From Reinebringen, panoramic view on Lofoten islands

Norway Travel Guide

Practical information

15:40:00
Language(s)
Norwegian
Currency
Norwegian Krone
Time zone
GMT +1

Norwegian history and culture

Evidence of dwellings and tools dating back to 9,500BC are the first signs of human settlement in Norway...much pre-decessing the Viking era that many Norwegians attribute their heritage to. These dwellings depict a life of hunting and fishing along the coastal regions; some made markings at sea level which depict the rise of the land after the ice age. Then between 3000 and 2500 BC, more settlers joined from the east, bringing a strong farming culture with them. Little is known of Norwegian settlements during the bronze and iron ages, due to the cremation of dead bodies and possessions leaving little trace of their way of life. Further down the line, settlers formed into tribes, each tribe having their own assembly of law makers (things) who would come together to dispute over disagreements. The tribal things united together to form larger assemblies, thus forming the lagting (Norwegian assemblies for negotiations and lawmaking).

In 800AD the emergence of the "Viking Age" stormed through Europe. With superior weapons and organised armies the Vikings invaded to the West, overthrowing the Biritsh Isles, Faroe Islands, Greenland and Iceland as well as landing on "Vinland" (North America).On return to Norway they brought back Christianity, which was consolidated when Olaf I (son of Harald Fairhair) came to rule, having sailed abroad. Under the rule of a monarchy, the Norwegian tribes united to form a nation. This was, however, dissipated with the devastating sweep of Black Death through the country, reducing their population by a third! With a weaker standing, Norway joined with Sweden and Denmark, to be ruled by Denmark until 1814. This ruling dissolved with the Napoleonic Wars, Norway became an independent constitution, however was ruled by Sweden until 1905 when it became fully independent. 

 

The administrators during Denmark's rule, made the connection in Nordic history between the Vikings and Icelandic Sagas, which piqued the interest of artists and writers. Schoolbooks began to read as folk tales and stories of the mighty Viking invasions were passed down through generations.

 

With Norway being a country that has long summer days and even longer winter nights the ethos of being mindful and aware of one’s happiness is strongly upheld in Norwegian culture, for example, rooftops painted colourfully to encourage optimism and lower suicide rates. This, however, needed encouragement to be transcended to the indigenous Sami peoples, who were still to be defined as a population in 1999. With the intervention of the United Nations Human Rights Commission, a Sami parliament has been formed which has helped to integrate the needs of these people into the wider Norwegian population.

Time Zone

The time zone in Norway is GMT +1

Languages

Norwegian

Norway has two official languages, Norwegian and Sami. Sami is the language of the Sami tribe and Norwegian is more widely spoken. 

Useful Phrases

  • Ja - Yes
  • Nei - No
  • Vær så snill - Please
  • Takk - Thank you
  • Vær så god - You're welcome
  • Unnskyld - Excuse me
  • Beklager - I am sorry
  • God morgen - Good morning
  • Hvordan har du det? - How are you?
  • Jeg heter - My name is

  • Æ - "ah" sound
  • Ø - "ur" sound
  • Å - "or" sound
  • J - "y" sound in yes
  • KJ, KI and KY - soft "k" sound without blocking the throat
  • SJ, SKY, SKJ and SKI - "sh" sound as in shop

Currency

Norwegian Krone

The currency in Norway is the Norwegian Krone (NOK). Visit www.xe.com for the latest exchange rates.

Please budget for:

  • Any additional activities
  • Drinks and personal expenses
  • Any meals not included in your trip package.


Allow 290 to 390 NOK for a traditional meal in a local restaurant. You can withdraw the local currency from in-country ATMs and payment by card is widely accepted. 

USD
NOK

Electricity

In Norway the standard European plug (Type C and F) with two round prongs is used. The majority of Scandinavia is 220V.

Weather

Thanks to the gulf stream, Norway enjoys a milder climate than other countries at the same latitude such as Alaska or Greenland.  It's maritime climate means that the winters are relatively mild and the summers are cool, however stretching from 57° to 78° north means that there are a whole host of microclimate throughout the country.

The coldest temperatures are usually found away from the coasts or in the far north in the arctic zone, reaching as low as -40˚C on occasion!! Although it is more common for winter temperatures to hit lows of -10-20˚C. In the summer months, the temperatures will range from 13˚C – 18˚C but highs of 22˚C are possible in July and August.

Rain can happen at anytime so you should always have your waterproofs to hand for your adventure in Norway. Although known for being one of Europe's wettest countries, Norway's rainfall isn't necessarily evenly spread. Often neighbouring towns can get vastly different levels of precipitation, for example, Bergen gets five times more rainfall than Lærdal and they're only a 30 minute drive from one another. 

Safety and Security

Your safety and well-being is always the number one priority at Kandoo Adventures.



We operate all our travel destinations in accordance with the UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) advice, which publishes travel advisory notices for British nationals. We also closely follow the advice of ABTA (The Association of British Travel Agents) which provides support to UK tour operators.  


In addition to this, our extensive, directly-managed operations in each of our destinations, provide us with detailed knowledge and up-to-date information, which enables us to make informed decisions and operate our trips safely.

We always recommend that you regularly check the FCDO's travel advice, in order to keep up to date about the country you are planning to visit.

If you are not a UK resident, we would recommend that you visit your government's travel advisory website for further information:



Alternatively, you may wish to visit our Travel Updates page or seek further information from the World Health Organisation.

Lost or delayed luggage

We recommend that you pack as many essential items as possible in your carry-on luggage for your Norwegian adventure. If your luggage is delayed we can then do our best to kit you out to start the trek on time. In the event that your luggage is delayed or lost, our procedure is as follows: 


  • Establish what items are missing and a contingency plan for each critical item
  • If it reaches 6pm on the evening before starting the trek and your luggage has not arrived we recommend buying and/or hiring items immediately as a precaution
  • We will take you to a shop where you can buy toiletry items, e.g. toothbrush. You will be able to find everything you need on arrival.

We will do everything we can to help if your luggage is lost or delayed. Be sure to check your insurance policy coverage for lost luggage cover.

Hiking in Northern Norway

Geography

Before the last ice age ended about 10,000 years ago, Norway was covered in ice. When that ice finally melted, its movement across Norway formed the peaks, valleys and fjords that we know today.

Norway is one of Europe's most mountainous countries, and covered by the numerous Scandinavian mountain ranges. A rugged land of high plateaus, forested valleys and glaciers, including Folgefonna and Hardangerjokulen. Jostedalsbreen is the largest glacier in Europe.


Norway's jagged western coastline is an expanse of more than 50,000 islands and dozens of fjords including Baknafjord, Geirangerfjord and Hardangerfjord.

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