The Old and New Norway

If you are looking for a magnificent destination, one with lots of rugged mountains, beautiful glaciers, and amazing wilderness where you can hike, ski, and enjoy the great outdoors, then Norway is it! Offering some of the world’s most impressive bus, train, and ferry rides through the countryside you will ever fine, many call this the Land of the Midnight Sun. The summer days are long, the cities laid-back, and the villages charming where you can fish or simply enjoy historical sightseeing.

For some reason, many people think Norway is nothing more than a cold country of frozen land. The truth is that if you head to the south region of Norway, you will be pleasantly surprised to discover rolling farmlands, magical forests, and truly beautiful beaches. Now, you could head to the north where the population is less and the temperatures a bit colder but this too is a gorgeous area. Many tourists will start their trip far north to Svalbard where they can see walrus, seal, and even polar bears up close.

It is estimated that the first inhabitants of Norway were some 10,000 years ago during the latter part of the Ice Age. These people were gatherers and hunters. As they moved northward, they began to hunt reindeer that were migrating to the area. During the Viking Age, which is an era believed to have started the decline of Lindisfarne monastery in England Nordic pirates, over the next 100 years, Vikings raided many regions of Europe, setting up establishments. As you can imagine, the Vikings were exceptional sailors, actually the first to cross the Atlantic Ocean.

Next, in 982, Eric the Red, the son of a Norwegian who had been sent away to Iceland, established colonies in Greenland. Then Leif Eriksson, Eric Icelandic’s son, is thought to be the first man from Europe to explore North American coastlines in 1001, as he accidentally sailed off course going from Norway to Greenland. By 1066, the Viking Age had begun at which time King Harald Hardrada, the Norwegian king, was routed in England at the Battle of Stamford Bridge.

When the 13th century approached, the Oslo rose to the center of power. Oslo remained strong, thriving until the mid 14th century when the population was all but wiped out from the bubonic plague. By 1397, Norway was absorbed into a union along with the country of Denmark, lasting four centuries. Then by 1814, Norway had given in to Sweden. During that same year, Norway became defiant and tired of the forced unions. With this, they decided to create their own constitution. However, trying to reach independence was difficult, made even worse by an invasion by Sweden.

As nationalism began to grow, Norway was able to pull away from Sweden peacefully in 1905. At that time, the people of Norway took a vote of monarchy rather than a republic, choosing a king, Prince Carl of Denmark. When he accepted the offer, Carl chose the title of Hakon VII. With the birth of his first son, he named him Olav, meaning both Prince Carl and his son now had strong and important names associated with the Viking past.

Through both World War I and World War II, Norway remained neutral even when the country was occupied in 1940 by the Nazis. The King established a government in exile, placing the majority of Norway’s fleet under ally command. Then a resistant against the Nazis occurred, which resulted in the Nazi razing most of the towns and villages in the northern part of the country. By the end of the war, the royal family made the decision to return.

Finally, by 1960, Norway joined the European Free Trade Association. However, Norway remained distance from other nations in part because of Norway’s skill at preserving fishing and farming and their fear of losing it. Then in the 1970s, Norway earned prosperity through natural gas and oil from the North Sea. Since then, this has been a country of high standards of living. Today, just over 4.5 million people live in Norway with about 500,000 of those in the capital city of Oslo.

Known for the stave churches, as seen in the photograph, you will also discover some of the oldest wooden buildings in the world in this country. In fact, some of these buildings cross from the Viking Age to the Christian era seen in the 11th century. What you will quickly learn is that the people of Norway value their cultural traditions. Because of this, you will commonly see the colorful and elaborate folk costumes worn at weddings along with other festive celebrations.

Other types of cultural traditions enjoyed include folk dancing, storytelling, and singing. In addition, Norway is a land of artistic wealth. Many famous painters, playwright, sculptors, and composers come from this country to include Edvard Munch, Henrik Isben, Edvard Grieg, and Gustav Vgeland respectively. Norway even boasts three Nobel Prize winners for literature.

Of course, most people have heard all about the wonderful food of Norway. There is an abundance of fresh salmon, served grilled or smoked, which is called Laks. Other favorite dishes include Torsk, which is cod, or Reker, which is boiled shrimp. For breakfast, you would likely be served sweet brown goat cheese known as Geitost and pickled herring. While it make not sound very good and for some it is an acquired taste, the dishes are actually quite tasty.

Norway occupies a portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula on the west and then borders other countries such as Russia, Sweden, and Finland. The long coastline is dotted with a mountainous interior and several fords. In the mountain region, you will find Europe’s largest glaciers. Much of the country lies just north of the Arctic Circle but again, not all of Norway is cold because of the warm, Gulf Stream waters.

About 27% of the country today is forest although much of the area is slowly being affected by pollutants coming from the UK, Russia, and Germany. Wildlife is abundant, including reindeer, musk oxen, wolves, and lemmings. The traditional nomadic Lapps, some 30,000 in all, tend to herd of reindeer. Norway also has flourishing farmland along with commercial fishing, both important to the country’s economy. Interestingly, the coastal areas are very similar to the Gulf Stream with warm waters. Then there are beautiful mountain regions where temperatures become cooler. Keep in mind that if you travel to Norway between the months of November and March, temperatures will commonly dip down to freezing. Then from mid-May to the end of July, the sun never drops below the horizon.

Norway is a magical place that is often misunderstood. With such rich culture and beautiful days, you will fall in love with all this country has to offer. Then in the summer, you can enjoy the Constitution Day festivities, a major celebration where the streets of the cities are filled with dancing, music, colorful folk costumes, and incredible food. Remember that this is just one of the many festivals you can enjoy while in Norway, all focusing on the beauty of this country and the beauty of the people.


Last Updated: 10/19/2006 3:14:00 PM

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