Norway is a place of great extremes - in temperature,
in light and darkness, in cost, and most significantly
in beauty. Few countries can boast the immensity of
natural beauty that Norway has to offer. It's small
population has resulted in vast, unspoiled vistas,
while its unique geography provides some amazingly
beautiful mountainous landscapes, and the worlds most
accessible polar region. Natural beauty also comes
in the form of a diverse range of unusual wildlife,
such as whales, polar bears and reindeer; and in the
famous and unique Aurora Borealis, or Northern
Lights. Another national phenomenon is that of the
'midnight sun', making Norway one of few where over
the summer, the sun never sets below the horizon.
Norway is also one of few places world-wide to offer
year round skiing, as well as a host of other adventurous
outdoor activities, while for those who desire a less
active break, Norway also has popular and cosmopolitan
European cities - the bustling capital, Oslo,
and the famously attractive city of Bergen,
European City of Culture for 2000.
The far northern end of Norway makes up a large part
of Sami Land, better known as Lapland. The
area is named after the indigenous people, the Sami,
though many people visit the area for its more famous
(though fictional) inhabitants, Santa and his elves!
Read the full story
- background and travel essentials
