What to See in Norway - Top Sights and Attractions

Public park with a museum and sculpture. Frogner Park is a public park located in the West End borough of Frogner in Oslo, Norway. The park is historically part of Frogner Manor, and the manor house is located in the south of the park, and houses Oslo Museum. Both the park, the entire borough of Frogner as well as Frognerseteren derive their names from Frogner Manor.

Frogner Park contains, in its present centre, the Vigeland installation, a permanent sculpture installation created by Gustav Vigeland between 1924 and 1943. It consists of sculptures as well as larger structures such as bridges and fountains. The installation is not a separate park, but the name of the sculptures within the larger Frogner Park. Informally the Vigeland installation is sometimes called "Vigeland Park" or "Vigeland Sculpture Park"; the director of Oslo Museum Lars Roede said "Vigeland Park" "doesn't really exist" and is "the name of the tourists," as opposed to "Oslo natives' more down-to-earth name, Frogner Park."

The park of Frogner Manor was historically smaller and centered on the manor house, and was landscaped as a baroque park in the 18th century by its owner, the later general Hans Jacob Scheel. It was landscaped as a romantic park in the 19th century by then-owner, industrialist Benjamin Wegner. Large parts of the estate were sold to give room for city expansion in the 19th century, and the remaining estate was bought by Christiania municipality in 1896 and made into a public park. It was the site of the 1914 Jubilee Exhibition, and Vigeland's sculpture arrangement was constructed from the 1920s. In addition to the sculpture park, the manor house and a nearby pavilion, the park also contains Frognerbadet and Frogner Stadium. The Frogner Pond is found in the centre of the park.

Frogner Park is the largest park in the city and covers 45 hectares; the sculpture installation is the world's largest sculpture park made by a single artist. Frogner Park is the most popular tourist attraction in Norway, with between 1 and 2 million visitors each year, and is open to the public at all times. Frogner Park and the Vigeland installation was protected under the Heritage Act on 13 February 2009 as the first park in Norway.^[1]

Lake in Norway. Prestvannet or Báhpajávri is a small lake in Tromsø Municipality in Troms og Finnmark county, Norway. The lake sits at the highest point on the central part of the island of Tromsøya inside the city of Tromsø. Prestvannet was built up as a reservoir in 1867, and continued in that role until 1921. Since then it has been used as park land and a nature reserve.

The pond area has been preserved as a nesting place for various birds. The pond and its surrounding wooded area form an important natural area for the Tromsø area. Encircling the pond is a track commonly used for recreational activities and sports, as well as a nature trail with plaques giving information about the local wildlife. In the winter, the frozen pond is a popular place for ice skating.^[8]

Historic castle with a park and swimming. Gamlehaugen is a Royal Castle in Bergen, Norway, and the residence of the Norwegian Royal Family in the city. Gamlehaugen has a history that goes as far back as the Middle Ages, and the list of previous owners includes many of the wealthiest men in Bergen. Today owned by the Norwegian state, the most recent private owner was Christian Michelsen, a politician and shipping magnate who later became the first Prime Minister of Norway after the dissolution of the union between Sweden and Norway. Michelsen commissioned the construction of the current main building at Gamlehaugen, where he would live for most of the rest of his life.

When Michelsen died in 1925, his closest friends and colleagues started a national fund-raising campaign that brought in enough money to allow the Norwegian state to purchase the property. The large English park was opened to the public the same year, and the ground floor of the house was opened as a museum two years later. Gamlehaugen has been the Norwegian Royal Family's residence in Bergen since 1927.^[9]

Cathedral in Trondheim, Norway. Nidaros Cathedral is a cathedral of the Church of Norway located in the city of Trondheim in Trøndelag county. It is built over the burial site of King Olav II, who became the patron saint of the nation, and is the traditional location for the consecration of new kings of Norway. It was built over a 230-year period, from 1070 to 1300 when it was substantially completed. However additional work, additions and renovations have continued intermittently since then; the most recent changes were completed in 2001. Nidaros was designated as the cathedral for the Diocese of Nidaros in 1152. After experiencing the turmoil and controversies of the Protestant Reformation of the 16th century, it was taken from the Catholic Church by the newly established state Church of Norway in 1537, which adopted the teachings and reforms of Martin Luther, Phillip Melanchthon, and others, becoming an Evangelical Lutheran church. Nidaros is the northernmost medieval cathedral in the world.

