The last leg of our Europe trip was visiting some friends in Norway! It was a relaxing time and we spent half of the time with our friends and the other half in Oslo.
Since it was pretty low key, we didn’t explore too many sites. With our friends, we visited a fortress in Halden called Fredriksten and a huge candy store called Gottebitten! In Oslo, we visited the Viking museum and did a trip around the fjords.
Southern Norway
Fredriksten Fortress
This fortress was built in the mid-17th century and has impressive views over the fjords. This is the only fortress in Norway that has been preserved and was originally commissioned by Dano-Norwegian King Frederick II. It has some good hikes but be warned it is VERY windy! We tried taking pictures but since we could barely stay standing, the best representation I thought would be by a video.
Gottebitten
The other mention worthy stop we made was to a famous candy store: Gottebitten. This place is filled with endless chocolate and candy! I was in heaven!
Oslo, Norway
Viking Museum
We only spent a day in Oslo but honestly there wasn’t much more to do than that. We had a wander around downtown but it was rather cold. Then we figured out how to get to the Viking museum, which is a trek in of itself because you have to take a bus instead of any train. I noticed most people at the Viking museum came from tour busses, which I suppose makes sense because taking the bus took an awfully long time.
This place is incredible, with the most intact Viking ships in the world!
The wood carving on them is exquisite and makes you appreciate Viking culture. They also have other Viking artifacts like carts and human remains.
the Oslo Fjords
The activity I was most excited about in Norway was to see the Fjords! The fjords are all over Norway, but if you think Norway is expensive normally, the prices of boat tours to see the most impressive fjords on the East of the country are astronomical. Most of them are multi-day trips where you get on a bus in Oslo that takes you through Norway and then a cruise through the fjords.
We didn’t have time (or honestly the money) to spend to visit the biggest fjords, but there are also the Oslo Fjords that have tours right here in Oslo! We took an hour long cruise around the Oslo fjords and it’s definitely a great alternative to those looking for a shorter and cheaper way to see fjords!
Our tour guide was very informative, telling us about all the different islands and noteworthy buildings. The coolest thing I thought was all of these little bathhouses on the front of every house. These were originally designed for residents to bathe, but during Norwegian alcohol prohibition they were used as a way to smuggle alcohol.
As a word of warning, Norway is by far the most expensive European country. A medium Dominos 2-topping pizza carry-out costs the equivalent of $20 and a bunk bed hostel costs $80 per person a night! We spent almost half the money we saved for the entire trip across 6 cities just in Norway. So be prepared to spend a lot of money if you want to travel here.
I loved Norway. The landscape was very similar to Sweden and I can see why a lot of Northern European immigrants settled in the Midwest of America because they are quite similar landscapes of rolling hills and fields with a comparable climate. However unless you have a lot of money to be able to spend on traveling Norway, I wouldn’t recommend coming here. On a budget like I was, it was difficult to see much and most of the attractions in Norway are rural which means you either need a local to show you or need to be willing to pay the big bucks for your own car or tour.
