Tourism in Norway

The main tourist attractions of Norway are the fjord-indented coastline and its mountains, the unspoiled nature of the inner parts of the country, and the cities and smaller towns.

Attractions

The main attraction of Norway are the varied landscapes that extend across the Arctic Circle. It is famous for its fjord-indented coastline and its mountains, ski resorts, lakes and woods. The main tourist cities in Norway are Oslo, Bergen, Stavanger, Trondheim and Tromsø. Much of the nature of Norway remains unspoiled, and thus attracts numerous hikers and skiers. The fjords, mountains and waterfalls in Western and North Norway attract several hundred thousand foreign tourists each year. In the cities, cultural idiosyncrasies such as the Holmenkollen ski jump attract many visitors, as well as historic and cultural buildings and areas such as Bryggen in Bergen and the Vigeland Sculpture Park in Oslo.

The culture of Norway evolved as a result of its sparse population, harsh climate, and relative isolation from the rest of Europe. It is therefore distinct from other countries in Europe in that it has fewer opulent palaces and castles, smaller agricultural areas, and longer travel distances. Regionally distinct architecture, crafts, and art are presented in the various folk museums, typically based on an ethnological perspective. Norsk Folkemuseum at Bygdøy in Oslo is the largest of these.

Transport

The Geirangerfjord in Møre og Romsdal, since 2005 on UNESCO's list of World Heritage Sites.

The Norwegian highway system covers more than 90,000 kilometres, of which about 67,000 are paved. The highway system includes ferry transit across waterways, numerous bridges and tunnels, and several mountain passes. Some of these mountain passes are closed during the winter months, and some may close during winter storms. With the opening of the Oresund Bridge and the Great Belt Fixed Link, Norway is connected to the European continent by a continuous highway connection through Sweden and Denmark.

The 4,058 kilometres long rail network connects most of the major cities south of Bodø. The Norwegian rail network is also connected to the Swedish network. Oslo Airport, Gardermoen is the most important airport in Norway, with 19 million passengers in 2007. Most cities and towns have nearby airports, and some of the largest also have international flights. The cruise ferry Hurtigruten connects the cities on the coast between Bergen and Kirkenes. In the summer, the coastal cities are visited by numerous foreign cruise ships, Bergen being the main cruise port.

International rankings

As of 2008, Norway ranks 17th in the World Economic Forum's Travel and Tourism Competitiveness Report.

Most visited tourist attractions

Innovation Norway, a state-owned promotion company also being in charge of tourism affairs, makes annual reports of the country's most visited tourist attractions, both cultural and natural. The 2007 report lists 50 cultural and 20 natural attractions. The top ten of each category are listed below.

Rank	Cultural Attraction	Location	Visitors, 2007
1	Fløibanen	Bergen	1,131,707
2	Holmenkollen ski jump and Ski Museum	Oslo	686,857
3	Bryggen	Bergen	583,510
4	Kristiansand Zoo and Amusement Park	Kristiansand	532,044
5	Tusenfryd	Ås	501,235
6	Flåmsbanen	Flåm	457,545
7	Hadeland Glassverk	Jevnaker	431,400
8	Fredrikstad Fortress, Old Town of Fredrikstad	Fredrikstad	372,360
9	Viking Ship Museum	Oslo	314,560
10	Amusement park Hunderfossen Familiepark	Øyer/Lillehammer	270,500

Rank	Natural Attraction	Location	Visitors, 2006
1	Vøringsfossen waterfall	Eidfjord	655,000
2	Scenic road Trollstigen	Åndalsnes	563,331
3	Kjosfossen waterfall	Flåm	457,400
4	World Heritage Site Geirangerfjorden	Geiranger	423,643
5	Låtefossen waterfall	Odda/Hardanger	420,000
6	Steinsdalsfossen waterfall	Norheimsund/Hardanger	300,000
7	World Heritage Site Nærøyfjorden	Aurland	297,038
8	Briksdalsbreen glacier	Olden/Stryn	280,000
9	National Tourist Road Sognefjellsvegen	Lom-Luster	253,953
10	Scenic road Atlanterhavsvegen	Averøy/Kristiansund	237,316

See also

• World Heritage Sites in Norway
• Norwegian Mountain Touring Association