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The home pages for the Usenet newsgroup soc.culture.nordic

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Subject: 6.4 
Main tourist attractions

6.4.1 Bergen

The city was founded in 1070 by King Olaf III; it became a leading trade center and Norway's capital during the 12th and 13th centuries. It joined the Hansaetic League in the 14th century, and German merchants from the league developed trade monopolies here that lasted into the 18th century. Occupied during World War II by the Germans, the city suffered heavy damage during Allied bombings.

Bergen is surrounded by mountains low enough to be climbed on foot but sufficiently high to offer a great view. There are many good paths for hikers, but there are also a cable cars going to the highest peak, mount Ulriken (606m above sea), and to Fløyen (314m) which is a bit closer to the centre.

<The following from an article by Daniel R. Juliano>

I am not sure how you are getting from Bergen to Oslo, but I would suggest the beautiful scenic train that takes you between the two if you are not flying. It stops quite often and lets you get out in the mountains and look around. It is warm up there, yet there is tons of snow. At least there was when I was there two years ago this month.

If you could get to Oystese and see the Hardanger fjord that is the most beautiful one I ever saw. But, you have to take a bus or drive there. When we were there the buses were on strike (of course) and we rented a car. Scary. You have to drive on these huge mountains with no guard rail where you are literally one foot from the edge and you have to go through huge tunnels. A police man actually pulled us over for going to slow. :)

We did take a boat tour in Bergen of the fjords which we enjoyed. My family went to see Grieg's house. They enjoyed that. They also saw the stave church. I didn't go along to those so I don't know if I should recommend them.

On most days in Bergen there is a fish market in the main part of town which is quite interesting. They sell fish that they have just caught, as well as fresh fruit, flowers, bread and handicrafts. It is closed on Sundays.

Oh, we also went on a tour of some church and of the Hansa houses. That was neat. Ok, I'll stop. Again. If you have any more specific questions, just ask.

<From: Jan Setnan>

I always recommend taking the boat from Bergen to Balestrand in the evening. Then the express ferry from Balestrand to Flåm. The trip from Bergen to Flåm will give you an impressive view of the fjords. Then you take the nighttrain flom Flåm to Oslo, arriving the next morning.

The boat from Bergen to Balestrand may be filled with tourists so you probably should reserve tickets. But the ferry from Balestrand to Flåm should give you no problems. The train tickets you should reserve beforehand. The luggage is another problem travelling from boat to boat to train. If you have several items, you could send most of it with the train from Bergen to Oslo, and only take the necessary minimum with you on the boats. The boat ticket from Bergen to Flåm is about $65.

<From: Melvin Klasse>

When I went to Bergen, in early-July 1988, the "Tourist Information Centre" (*very* close to the SAS Hotel in Bergen) had all sorts of accomodation available, from a "pension" (bed & shared bathroom & NO-breakfast) to "tourist-class" hotels.

• Get an umbrella -- if it isn't raining, you're not in Bergen!!!
• Walk around the Fish Market, of course.
• The WW II "War Resistance" museum chronicles the time of the German presence.
• Take the Fløybanen (train ride at 23 degrees "up" the hill).
• See Edward Greig's summer-house "Troldhaugen".
• Make reservations for dinner & entertainment with "Fana Folklore".

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6.4.2 Oslo

The city remained small until the 19th century; in 1814, it's population was only 11,200. That year, Norway was separated from Denmark and was joined into Sweden by a personal union. Christiania became the national capital and started to grow. The Royal Palace was built, and the Storting (Parliament) and government offices were established. By 1910, the population had already reached 225,000.

Today Oslo is a well-planned city with wide, straight streets. Government offices and the central business district are focused on Karl Johansgate, which is the main street in Oslo. By the harbour is the two-towered City Hall (completed 1950), the city's most famous landmark, facing the fjord and the downtown area.

Oslo is also the cultural heart of Norway. The university, which was founded in 1811, is the largest in the country. The city also contains the National Theater, the Bygdøy folk museum with a large collection of traditional buildings, and a museum of excavated Viking ships. On Holmenkollen, a mountain overlooking the city, is a famous ski jump, the site of many winter sports competitions. Frogner Park contains the statuary of Gustav Vigeland.

<From: Ken Ewing>

I spent a week in Oslo in July, 1989. I don't know what you might be interested in, but here's a rundown of stuff that I did (please forgive any misspellings...I don't have my travel info in front of me. :-)

• City Hall. Called "Rådhuset" in Norwegian. This is a large, twin-towered building right on the waterfront. The ground floor is the national tourist office. Here you can arrange for tours, find out interesting things to see, buy guidebooks, etc.
• Akershus Fortress. Easy to find. It's a genuine medieval fort right on the waterfront. It's something of a symbol for Oslo in that having been under siege nine times since its construction in the 1300's, it has never fallen to an enemy. Guided tours are available. In or near the Akershus Fortress are many museums, including:
  • Resistance Museum. A "must-see" for WWII enthusiasts. It looks very small from outside the door, but it's quite large inside. It documents the German occupation and TONS of artifacts, photos, etc.
  • Christiania Exhibit (I think it's called that). This is a model and show about the history of Oslo. Oslo was originally located a but further south, and the current site of Oslo used to be called Christiania, named after King Christian IV.
• Take a water taxi across the bay to Bygdøy. There are several museums over there, including:
  • Maritime Museum. Pretty big place. If you're into maritime topics (which I am) you can spend a few hours here.
  • Fram Museum. The Fram is a sailing ship built around 1897. It was basically designed to be a wooden-hulled icebreaker. The designer had a theory that the Arctic ice cap flowed with "currents" matching those of the ocean underneath, and that if a ship could lodge itself in the ice, it could ride these currents across the North Pole. He built this ship, lodged it into the ice, and proved his theory (coming with five degrees of the North Pole). The ship is now housed within this museum.
  • Kon-Tiki museum. Contains Thor Heyerdahl's ships Kon-Tiki and Ra II. You might remember Ra II from the movie made in 1973 (I think). There is also a life-size copy of a statue from Easter Island, and also a genuine, taxidermed, 30-foot whale shark suspended underneath the Kon Tiki.
  