The cathedral is the main church for the Nidaros og Vår Frue parish, the seat of the Nidaros domprosti (arch-deanery), and the seat of the Bishop of the Diocese of Nidaros. The Preses of the Church of Norway is also based at this cathedral. The large, stone church seats about 1,850 people and it was historically used as the site of coronation of the kings of Norway.^[10]

Striking 10th-century religious edifice. Stavanger Cathedral is Norway's oldest cathedral and the seat of the Bishop of Stavanger who leads the Diocese of Stavanger in the Church of Norway. It is located in the centre of the city of Stavanger which lies in the southwestern part of the large Stavanger Municipality in central Rogaland county, Norway. The church is situated in the centre of the city, in the borough of Storhaug between Breiavatnet in the south, the square with Vågen in the north west, the cathedral square in the north, and Kongsgård in the southwest.

It is one of the two churches for the Domkirken og St. Petri parish which is part of the Stavanger domprosti (arch-deanery) in the Diocese of Stavanger. The gray, stone church was built in a long church style around the year 1125 using designs by an unknown architect. The church seats about 800 people.^[14]

Lake in Norway. Breiavatnet is a small lake in the municipality of Stavanger in Rogaland county, Norway. The 0.031-square-kilometre lake is very shallow, only a few feet deep. The lake gets its water from the Kannikbekken stream, which flows from the Mosvatnet lake and runs through the city. A decorative fountain was installed in the middle of the lake in 1924.

The lake lies in the city centre of Stavanger, on the border of the boroughs of Storhaug and Eiganes og Våland. The Stavanger Cathedral, the City Park, and Stavanger Cathedral School lie on the northern shore of the lake. The Stavanger train station is located on the south shore of the lake.

The lake is the home of various birds, such as swans, seagulls, ducks, and sparrows. There are scarcely any fish in the water, and an old story from the area says that only the principal of Stavanger Cathedral School is the only one with rights to go fishing in Breiavatnet.^[15]

Cathedral in Kristiansand, Norway. Kristiansand Cathedral is a cathedral of the Church of Norway in Kristiansand Municipality in Agder county, Norway. It is located in the Kvadraturen area in the central part of the city of Kristiansand. It is the church for the Kristiansand domkirken parish which is the seat of the Kristiansand domprosti in the Diocese of Agder og Telemark. The cathedral is also the seat of the Bishop of Agder and Telemark. The gray, brick church was built in a Neo-Gothic cruciform design in 1885 using plans drawn up by the architect Henrik Thrap-Meyer. The church seats about 1,000 people, making it one of the largest cathedrals in Norway. This cathedral is the fourth church and third cathedral to be located on this site over the centuries.^[16]

Stadium in Molde, Norway. The Aker Stadion is an all-seater football stadium located at Reknes in Molde, Norway, and is the home of Eliteserien club Molde. The stadium has a current capacity of 11,249 spectators.

The building was designed by architect Kjell Kosberg. It cost 212 million kr, most of which was paid for by club-owner Kjell Inge Røkke—after whom the ground has been nicknamed "Røkkeløkka". The main construction work took place 1997, and the stadium was inaugurated on 18 April 1998 in a league game against Lillestrøm, replacing Molde idrettspark as Molde's home ground. The stadium was nominated for the FIABCI Prix D' Excellence and awarded the City Prize in 1999. The record attendance of 13,308 was set in a league match against Rosenborg in 1998. The same year, the arena hosted its first international match, where Norway beat Saudi Arabia 6–0. The following year, when Molde reached the UEFA Champions League, the stadium was converted to an all-seater, reducing its capacity. Since May 2006, the stadium name has been sponsored by Røkke's company Aker. The grass pitch was replaced with artificial turf in 2014.^[23]

Whaler's Monument, also known as The Whaling Monument, is a rotating bronze memorial statue situated by the harbor in Sandefjord, Norway. It is located at the end of Jernbanealleen, which is the main street in town.

