones can be put into the pockets. But don't try to make troubles with those little demons. I took a lot of photos of them as a sign of friendliness. At last I even brought a troll with a long braid back home.

The troll is the mascot of Norway. Many Norwegian grow up listening to the stories of the trolls. In those stories, the trolls are the earliest habitants in this land. They had families and people were divided into different tribes and they had their own kings. For example beside the lakes in the forests, there lived a kind of trolls named Nakens. They lived in the water. And besides the waterfalls and mills lived a kind of trolls named Falthergramenn, who were pretty good at playing violin. In one of those stories a famous violinist was once the student of the trolls.

The most interesting story about the trolls is that they sleep during the day and start doing thing at night. But once they play so happily and forget to hide themselves before the sun comes out, they will be turned into stones. In the stories, the trolls like to have porridge and it is said that their long noses are used to blend the porridge. So during Christmas the local people will put a bowl of porridge at the door of their houses for the trolls to enjoy their time of Christmas. The trolls are becoming more and more friendly.

Speaking of Norway, people can naturally bring the world famous novel "The Forest in Norway" to mind. There are many mountains in Norway. All kinds of villages are seated among the mountains. Between the villages are just the forests which are far away or nearby as if they are waiting for something. The forests of birches and firs which are both thin and thick are neither secretive like the virgin forest in image nor profound like the description by the authors.

In Norway, you can see the forest everywhere. The Norwegian like the forest very much. It is ruled by law that people must plant a young tree in the time limit after felling a tree no matter it is public-owned or privately owned. The Norwegian go to the forest is like our going to the square in weekends. People go to the forest to have a walk, go fishing deep in the forest and pick the mushrooms and wild fruit or only to do mountain climbing. I hear that there is usually a small log cabin deep in the forest. Beside the doorway is a mail box. People can live here for nights only after putting the money into the box. People would tidy the room and put some wild flowers in the drawing room for welcoming the next guest when they leave.

Whether the music of the Beatles or the word of Haruki Murakami, both make people the forest in Norway mysterious and beautiful which is beyond description. The forest in the novel of Haruki Murakami is mysterious, endless and is filled with the atmosphere of lost and coldness. In the true world, seventy-five percentage of the land are forest and greenbelt in the capital city of Oslo which is only with a population of five hundred thousand. Here is a typical place where the Nordic get along very well with the nature.

It is said that the original meaning of Oslo is "the valley of God" while another meaning is” plain of the foot of mountain". Oslo leans close to the circuitous firth of Oslo. Being viewed from a high place, it is surrounded tightly by the sea and the forest. The forest is endless. You can not see an end. Only one third of the entire city land is developed for construction. Most of the area remains in the nature status. For more information about traveling; please have a look at http://www.affordablecruisestours.com.

Bergen was founded by Olav Kyrre in 1070 under the name Bjørgvin. It was the largest city in Scandinavia until the 16th century and Norway's largest city until the 18th century. He built a wooden Christian church on the ground that later should be called Bergen Hus and at the same time he also started building a larger church building in stone. After this he singled out Bergen as the Bishop's headquarters for Western Norway. The city's second founder King Øystein (1103-28) built a fortress of wood near the two churches.

From the mid 12th century the wooden buildings of the king was replaced with stone halls, among them the Haakon Hall. In the area around it there were built walls with towers and in one of these the king created a chancery. The reason for the king’s association to Bergen was due to the city’s fast growing trading with fish from the north and grain, clothing and wine from foreign trade countries. German merchants established in Bergen from the mid 13th century as a resident colony attached to the German (Hanseatic) office. 

In the 13th and 14th century Bergen suffered from financial crises and misery and it was not until the 15thcentury that things were getting better. In the end of 15thcentury immigration from Denmark, Germany, Scottland, Netherlands increased and gave the shipping industry new impulses and built new relations with Arkhangelsk in the north to Sicily in the south. In the centuries that followed Bergen can be characterized by many ups and downs. In the first half of each century the city was marked by economic recessions. 

Then came the golden times, often accompanied by a new immigration wave. The same pattern repeated itself in each century until the 1850’s. Here we reached the industrial age and Bergen became the leading city in Norwegian shipping with fast transition from sail to steam. Export goods had until the 1900's mainly been fish products and lumber, but new technology and industry like textiles and clothing, mechanical workshops, merchant mills and new businesses like banks, insurance companies and new stock exchange building had made its way. This became the basis for further growth until 1914. 

After the first World War Bergen was once again hit by financial crises, closed industrial facilities and bankruptcies. And then came the great fire in 1916 that nearly burned down the entire Bergen city center. It was not until 1935 that the business sector experienced a definite improvement. Then came World War II and the damages that Bergen suffered from were bigger and more expensive than in any other city in Norway. Buildings on Bergen Hus, Nykirken and Tollboden had also been destroyed and it took several years before the buildings were rebuilt. Although it is a long time since the Hanseatic times, Bergen is still a commerce city and appear today as an important, modern hub in Norway.