Norway Activities

Families visiting the country will find that Norway offers a wide selection of attractions aimed at keeping both young and old occupied for days on end. Zoos and amusement parks provide much of the entertainment and give kids a chance to experience a bit of nature as well as some entirely man-made thrills.

Bø Sommarland
Bø Sommarland is the country’s biggest water-park and one of the most popular attractions in the Telemark area. Visitors can while away the hours in the park’s extensive number of pools where slides of varying height and length provide thrills for children and adults alike. A dry area includes a playground with mini-golf, a climbing mountain, a stage with clown shows and an entertainment centre called Las Bøgas which features a fun fair, casino and show stage with live performances.

Kristiansand Zoo and Amusement Park
An ideal place for children and their parents to visit, the Kristiansand zoo and amusement park has a large variety of things to occupy visitors with the safari-park style zoo among the most popular. Unlike other zoos, the animals here roam freely and can be viewed from the safety of a vehicle. A summer island in the middle of the park is ideal for bathing in with its warm pool and gentle waves. A haunted house, a Caribbean pirate town and Kardemomme featuring figures from the books written by Norwegian author Thorbjørn Egner, are among the attractions available.

Kongeparken
Situated in the Stavanger Municipality, Kongeparken is Western Norway's biggest amusement park and the most popular attraction in Rogaland. Attractions in the park are aimed at all of the family and include favourites such as the Humla, which is the country’s biggest merry-go-round; brumleband, the longest bob run in Norway and the Airship, Norway’s highest Ferris wheel. The magic chocolate factory will delight kids and adult-chocoholics alike with its various chocolate related interests with the highlight being the chance to make your own genuine Freia milk chocolate bar.

Polar Zoo
Hailed as the world's northernmost park that features predatory animals, Polar Zoo is a great day out for kids and animal loving adults featuring an extensive selection of wildlife. Animals are kept in conditions that attempt to mimic their natural environments and among those housed at the facility; you’ll find reindeer, lynxes, wolves, mountain foxes and musk oxen. Feeding time is a good time to see some interesting sights. The zoo also offers horse riding, a children’s playground, a souvenir shop and a cafeteria.

TusenFryd Amusement Park
Hailed as Norway's best amusement park, TusenFryd will keep the kids amused for the day with it selection of attractions that include 33 carousels and 74 games. Popular rides include the ThunderCoaster, SuperSplash, RollOver and SpaceShot. A water-fun area provides more family fun while the Barnas Fryd area offers small rides for very young visitors. The highlight of the park is the SpeedMonster ride which boasts being the biggest rollercoaster in Scandinavia. Pay one entry price for everything in the park excepting horse riding and the SkyCoaster.

As the country’s capital, Oslo is home to a huge number of museums giving culture buffs a chance to really indulge their passions for all things of historical and aesthetical interest.

Check out the museums of Oslo and Bergen
Among the best in the city are the Norwegian Museum of Cultural History, the National Museum of Contemporary Art, the Edvard Munch Museum, the Oslo City Museum and the Viking Ship Museum. In Bergen meanwhile you’ll find the Museum of Cultural History, the Maritime Museum, the Boy's Brigade Museum, the Hanseatisk Museum and the Natural History Museum.

Norsk Folkemuseum
The Norsk Folkemuseum is an outdoor museum that features over 150 buildings hailing from different regions of Norway. The buildings have been moved and faithfully reconstructed against a manmade landscape to give the impression of an old fashioned village. As a country with forests covering a large proportion of its landmass, it’s no surprise that people take an interest in the flora and fauna living in these relatively untamed wildernesses. Visitors to the museum can learn about their ecosystems at a nature information centre as well as through displays featuring stuffed wildlife native to the forests. Meteorological and geological exhibits plus various wood carvings also make for interesting viewing. Outside in the museum grounds you’ll find an arboretum which is home to some 80 Nordic tree species as well as several riverside freshwater fish ponds.

