I spent the last few summers exploring the beautiful country of Norway, and I want to show you my favorite places so here’s my Norway top 10. Norway has to be one of my all-time favorite countries from the jaw-dropping fjords of western Norway to the sea mountains of Lofoten. Norway offers some of the world’s most unique and diverse landscapes. I just can’t get enough of this country all right.
1. Senja
Let’s start this article off on the magical island of Senja, now Senja is located in northern Norway above the arctic circle, and it’s Norway’s second-largest island Senja may be one of the best places in the world to witness the aurora borealis to get there. I flew into Tromso and rented a car and made the three-hour drive. The reason I wanted to go to Senja was that I wanted to hike to Segla anyways, I drove to this town called Fjord and I got to the base of the hike. It was a surprisingly difficult hike, but eventually, I made it to the top, and I was just baffled by the view. The rock formation rose hundreds of meters out of the ocean. It was just like nothing I’d ever seen before now. I was just having an amazing time and I decided I wanted to spend the night on top of the mountain, so I could see the northern lights. All I had was a blanket and I used my camera back as a pillar, so I found this little mossy cliff ledge and I set up camp there and waited for the northern lights to show up around 11 pm.
I woke up to the aurora borealis. Above my head, I couldn’t believe what I was seeing. They moved surprisingly fast like snakes in the arctic sky and seeing those lights made me feel like a kid again, and it will forever be one of the most special nights of my life. Some nights, you don’t need to fall asleep to start dreaming. There are also other amazing places on the island of Senja. There’s this place called Tugeneset which offers an incredible view of the sea mountains across the fjord.
2. Lofoten Islands
Alright, so after Senja we head down south to the iconic Lofoten Islands, like Senja, Lofoten which is located in northern Norway, and even though it’s in the arctic circle, it feels like you’re on a tropical island there. I was lucky enough to go there about two summers ago and they had an incredible journey: road-tripping through Lofoten, our first pit stop was, at this fishing village called Henningsvaer to see the world’s most scenic football field. When we got there, we sadly didn’t have a soccer ball, but we had a good time playing on the field and enjoying the incredible views of Henningsvaer we kept on driving and made it to the iconic town of Reine.
3. Reine
Now, when you think of Norway, this is it: it has those red houses surrounded by massive sea mountains. In my opinion, I’d have to say that Reine is the most beautiful town in Lofoten. When I was planning my road to Norway, I remember seeing pictures of this place and I just couldn’t believe it existed now. If you want to do an amazing hike, I’d recommend hiking to Kvalvika beach. Now it’s about a four-kilometer trek and I promise it’s worth it when you get to the beach you’re going to be amazed by the landscape. It has mountains that reminded me of Switzerland, an ocean that looks like the Caribbean and it’s as green as a tropical island.
I just can’t believe places like this exist, especially in the arctic circle. When we were there, we wanted to get a good vantage point for the sunset. So we hiked up to this vantage point, and I just got one of my all-time favorite shots. I mean I just couldn’t believe those colors from the orange mountain to the green slope to the crystal blue sea. I can’t think of a better place to watch the midnight sun.
4. Saltstraumen
After Lofoten we head down to Saltstraumen to witness one of the world’s largest real pools, so over a hundred and ten billion gallons of water pass through this three-kilometer straight every six hours making For one of the strongest currents in the world at water speeds can reach over 37 kilometers. One of the coolest features of Saltstraumen is the real pools that the changing tides make now, while they aren’t the whirlpools you’d. Imagine in movies, like Pirates of the Caribbean, these whirlpools can get over 33 feet in diameter with a depth of over 16 feet. You can take a boat ride through the current or you can witness the rope holes from the bridge above me, I’m going to stay as far away from that water as possible
5. Atlantic Ocean Road
After the Saltstraumen we’re going to take a drive to one of Norway’s, most famous routes, the Atlantic Ocean Road. This 8.3-kilometer road runs across an archipelago of islands as it connects the islands of Aearoy to the Romsdalshalvoya peninsula. The Atlantic ocean road was completed in 1989 and cost 122 million euros near the Wheaton crone it’s made up of eight bridges and four resting places. The route is an impressive feat of engineering and it won the Norwegian construction of the century award. So if you decide to go on a Norway road trip, you have to take a drive on the Atlantic ocean road while we’re still on the top of the roads.