  All three of these museums are right next to one another. A little farther down the road (easy walking distance) you'll find:
  • Viking Ship Museum. This building looks like a church from the outside, and is not marked very well with signs. It contains three actual Viking ships dug up from the ground, plus a bunch of artifacts from the Viking era.
  • Folk Museum. This is a large park that contains exhibits of the inland culture of Norway (as opposed to the maritime culture, as the other museums in this area display). The creators of this park went all over Norway and collect farm houses (whole houses!), stave churches (pronounced "stahv" -- some of these structures date back to the 1200s and are still in active use), etc. to show how Norwegian people lived. There are tours available. Employees wear authentic cultural dress.

• Vigeland Statue Park. This is a 20-acre or so park with 250 statues by Mr. Vigeland, a famous Norwegian sculptor. It's best to get a guidebook of some kind, as the park has a theme to its organization. As I understand it, Vigeland statues are not found outside of Norway.
• Historical churches. Olso has been around for a long time, and there are interesting old churches all over town.
• The Royal Palace. Norway has a royal family, although the parliament is the governing body. The palace has a military guard that changes regularly.
• Downtown shopping. The downtown area of Oslo is really quite small and easily explored by walking. The main street, Karl Johansgate, starts right in front of the Royal Palace and proceeds straight into the downtown area. About halfway or so the street becomes closed to traffic, and thus turns into a large walking mall. The street life is fascinating, with the usual contingent of street musicians and other entertainers. In the harbour is the new shopping complex, Akersbryggen; gleaming modern architecture, restaurants, etc.

• In Norway (as well as other Scandinavian countries) you can obtain a "Tourist Card". You can get them for one, two, or three days, and you buy them at the city hall (Rådhuset). This card gives you:
  • Free transport on busses, trams, and subways.
  • Discount admission to most museums.
  • Discounts at some restaurants.
  Among other advantages. I considered it worth the expense. With the three-day card, you can get discounts on railroad fare to other places in Norway, but you have to purchase tickets *before coming to Norway* (which apparently means that you can obtain a tourist card through a travel agency or perhaps through a Norwegian consulate).
• Restaurants seem to be rather rare around Oslo. I like eating out, and I had a rather hard time finding restaurants around town.
• Alcohol is strictly controlled. Beer costs $6-$7 for a pint glass. Drunk driving laws are strictly enforced with heavy penalties, and foreigners cannot claim ignorance as an excuse.
• Oslo seems to be a safe place. I never felt in danger of physical harm at any time. Virtually everyone there (natives, that is) speaks English (it is a requirement in the school system).

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6.4.3 Trondheim

Founded as Kaupangr by King Olav Tryggvason in 997, Trondheim was an archbishopric from 1152 until the Reformation (1537). The city was an important administrative and commercial center during the 12th and 13th centuries, but its importance later diminished.

Erkebispegården, the archbishop's house by the cathedral survives from the middle ages. Stiftsgården is a long wooden building with a rococo interior. Folkemuseum has a collection of traditional houses and a stave church. The fortified island of Munkholmen just off the city can be reached by a boat.

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6.4.4 Hurtigruta

I have one particular thing in mind: you should take the time to travel with `Hurtigruta` or Coastal Line as they say in English. It is a beautiful boatride from Bergen to Kirkenes by the Russian border in the north. You have the possibility of stopping in different cities along the coast if you want to, and I believe that the whole trip takes about a week or two.

Mike Jittlov adds:

IMHO, it's the finest boat cruise in the world. You might consider a variety of travel (it seems to invite adventure and wonderful meetings): take the train from Oslo toward Bergen, but just before that switch trains at Myrdal, winding down the steep gorge to Flåm, and take the ferry through the spectacular fjord (either to Bergen, or a bus to the city); treat yourself to a day or two in Bergen (wonderful fish & rolls at the harborside market), then board the Hurtigruten northbound; the route through the Lofoten Islands is breathtaking, and incredibly healing for spirit and body (weather permitting, the steamer takes a sidetrip into the Trollfjord, and plays Grieg's "Hall of the Mountain King" over loudspeakers); continue to Tromsø, then to Nordkapp (incredibly touristy at the northernmost point of Europe - but the contrast can be wild), every village and stop along the way enticing you to stop and explore and learn and enjoy; take the plane to Trondheim, and then the train back to Oslo (with a sidetrip to Hell, a beautiful fjord-town with a unique stamp for your passport ;) -- check out postcards and the free tourist brochures for places that excite your interest. Ask for directions and advice -- everyone is helpful, gracious, and honest; most speak English, and will help you with your Norwegian.

The Hurtigruta has also a home page on WWW (both in English and Norwegian): <http://www.monet.no/hr/>.

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