europe

norway

The beautiful, rich, clean and peaceful Scandinavian nation of Norway is blessed with more than just pleasing aesthetics. Its people are fit, nature-loving and the ideal company to undertake a (nude) sauna session and sink some aquavit (a liquor distilled from potato). The cities are clean and cosmopolitan – it is very easy to stay a while if your budget allows.

Given Norway’s sparse population density the deserted fjords, deserted caves, glaciers and mountains beckon. A raft of outdoor activities are available to ensure you make optimal use of the mountainous surrounds – kayaking, whitewater rafting and paragliding and of course snow sports (after all Norway claims to have ‘invented’ skiing), hiking, biking. There are some standout journeys to make: a polar bear watching boat journey in the remote Svalbard, watching the landscape roll on by as you’re aboard the train from Oslo to Bergen or ride on a coastal steamer. For us Southerners frolicking in midnight sun will always be a novelty and catching the surreal Northern Lights during winter can only be described as special.