The monument was created by Norwegian sculptor Knut Steen for which he won a competition in which more than one hundred sculptors had competed. A commission was granted to Knut Steen in 1953. The work took seven years to complete. It was first unveiled in 1960 and has become one of his most widely recognized works of sculpture.

It features an elegant, fishing boat raised by a whale fin. It depicts four stylized figures of whalers with oars in an open boat, with harpoons ready and water spraying. It is made in the style of a compass rose and rotates slowly. Central parts are made of bronze and weighs 26 tons. The dramatic effect is enhanced by the water columns in the fountain that are regulated at different heights. The pool has 128 underwater lights. Around the fountain are stylized reliefs in granite from modern whaling.

The costs associated with the design and construction of the sculpture were donated to the city by shipowner and whaling magnate, Lars Christensen. Earlier Consul Christensen had also funded the costs associated with the construction and development of the Sandefjord Museum.^[24]

Museum in Ålesund, Norway. Jugendstilsenteret is an Art Nouveau Center located in central Ålesund, in Møre og Romsdal, Norway.

Jugendstilsenteret is part of the Foundation Cultural Quarter in Ålesund. The Art Nouveau Center is located in the former Art Nouveau designed building of Swan Pharmacy (Svaneapoteket i Ålesund). The building itself was designed by Norwegian architect Hagbarth Martin Schytte-Berg (1860-1944) and built between 1905 and 1907. It was the first listed Art Nouveau / Jugendstil monument in Ålesund (1984) and it includes the town's best preserved Art Nouveau interior. Jugendstilsenteret is an interpretive center exhibiting both modern multimedia exhibitions and international art. The Art Nouveau center was opened by Queen Sonja of Norway on June 6, 2003. The center was selected as the millennium site for Møre og Romsdal county.^[25]

Museum in Sandefjord, Norway. Sandefjordmuseene is a museum located in Sandefjord, Norway. It is dedicated to the whaling industry and is the only specialized museum on the subject of whales and whaling in Europe. Since 2009, the museum has been associated with the Vestfold Museum. It is one of the largest whaling museums in the world, and Europe's only museum dedicated to the whaling industry.

Sandefjord Whaling Museum houses a full-size recreation of a 21-meter Blue whale, which hangs from the ceiling in one of its galleries. Southern Actor is based on Museum's Wharf and is a part of the museum. It is the only whale-catcher from the Modern Whaling Epoch still in its original working order.

The museum was visited by over one million people from its opening until 1994.^[26]

Stadium in Ålesund, Norway. Color Line Stadion is an association football stadium in Ålesund, Norway, and the home of 1. divisjon side Aalesunds FK. It was inaugurated in April 2005 and cost NOK 160 million to build. It is referred to as Aalesund Stadion by UEFA, as naming rights arrangements is not included during UEFA competitions.

It was the first top-level stadium in Norway to feature artificial turf, which was at the time a highly debated issue. When Aalesund opened the stadium, businessman Olav Nils Sunde donated a statue to the club, which was erected in front of the stadium. Whilst Sunde denied it, the statue bore a very strong resemblance to former Aalesund player John Arne Riise. In 2007, when Riise played in the Champions League Final, a Norwegian commentator demanded the statue officially carry his name. Riise himself has said, " is not for me to decide. Everyone sees who it is, and I know that it was made for me." It was officially named "John Arne Riise" in April 2018.