If you drive just two hours, south you’ll reach another one of Norway’s, most famous routes Trollstigen. Now Trollstigen or the troll's path is a serpentine road that makes over 11 hairpin turns, as it descends on a 10 percent decline to the value below. Trollstigen has two powerful waterfalls that pass through the road. The Stig Foster waterfall has a total height of 240 meters. I mean that’s just freaking huge another cool place in the area is Trollveggen or the Trolls wall is Europe’s tallest vertical overhanging rock face at about three thousand six hundred feet high, which is unbelievable
6. Geirangerfjord
All right after Trollstigen, you can make the two-hour drive south to visit the Geirangerfjord. Now Geirangerfjord is one of Norway’s most popular destinations. The fjord is over 260 meters deep and is surrounded by massive mountains that are over 1600 meters high. There are many viewpoints to get the best perspective of the fjord. One of the most spectacular features of Geirangerfjord is the seven sisters waterfall. The waterfall consists of seven separate streams that descend 410 meters to the water below the best way to see the fjord is by boat. This is by far the best way to witness the waterfalls and majesty of the fjord. Another amazing nearby destination is Lovatnet. The lake is about a two-hour drive from Geiranger. Now Lovatnet is home to some of the most beautiful lake water.
It has a unique turquoise hue with an incredible backdrop of the mountains, while Lovatnet is stunningly beautiful. The area has had its fair share of tragedies over the last few centuries. In 1905, a massive rock from the remnant field mountain came loose and fell 500 meters where it hit the water and it caused a 40 meter, the tidal wave that wiped out a small village completely off the map and killed many others. Despite the tragic history, Lovatnet is a place you got to visit it’s hard to beat the beauty of this Norwegian lake.
7. Trolltunga
After Lovatnet we’re going to head to the iconic Trolltunga. Now, Trolltunga is possibly the most famous rock formation in Norway, as it shoots over two thousand feet from the lake below Trolltunga is one of the hardest hikes you’ll ever do it’s a 28-kilometer round trip track that takes anywhere from eight to twelve hours. To do so make sure you give yourself plenty of time. You can start the hike at the main trailhead and hike 14 kilometers to reach the famous Trolltunga rock. If you go between June 1st and September 30th, you don’t need a tour guide, but if you go in the winter months you need one because this is a little sketch. What is a strenuous hike? It offers some of the best views in Norway
8. Lysebotn
After Trolltunga, we’re going to head over to Lysebotn to drive down Norway’s craziest road. Now Lysebotn is a small village. That’s about a six-hour drive from Oslo. Now. What I think is so scenic about Lysebotn is the road that leads down to it. It consists of 27 Hairpin turns that descend the fjord to the village below when you’re at the bottom you’re going to be amazed by the surrounding walls of the fjord. If you’re down for a hike, you can trek 12 kilometers to Kjeragbolten, which is a famous first rock wedge between the cliff walls.
9. Pulpit Rock
After Lysebotn we’re going to head over to the nearby Pulpit Rock located in the same fjord as Lysebotn built-in. Pulpit Rock is a famous flat top cliff, with a straight drop of over 600 meters to get there, you can park in the base camp and make the six-kilometer hike the rock can be super packed. So if you want to avoid the crowds, you can wake up super early and get to pulpit rock before everybody else. I just can’t think of a better place to watch the sunrise. I just can’t believe how big the cliff holes are and then just go straight down to the fjord below I mean just such a stunning and unique place.
10. Svalbard
All right to finish this article we’re going to head back to the arctic circle to one of the world’s Northernmost inhabited areas Svalbard. Svalbard is located right between the north pole and Norway. The capital of Svalbard is this town called Longyearbyen, which has a population of a whopping 2 000 people. What’s cool about Svalbard is that it’s a feast of the free zone, so basically, anyone can move and work there. The archipelago is also home to this Svalbard global seed vault, where thousands of road seeds are kept in case of a global catastrophe. The biggest danger on Svalbard is the arctic cold and polar bears. In some places, you’re required to bring a gun to protect yourself against them. One of the most interesting places on Svalbard is the Russian settlement of Barentsburg. Barentsburg started as a dutch mining town in the 1920s but has sold to the soviet union in 1932. Now the settlement has a population of over 400 people, mainly from Russia and Ukraine. I hear it reminds people of North Korea because it’s just such a strange and unique place.