Why Winter Is My Favorite Time To Visit One Of The World’s Safest Countries

Why Winter Is My Favorite Time To Visit One Of The World’s Safest Countries


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Earlier than you scroll via to the subsequent article on sunny Mexico, bear with me a second:

I do know Europe is not everybody’s concept of enjoyable in winter, particularly in the event that they’ve been saving up your entire yr to splurge on that customary, all-inclusive seashore getaway.

A Wintertime View Of Norway With The Northern Lights, Scandinavia, Northern Europe

Between the incessant London rain, the grey Parisian skies, and Italy’s plummeting temperatures, I can see how the thought of embarking on a Transatlantic journey proper now may sound unappealing, however what if you don’t should escape winter to have a cracking time in your subsequent trip?

Permit me to elucidate why winter is my favourite season to go to Norway, one of many world’s most Northerly nations – and one of many most secure ones at that – and why it’s best to give it an opportunity your self:

Why Is Norway Turning into So Fashionable As A Winter Vacation spot?

Norway is surging in reputation in 2024, and I can’t say I’m stunned: one of many the reason why I fell in love with it within the first place was how unspoiled and considerable the character is.

Although it boasts a excessive Human Improvement Index and High quality of Life, a lot of the nation is comprised of forested areas and rural hinterlands, and regardless of the place you’re headed, be it the Arctic North or the fjord lands, there is no such thing as a scarcity of pure wonders to be discovered right here.

From the minute you step out of the aircraft and breathe within the crisp, contemporary mountain air, with out having solid a single look on the nearest mahoosive peak but, you already know you’re not in terminally-industrialized Germany, nor overpolluted France anymore.

traveler with backpack hiking in Norway mountains

Caribbean seashores are nice, however I’m positive most would agree ice-skating on mirror-like frozen lakes, stress-free in saunas, snowboarding down winding slopes, and comfy late nights sitting by a fireplace, sizzling chockie in hand, watching the blizzard from the window might be simply as alluring a prospect.

Why Fly To Norway For A Winter Wonderland When You Can Go To Aspen As an alternative?

It’s possible you’ll be questioning why precisely I’m making an attempt to persuade you to fly midway throughout the globe for a winter vacation when you can simply go to Colorado as a substitute: as lovely as it could be, the Centennial State lacks Norway’s mystique, historical tradition, scenic railways and hearty ‘Scandi’ meals.

Nonetheless, it is a large nation we’re speaking about, with a fjord-traversed shoreline extending for 1,100 miles alongside the North Sea, and if you happen to’re warming as much as the thought of occurring just a little low season Viking journey, you might be questioning the place to go for essentially the most epic surroundings.

Away from the large cities and off the crushed path, listed below are 4 unbelievable winter locations in Norway (and why they need to be added to your bucket listing):

4 Unimaginable Locations To Go to In Norway In The Colder Months

Flåm

Flåm, a small village on the innermost a part of the historic Aurlandsfjord, is considered one of Europe’s best-hidden secrets and techniques this winter, dwelling to the four-star Fretheim Lodge, in-built traditional chalet fashion, an award-winning microbrewery, and the world-famous Flåmsbana practice.

Rattling up a steep 2,841 ft ascent, with large panoramic home windows providing views of deep valleys, slender fjords, majestic waterfalls and remoted, colourful villages with chimneys and lampposts poking out within the virgin snow, it’s a $50 round-trip value embarking on.

Sauna tradition isn’t as prevalent in Norway because it in fellow incredible winter wonderland Finland, the place it originated, however in Flåm it simply occurs to be one of many prime sights, with FjordSauna welcoming company onboard floating steam rooms on the fringe of the ice-covered fjord.

In the event you’re a fan of the Vikings, you can take a day journey out to Gudvangen to see a Norsemen village functioning as a folks park, or go for some beer tasting and fish supper at Ægir, a pub and restaurant modeled after pagan messhalls of the Tenth-century.

Voss

The unofficial ski capital of Western Norway, simply over an hour away from Bergen, Voss is a small settlement resting on the backside of an elongated valley dotted with lakes, the place colourful homes and a medieval stone church make for a picturesque townscape.

Fashionable for its gondola rides, diversified collection of Haute delicacies eating places, and surprisingly wide selection of leisure choices – it has its very personal skydiving heart – this laid-back alpine village isn’t a spot you’ll need to skip when paying Norway a go to within the colder months.

Medieval Church Is Vossvangen, Western Norway, Scandinavia, Northern Europe

Moreover, it’s the place the highly-reputed Myrkdalen Ski Resort is situated, boasting 22 ski trails, 9 ski lifts, 2 of that are specific chairlifts, distinctive stays – suppose repurposed barns and homely, self-catering picket cabins – and three distinguished eating places for both high-quality or informal eating.

Costs for double rooms begin at $239 this season, and if snowboarding isn’t your factor, Myrkdalen remains to be the right base for exploring the encircling nature, as it’s a stone’s throw away from UNESCO-listed Nærøyfjord, and mystical Gudvangen (Norwegian for ‘Valley of the Gods’).

Snowy Mountain In Vossvangen, Western Norway, Scandinavia, Northern Europe

By the way in which, ski season on this a part of Norway can final as late as April.

Bodø, Norway

A captivating fishing port in Northern Norway, Bodø was recognized by the European Fee as one of many continent’s Cultural Capitals in 2024, and with over a thousand events deliberate to have fun the city’s wealthy heritage, beginning this winter, it’s positively someplace you don’t need to miss in 2024.