Since 2009 it has also hosted the home games of the women's Toppserien side Fortuna Ålesund. The venue has hosted one Norway national under-21 football team match, playing 1–3 against Cyprus on 3 September 2010. In a 2012 survey carried out by the Norwegian Players' Association among away-team captains, Color Line Stadion was ranked eleventh amongst league stadiums, with a score of 2.87 on a scale from one to five.^[29]

Waterfall in Norway. Tvindefossen is a waterfall in Voss Municipality in Vestland county, Norway. It is located about 12 kilometres north of the village of Vossevangen along the European route E16 road to Flåm.

The many-stranded waterfall, often said to be 152 metres (499 ft) high, is actually 116 metres (381 ft), is formed by a small Kroelvi stream, tumbling over a receding cliff. It is famous for its beauty. Buses sometimes stop for people to admire it. It was painted in 1830 by Johan Christian Dahl.

In addition, in the late 1990s the water at Tvindefossen acquired a reputation for rejuvenation and revival of sexual potency that made it one of the most important natural tourist attractions in western Norway, with as many as 200,000 people a year from the U.S. Japan and Russia visiting and filling containers with the water.

At one point it was Norway's ninth most visited natural attraction, with 272,000 visitors.^[32]

Museum in Kongsberg, Norway. The Norwegian Mining Museum is located at Kongsberg in Viken county, Norway.

Norwegian Mining Museum documents the history of the former Kongsberg Silver Mines (Kongsberg Sølvverk). The museum was established in 1938, and opened to the public in 1945. The museum documents the development of mining throughout the period the silver mines in Kongsberg were in operation.

As early as the 15th century, there was mining in the area. Copper ore was then taken out. Around 1540, silver-containing lead ore was also found. Silver deposits at Kongsberg were first discovered in 1629 with mines were in operation until 1958.

The cultural heritage dates from the 18th century, but there are traces of mining through the entire period of operation. The mining captain's house, cottages, stables, foundation for a water wheel as well as the system of aqueducts and dams are preserved. Situated close to the entrance of the silver mines are shelters once used by the miners. These buildings were built between the period 1867 and 1874. A mine train pulled by diesel locomotives takes visitors 342 meters below the surface and 2.3 km into the mountain. Inside the former mine there is a guided tour. An interesting device is the mine elevator which was built in 1881.^[35]

Lodging in Norway. Memurubu is a tourist hut in Norway, at the end or start of the famous Besseggen hiking trail. Memurubu is originally an old mountain pasture dating back to 1872, but has had tourists just as long. Cows are still grazing around the tourist hut, which lies at the mouth of the river Muru in the valley Memurudalen. After a fire destroyed the original lodge in 1998 it was rebuilt. The new facility has a few family rooms with shower and bathrooms although most of the 150 bunks are in double or quadruple occupancy rooms.

Memurubu was the fourth cabin in Norway set up by Norwegian Mountain Touring Association (DNT) but is now privately owned, though members of DNT obtain cheaper prices.

The lodge produces its own green power from its hydroelectric generator.

Hiking along the Besseggen trail, one ends at Gjendesheim at the eastern end of the lake Gjende. Hiking westwards along Gjende over Bukkelægret, one ends at Gjendebu at the western end of Gjende. From Memurubu, the mountain Surtningssue is also accessible through the valley Memurudalen^[42]

Mountain in Norway. Glittertind is the second highest mountain in Norway, at 2,465 m above sea level, including the glacier at its peak. It is in the municipality of Lom, in the Jotunheimen mountain area.

Glittertind had earlier been a challenger for the title as the highest mountain in Norway, as measurements showed Glittertind including the glacier was slightly higher than Galdhøpiggen (2,469 m above sea level with no glacier at the summit). In a 1917 official map, the mountain was indicated to be 2481 m. So it was a matter of defining a glacier as a part of a mountain or not. The glacier has, however, shrunk in recent years, and the dispute has been settled in Galdhøpiggen's favour. The summit of Glittertind was reached for the first time in 1841 by Harald Nicolai Storm Wergeland and Hans Sletten.

