- Every day at 1:30 pm, one of Oslo’s best free events takes place

No need to go to London to witness it – Oslo, Norway also have a Changing of the Guard! It’s a great free attraction.

The royal guards you see at the Changing of the Guards in Oslo are called the King’s Guard. These men and women perform sentry duty, guarding the royal residence around the clock …more on the Changing of the Guard in Oslo.

Source: goscandinavia.about.com

Thinking of Norway? Here are 10 Reasons to Think Some More!

Some propaganda from Thaimambercard.com:

“Norway is a place of awe-inspiring beauty, where many people’s lives are dominated by the sea as in the days of the Vikings. The smaller cities are undiscovered gems. Here are Ten reasons to visit, to help start your holiday planning and further research.”

http://www.thaimembercard.com/travel-and-leisure/travel/thinking-of-norway-here-are-10-reasons-to-think-some-more/

New visitnorway website in BETA

We have a new website in BETA version, ready for you to test and comment.

Please feel free to look at the site at http://beta.visitnorway.com and leave us your thoughts and a reply below.

Please note that we are currently adding more content and that the site may be a bit slow from time to time.

Thank you.

The Telemark Canal celebrates its 115th birthday

 

The Telemark Canal is one of Norway’s major tourist attractions, and this year marks 115 years since the second part opened.

The oldest canal boat M/S “Victoria” is also celebrating this year, she has travelled part of the canal for 125 years and will receive a major make-over this season. The other canal boat, M/S  ”Henrik Ibsen” will turn 100 years old.

A trip on one of the canal boats is an fantastic experience combining ancient cultural history and spectacular nature in the county of Telemark.

The canal consists of 18 lock chambers, lifting the boats from 0 – 72 metres above sea level during the 105 kilmetre long journey from Skien to Dalen.

When the canal was finished it was promoted as the most spectacular waterway in Europe. The canal has also been awarded the Europa Nostra gold medal for conservation and preservation.

The canal boats offer trips from 2 to 11 hours and canal busses bring travellers back to their car. The season on the Telemark Canal stretches from 19 May to 9 September.

   

Oslo hosts unique outdoor photo exhibition

 

The free outdoor exhibition “Spirit of the Wild” displays 100 wildlife photographs by Steve Bloom. The exhibition will run until 30 September this year.

Situated on Rådhusplassen in front of the Nobel Peace Center, adjacent to Oslo City Hall, the exhibition is attracting thousands of visitors every day. With only a couple of hours of summer darkness, many people are coming at around midnight to see the pictures illuminated at night.

Steve Bloom is a photographic artist who specialises in evocative images of the natural world. His concern for the environment is strongly evident in his images.

The giant thought-provoking photographs serve to remind us of the fragility of the world, and our need to respect, protect and preserve it.

A unique culture cruise

 

In November the Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation (NRK) and its orchestra will board the coastal express ship MS Trollfjord in Bergen for a culture cruise.

With 11 ports of call and just as many days, Hurtigruten and NRK wish to give passengers a unique cultural experience.

The cruise starts in Bergen Monday 5 November. It then travels northwards and makes its return in Alta Friday 16 November. 

During the cruise there will be concerts with the NRK Orchestra and various shows every night – all broadcast directly on the NRK radio channel P2.

Artists performing during the cultural cruise include Norwegian singer Wenche Myhre and Norwegian pianist Håvard Gimse.

Smilies to guide restaurant guests

From 1 June the Norwegian Food Safety Authority starts a trial project in order to improve restaurant standards and hygiene. Restaurants in Trøndelag and Møre & Romsdal will receive a smiling face or surly face according to how well they perform in the authoritiy’s tests.

If the project proves to be a hit, it is thought that all of Norway’s 4,000 restaurants will participate in the scheme.

-The scheme can be a blessing for both serious actors in the restaurant business, for gusets and for general hygiene standards, writes the Norwegian travel industry magazine Hotel, Restaurant & Reiseliv (HRR).

Norway’s fjords are a hit

 

Tourists continue to visit Norway’s western fjords in increasing numbers.

During the first quarter of 2007 985,000 overnight stays were recorded at hotels, camp sites and cabins in the area according to Terje Devold, managing director of Fjord Norway. These figures mean that Rogaland, Hordaland, Sogn & Fjordane and Møre & Romsdal, the four counties that make up Fjord Norway, have seen a tourist growth of 16.5 percent so far this year. Growth for the rest of Norway was up 5.6 percent.

Rogaland County has been the most popular, with tourist visits up 30 percent. The biggest increase in visits are from abroad. According to Devold the foreign market has increased by 32 percent for Fjord-Norway in the first quarter.

Taste your way through Norway in Oslo

 

This weekend you have the chance to taste delicious food from around Norway in Oslo’s main street Karl Johans gate. You can also have a little chat with the food producers.

The Farmer’s Market (Bondens marked) is a part of the event. At the market you will be able to buy farm produce directly from the farmers. Among the culinary delights you can choose from are meat, fruit, vegetables, jam, eggs, chocolate, fish, honey and ice cream. 

In addition there will be competitions, cooking lessons, activites for children, a café and beer from Norwegian micro breweries.

Friday 8 June: 12.00 – 18.00 
Saturday 9 June: 10.00 – 18.00
Sunday 10 June: 12.00 – 17.00