Architecture, history and nature: the best of Norway
Norway is the queen of natural landscapes, of verdant heights and snow-white beaches, of still bodies of water and thundering waterfalls. But in reality this country manages to reconcile natural and man-made elements in a masterful fusion. Sometimes they blend naturally, sometimes they create very strong and perfect contrasts. Modern works or historic buildings dot the fjords and forests, and they are all to be discovered.
Here is what to expect from a trip to Norway and the places to best enjoy all its facets.
FJORDS, FJORDS AND MORE FJORDS
Norway is synonymous with fjords, or fjord is with Norway, I don't know which is more true. But the coastline of this country is basically an endless succession of peninsulas created by the sea creeping like cracks in a rickety wall, with many branches forming smaller inland fjords in turn, until they are lost swallowed up by the land. The typical image of the Norwegian fjord is towering peaks covered with bright green forests, which at times gently and at times with abrupt cliffs and walls of living rock, plunge into this tongue of sea that curve after curve makes its way into the land. Each fjord resembles, and at the same time is unique.
These are our favorites:
1. LYSEFJORD: pleasant waters, memorable sunrises, some hiking in the surrounding area, a scenic road. The flagship of Lysefjord is Preikestolen, which observes this tranquil fjord from above.
2. HARDANGERFJORD: stark contrasts between rugged rock faces that offer themselves to experienced hikers, and pleasant orchard-covered slopes next to quiet villages. It lies between two national parks, one with views of mountains and lakes, another gathering perennial glaciers. Hardangerfjord is also the gateway to the hike to Trolltunga, although the viewpoint is not on the fjord but on a lake.
3. SOGNEFJORD: longest and deepest, the king of the Norwegian fjords. It is the gateway to two magnificent national parks, Jotunheimen and Jostedalsbreen, which will enchant you with peaks and glaciers. You can, for example, wander into Tungestølen, a plain surrounded by mountains, with a magnificent lodge. You can stay overnight in a hut with futuristic architecture or enjoy camping next to streams and grazing herds.
4. NÆRØYFJORD: a branch of Sognefjord that is home to pretty villages such as Gudvanger and Undredal, and thunderous waterfalls. Together with Aurlandsfjord, it is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
5. AURLANDSFJORD: also branches off from Sognefjord and on its eastern side is home to the Stegastein, a wooden viewing platform that seems to plunge like a waterfall into the woods that reach the fjord.
6. LUSTRAFJORD: still a branch of Sognefjord worthy of attention, with gentle slopes and orchards and one of the UNESCO World Heritage Stavkirke, Urnes Church.
7. GAIRANGERFJORD: another fjord part of the UNESCO list, on its shores are steep roads with an endless succession of hairpin bends, leading to dizzying viewpoints. Drive north to Trollstigen, or on the Eagle Road, and finally admire the fjord from the Geiranger Skywalk viewpoint.
8. NUSFJORD (Lofoten Islands): unlike the others, the natural beauty of this fjord is almost overshadowed by the beauty of the eponymous yellow rorbuer village that colonizes its shores.
BOUNDLESS NATIONAL PARKS
Between one fjord and another stretch immense national parks. Whether they are known for their surging glaciers, for being a sanctuary for animals, or for towering waterfalls, they are worth traveling the length and breadth of the country and planning a few hikes. Among the most beautiful we visited:
1. JOSTEDALBREEN NP: famous for its glaciers, we had the pleasure of admiring them from afar in the Tungestølen valley, camping for a night and enjoying the magnificent sunset, as well as a walk in the valley in the morning, and more closely on the Nigardsbreen, reaching up to the slopes of the glacier.
2. DOVREFJELL-SUNNDALSFJELLA NP: stretches of gentle slopes covered with taiga, mosses and lichens crunch under your feet, shrubs grow next to rivulets of water, and your hiking shoes will sink here and there in swampy areas. If you are lucky, you may see deer, reindeer and especially the rare musk ox that impassively stands out in the rain with its wavy coat looking at you suspiciously.
3. JOTUNHEIMEN NP: already along the scenic route between Lom and Luster you can see some of the vertiginous mountains of this National Park, which is home to some of the highest peaks in Norway. The hike to Besseggen is the best known, and leads to a special viewpoint from which to admire a lake and a fjord in the same perspective. We were only able to hike a section of it before it started to pour.
VIKING CHURCHES
Stavkirke are medieval churches with canopies and pinnacles, with pine shingles that like scales cover the entire wooden carcass of the structure. Aged under the weather they are now almost black in color, and with their ornate eaves and jutting gables they look like a curled-up dragon resting between a meadow and a cemetery of moss-covered tombstones. Among the surviving 28 churches, the ones we visited are Undredal stave church (very different from the others, painted white), Urnes stave church, Fantoft stave church (we found it closed, but it can be reached by a short walk from the parking lot, in a fairy forest) and Borgund stave church, to be accompanied by a nice hike on Vindhellavegen nearby, which will take you through forests, pastures and on an old stone road with many loops in a very picturesque valley.
CONTEMPORARY ARCHITECTURE ON THE ROADSIDE
In Norway, contemporary architecture means not only in large-scale construction projects, but also becomes one with the landscape through observatories, trailside bivouacs, viewing platforms, and refreshment spots. Everything is meticulously detailed, well-maintained, and affordable. Natural materials make these interventions seem like a continuation of the surrounding nature.
The use of indigenous elements, even in design references, and the blending with the context, make Norway one of my favorite places to go in search of architectural goodies, and Norwegian architects are among those I find most interesting.
Along the scenic routes (you can read more about the routes in this ARTICLE) there are art installations, sculptures that are inspired by the place where they are placed, take the aesthetic and material essence from it, and interpret it in a contemporary or almost futuristic way.
If there is a vantage point, you can be sure that it will not go unnoticed: each one is enhanced, perhaps with a wooden walkway that leads you to discover different perspectives, perhaps with a concrete bench that emerges and merges with the rocks, perhaps with a jutting platform that disappears into the landscape with a glass balustrade.
You can play at discovering all these gems along your way and stop to appreciate their beauty, and the beauty of the views that inspired them.
Another architectural element with which Norwegians are particularly adept is the construction of cabins in nature parks or areas of scenic interest. Maybe it is just a place in the warmth from which to observe the surroundings, maybe it is a restaurant or café, maybe it is instead a lodging where one can sleep enveloped in the scent of pine wood. They will be a very interesting addition to your hikes.