Glittertind is easily accessible from Spiterstulen lodge in the west, by a climb of 1300 m, and from Glitterheim lodge in the east, by a climb of 1000 m. The hike from Glitterheim is the easier, but Glitterheim is inside the National Park and can therefore only be reached by foot. The summit hike is a very popular one, only surpassed in seasonal numbers by Galdhøpiggen, its western neighbor.

The route across the glacier that crowns the summit is completely without crevasses, but on a hot summer day it might be a wet hike across the melting snow which covers the ice. Visitors might even experience that the meltwater blows up across the summit, leaving hikers soaked. The view is magnificent. East and southeast of Glittertind there are hardly any high peaks, and hence most of the northern and eastern parts of the province of Oppland can be seen. All famous photos of Glittertind are taken on the eastern flank slightly below the top.

There used to be a cabin at the summit, but because of the impossibility of mooring it sufficiently, it was taken by a storm and landed on the Grjotbreen glacier, under the steep north wall of the summit.^[43]

Church in Kongsberg, Norway. Kongsberg Church is a building and congregation of the Church of Norway located at Kongsberg in Viken county, Norway.

Kongsberg Church, a large baroque church, was designed by Joachim Andreas Stukenbrock and the construction period lasted from 1740 to 1761. It has a simple exterior with a richly decorated rococo interior. Kongsberg Church was constructed of brick and designed with a cruciform floor plan. The design of the church was inspired by Garnisons Church in Copenhagen.

Virtually all fixtures in the church are of wood, but pillars and surfaces have been marbled. The whole church has a cool blue color as a result. On either side of the altar and pulpit are the pillars that bear the organ gallery above. The Baroque organ is from 1765 and made by organ builder Gottfried Heinrich Gloger. In the 1850s it was restored by Paul Brantzeg and in 1932 by Josef Hilmar Jørgensen. In 1928, Tinius Olsen gave a major donation to the restoration of the organ which had suffered water damage in the late 1880s. The baptismal font was carved out of marble extracted from Holmestrand in Vestfold. The chandeliers were produced at Nøstetangen glassverk in Hokksund during the second half of the 1700s.

The sanctuary includes ceiling decorations by Eric Gustav Tunmarck. Among the driving forces behind the decoration and interior of the church was mining engineer Michael Heltzen.^[44]

Racecourse in Norway. Øvrevoll Galoppbane is the only gallop racecourse in Norway

It is located at Øvrevoll between Østerås (west), Jar (south) and Eiksmarka (north) in Bærum. It has both a turf track and an all-weather track. It was officially opened in 1932 by King Haakon VII and Queen Maud.

The biggest event of the year is the Derby Day, one Sunday at the end of August every year. Øvrevoll Galoppbane has a grandstand with a restaurant, as well as the Stallkroen Restaurant on the north side of the track. Sherryhaugen Café has a good view of the paddock.

In the late 1980s there were plans to build a hotel and a shopping mall near the circuit, to generate more traffic at the racecourse. This was rejected by local authorities. There were talks about moving the entire racecourse to rural Lier in protest, but this did not happen, partly because Norsk Rikstoto did not have finances to back it up. In 1990 the owners announced plans to stay at Øvrevoll, but expand by building a golf course.^[46]

Museum in Sarpsborg, Norway. The Borgarsyssel Museum is a museum located at Sarpsborg in Viken county, Norway. The museum was named after Borgarsysla, the Old Norse name of Østfold county.

It was founded in 1921 and documents Østfold's cultural history from the Middle Ages. The open-air collection includes about twenty historic buildings. It is located at the site of the ruins of the Medieval St. Nicholas's Church, which was built during the reign of King Øystein (1103–1123). Olaf's Chapel was built at the Borgarsyssel Museum as an exhibition hall for the Saint Olaf Jubilee (Olavsjubileet) in 1930.

Since 1947, the Borgarsyssel Museum has been the main county museum of Østfold. Since 1 January 2006 it has been a part of the Østfold Museum (Østfoldmuseet), which coordinates all museums in the county.^[48]