While Norway has a varied restaurant selection including both native and international establishments, you should make sure you try some of the mouth watering local dishes during your stay. Typical Norwegian cuisine focuses heavily on fresh ingredients provided by the environment and has a heavy emphasis on seafood.

Smoked salmon, which is now an internationally famous creation, is a traditional Norwegian dish. Norwegians like to eat it in many forms but favourites include on sandwiches with scrambled eggs, dill, or mustard sauce. Other fish specialties include wind-dried cod which is prepared for eating by beating with a wooden mallet before being soaked in water then served with butter or mustard. Meat lovers meanwhile will find game is highly popular on account of the abundance of elk and deer living in the Norwegian woodlands.

Make sure that you venture into the big cities and find fantastic restaurants where a three course meal consists of some of the country’s best gourmet delicacies.

Norway is no haven to head for in search of cheap goods such as alcohol and tobacco or electrical goods; however if you can look beyond the need to get a bargain, you’ll find plenty of unusual food or souvenir items that aren’t available back home. Like most European countries, there is a combination of large department stores where you’ll find mass produced goods and smaller independent retailers and markets where more individual products can be found.

If it’s souvenirs with a traditional Norwegian flavour that you are looking for then one of the county’s most popular knick-knacks is the Troll. These ugly little critters are usually hand painted in the country, come in a range of shapes and sizes and make great gifts for family and friends back home. Trolls can be found in gift and souvenir shops all over the country and have close associations with Norwegian culture.

Food items that you might want to consider buying (check whether customs in your country permits the importing of food) include brown cheese or Gjetost (pronounced ‘yet-oast') as it is locally known. The cheese is fudge-like in consistency and has a creamy caramel flavour; Norwegians typically eat it on cracker bread at breakfast time but visitors taking it home will find it goes well with many things. If you are a fish lover then you might also want to buy some of the wind-dried cod that is highly popular. Do make sure it’s well wrapped before you pack it however or its pungent smell might permeate other items in your luggage.

If you are visiting Oslo then you’ll find plenty of choices for shopping and where you decide to head depends very much on what you’re looking for. Majorstuen in Bogstadveien is a good place to find men’s and women’s clothing as well as shoes, purses, bags and jewellery. Products here tend to be towards the upper end of the market. Karl Johans gate meanwhile, is a pedestrianised shopping area where you’ll find a general selection of shopping outlets as well as a variety of bars and restaurants. For rainy days, there are six malls within the Oslo area where you’ll find a great range of retail establishments as well as venues for dining also. The malls are as follows: Oslo city, by porten, Steen og stým, Glass magasinet, Paleet and CC-Vest.

Shopping hours are generally Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday 09:00-17:00/18:00, Thursday 09:00-20:00, Sat 09:00-13:00/15:00.

Without doubt, the most popular sports or outdoor activities from both resident and visitor perspectives are skiing and the other winter sports that can be found at Norway’s extensive selection of ski resorts. Picturesque frozen lakes, majestic fjords and gently sloping mountains form the backdrop for ski centres that are capable of rivalling any that the Alps has to offer. Ski conditions are perfect with some of the finest snow you could hope to find. Opportunities for fantastic skiing and snowboarding are provided on slopes designed for those of all abilities.

Tryvann Vinterpark Skiing
If you are visiting Oslo, the Tryvann Vinterpark resort can be found just 20 minutes from the city centre. The resort offers 11 pistes of varying difficulty plus an impressive terrain park featuring a half pipe.

Visit Lillehammer and Hafjell Resorts
Lillehammer and Hafjell meanwhile are among the country’s other most popular resorts following their hosting of the 1994 Winter Olympics/ They both offer ski seasons that last from the middle of November to the end of April. Both resorts have beginners, intermediate and advanced slopes as well as good conditions for cross-country skiers and snowboarders.

Tobogganing
Other activities available at these resorts include horse drawn sleigh rides, tobogganing, ice-skating, dog sledding and the chance to try out the Olympic Bobsleigh.

Hiking and Trekking
Popular non-winter sports in Norway include hiking and trekking, kayaking, white-water rafting and mountain biking.