Bodø is greatest identified for its walkable, museum-packed historic heart, vibrant artwork scene, with modern installations and awe-inspiring avenue artwork lurking in each nook, and in recent times, it’s developed a repute for being a foodie hotspot.

Panoramic View Of Bodo, A Port City North Of The Arctic Circle In Norway, Scandinavia, Northern Europe

Reindeer is often served in eating places, in keeping with Northern Europe’s staple weight loss plan, and it’s Kjelen kafé in Bodø the place you’ll discover essentially the most scrumptious møsbrømlefse, a Norwegian flatbread full of camarelized goat cheese, and different native delicacies.

Winters in Nordland might be harsh, with freezing temperatures and restricted daylight via March, but it surely’s sometimes within the darkest of nights the sky bursts into one million totally different shades of inexperienced and purple (sure, we’re speaking about Aurora sightings).

Northern Lights Pictured In Norway, Scandinavia

Lofoten

My last entry on this listing is Lofoten, a grouping of islands related by a sequence of bridges and undersea tunnels additional North from Bodø that really feel virtually otherwordly, with jagged peaks capturing as much as the celebs, and fishing villages sitting on rugged coasts.

Three of essentially the most sought-after winter actions amongst guests to the archipelago embody horse driving, taking sea eagle safaris to Trollfjord, an space of excellent pure magnificence, and looking down the elusive Northern Lights.

Hamnoy in snow in winter in Lofoten islands, Norway

Village-hopping across the islands can also be a must-do: Reine and Nusfjord are notably lovely, with their centuries-old fishing custom and Instagram-ready, brightly-painted cottage homes lining quaint, snow-dusted harbors.

To prime it off, Lofoten enjoys a way more delicate winters in comparison with different locations on the mainland: as it’s surrounded by the North Sea, the local weather is usually maritime, which means you might be unlikely to be caught knee-deep in snow when snowshoeing within the wild.

Traditional Norwegian fisherman's cabins, rorbuer, on the island of Hamnoy, Reine on the Lofoten in northern Norway. Photographed at dawn in winter.

That’s to not say it’s heat. By all means, do put on a number of layers.

Why Is Norway Surging In Reputation Regardless of The Harsh Winters?

In line with the latest data, reservations for Norway – extra particularly, freezing chilly Northern Norway – have skyrocketed this winter, a lot in order that European airways are launching new direct routes to secondary airports like Harstad/Narvik, Evenes, and Alta.

Alta is Norway’s distant capital for aurora sightings, and its Northern Lights Cathedral, eclectic structure and Arctic way of life have been on our radar since last winter; now, new flights arriving from Frankfurt with Lufthansa have vastly improved connectivity within the space.

Airplane Taking Off From Snowy Runway, Unspecified Location

Equally, a rise in arrival figures for Tromsø Airport, serving essentially the most Northerly main settlement in mainland Norway, has led to the development of an further terminal.

Wintertime visitor bookings between 105 journey firms throughout Norway now whole 350,000 so far, with Finest Arctic CEO Trond Arne Kongsli claiming his firm alone had ‘triple’ the quantity of reservations this season in comparison with the 2022-2023 interval.

Norwegian authorities have cited Norway’s numerous vacationer supply, superb meals, and rising reputation as a cultural vacation spot as three of the primary drives behind the rise in demand, regardless of its harsh winters.

What I Suppose As Somebody Who’s Been To Norway In Winter

Personally, I might add tourist-friendliness as a significant factor contributing to Norway’s surging reputation as a year-round vacation spot.

Having traveled solo in Norway within the useless of winter, when service availability is usually decrease and lots of sights are shut down, I nonetheless had a exceptional time.

Naturally, it’s best to handle your expectations: going mountain climbing in most trails isn’t attainable as a result of heavy snowfall and poor visibility, so you’ll be able to scrap the enduring Trolltunga or depart it for the hotter months, however there may be nonetheless loads to maintain you entertained on the character entrance.

Norway’s ‘Proper to Roam’ is a freedom enshrined within the structure that’s fairly telling of this historic nation’s appreciation for the good outside. In Norway, everybody has the appropriate to take pleasure in and make cheap use of nature with out paying to entry it.

In essence, you’ll be able to go roam freely throughout nature preserves, camp out within the open, try mountain climbing, and even stay off of any uncultivated land as long as you’re not finishing up business actions, beginning harmful fires, or polluting.

The Northern Lights In Norway, Unspecified Location

Exercising the appropriate to roam in winter is trickier, as I wouldn’t be sleeping outdoors in destructive temperatures myself, however as you’ll be able to attest from the locations listed above, nature in Norway is all the time breathtaking, and it may be notably lovely when it’s frozen and glistening white.

Lastly, Norway is an extremely protected nation to discover – one of many most secure on the planet, at that.

In line with the U.S. Division of State, it’s considered one of a handful of locations globally to take pleasure in a Degree 1 standing, which means vacationers should not have to be overly involved about their security when visiting.

Winter in Bergen Norway

Violent crime charges are negligible, pickpocketing isn’t widespread, not like in different European states, and poverty ranges are very, very low. Whether or not you’re in a serious city heart like Oslo or Bergen or the huge countryside and fjordlands, you’ll be able to put your worries about private security apart.

The most important menace dealing with Norway these days is recurring terrorist assaults, like most Western nations, however even these don’t occur on a major scale.

Caught the journey bug? Learn on about Norway, and begin planning your frozen journey here.

Learn Extra:

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Opinions expressed listed below are the writer’s alone, not these of any financial institution, bank card issuer, lodge, airline, or different entity. This content material has not been reviewed, accepted or in any other case endorsed by any of the entities included inside the put up.





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