Is it a forest in the city or rather a city in the forest? To avoid upsetting Alphonse Allais, let's just say that Oslo is a city in the countryside. Three quarters of its surface area is taken up by lakes, forests, orchards and even meadows, since His Majesty King Harald V himself has his own farm right in the centre. With calves, cows, pigs, broods... To tell the truth, and as royal as it is, Norway's capital is not, at first glance, particularly beautiful. At first glance, you'd think its inhabitants had done the simplest thing, building whatever they wanted, wherever they wanted. To the left, to the right, a house, an office block or a shopping centre.
And then... the charm kicks in. Firstly, with the brand new opera house built - like the recent, ultra-modern Alexandria Library - by the Snohetta architectural firm; a representation, which has won many international awards, of an immaculate iceberg whose roof slopes gently down to the ground and on top of which you can climb without taking the slightest step. Then there's the renaissance of historic quays such as Aker Brygge, whose long-neglected line of warehouses has been happily reclaimed by young Norwegians.
There are cafés, lots of cafés, terraces, restaurants and shops, and then the party goes on until dawn on beautiful summer nights - it can be over 30°C in Oslo - before the days are spent recovering on the beaches of the nearby islands. It's almost like being on the shores of the Mediterranean... Clearly, along with other districts such as Grünerlokka and Gronland, once home to factories and workers' houses, Oslo is catching up with the world's great cities by transforming its old industrial grammar into a trendy art of living. Of course, around the royal palace, which strangely sits in mustard yellow in the centre of the city, the neoclassical high street is a little more upmarket.
Like all major capitals, Oslo has an abundance of museums, where you can learn in a short space of time, through a few works of art or historical artefacts, about the very special culture of this strange, somewhat reserved people. And when it comes to culture, you're in for a treat. Let's start with Edvard Munch and his universal masterpiece, The Scream. The museum that houses it is entirely dedicated to the famous painter, precursor of the German Expressionist movement, and exhibits over 1,000 paintings, nearly 4,500 watercolours and 18,000 engravings by the artist. But it is, of course, the famous Scream that stands out; a painting that would freeze the most insensitive of the most jaded. Continuing in the realm of the fine arts, it is impossible to overlook the masterly work of sculptor Gustav Vigeland, a former pupil of Rodin who, following in his master's footsteps, carves a Herculean human body in stone. More than 200 statues - powerful nudes of men, women and children - can be found in a museum-garden of the same name, which also invites you to take a walk in the fresh air.
1 - Edvard Munch hated Oslo. The city holds no grudge, even devoting a museum to him all to himself. The highlight of which is the famous Scream.
2 - What paceWhat lines, what beauty, these longships that once frightened the life out of much of Europe.
3 - Designed by SnohettaThe Oslo Opera House, opened in 2008, has given the city a 'building' boost.
We continue with another park full of trees, the Norsk Folkemuseum, immense, full of charm and not to be missed. It offers an insight into Norwegian folk culture - a harsh culture, in truth - with no fewer than 140 17th and 18th century buildings from all over the country, most of which you can enter. As you wind your way through the forest, you'll come across rough-hewn wooden farmhouses, barns with roofs covered in flowers and weeds, a school... and, the highlight, a 13th-century standing wooden church, relocated here in 1885. What a marvel! A little further away, we've reproduced an old village from the early 20th century which, charming though it is, reflects living conditions that weren't necessarily very easy.
Then there's the old days, around the year 1000, when bands of shaggy blond conquerors shook almost the whole of Europe and took over the frozen lands of the great islands of the Far North in their terrifying longships. Just a stone's throw from this eco-museum is Vikingskipshuset, the museum of Viking ships. Two ships intact and another in fragments, all found by chance, buried under the earth; enough at any rate to give you an idea of the power of the people who embarked on them, and to leave you breathless, and a little shivering, in front of these enormous ships. That's for the historical emotion, but the aesthete will linger on their lines, infinitely. The same goes for their contents: jewellery, sculptures, everyday objects, furniture and even carts.
Norway in a nutshell
Of course, even if they almost all land in Oslo, business tourism groups are not content with a simple visit to the capital. Some fly to Bergen, while others travel to towns further north for an experience that's, let's say, a little more "adventurous". "Arctic. Without a shadow of a doubt, the best way for those in a hurry is to reach medieval Bergen in a day, by train, boat and bus... The tour, offered by Fjord Tours, is called "Norway in a Nutshell and will take you in a dozen hours to see just about everything the country has to offer in terms of essential landscapes. Provided the weather is fine, the experience is breathtaking.
4-Jaillissant des glaciers In summer, roaring waterfalls cascade down the fjords.
5-Geiranger or Næroyfjord Cruise enthusiasts would give anything to be able to immerse themselves one day in these remnants of the Ice Age that dot the coast at regular intervals and whose exceptional plasticity has been recognised by UNESCO.
6-Taking the train On a "Norway in a nutshell" tour, you'll not only get to see most of Norway's landscapes, you'll also get to rub shoulders with its inhabitants in their day-to-day lives, sitting next to neighbours who are often reserved but only too happy to...
We start, early in the morning, by taking the regular Oslo-Bergen train, which allows us to rub shoulders with ordinary Norway and appreciate its qualities. Discretion, a taste for comfort, a certain reserve at the outset, but which is soon replaced by a broad smile, and above all the Scandinavian art of taking the train, since the Norwegians don't hesitate to provide families with a complete carriage, complete with playroom for the little ones. Right away, with almost no suburbs: the great outdoors. A wild landscape of green hills, with a few isolated farmhouses here and there, or small groups of wooden houses - sometimes no more than five or six - clustered together in hamlets, all traditionally painted red, the window frames and gables just as traditionally painted white. After crossing a high mountain landscape, at around midday you leave this ordinary train to take another one, this one completely touristy - and slower too - which weaves its way through the mountain, clinging to its flanks, piercing it through countless tunnels, skirting vertiginous cliffs and stopping close to a for midable waterfall to allow its passengers to appreciate its flow. A short hour's journey before arriving at the bottom of a UNESCO World Heritage-listed fjord and boarding a cruise ship. Two hours of sailing, first on Aurlandsfjord, then on Næroyfjord; two hours of surprises, two hours of breathtaking scenery, made up of dripping cliffs and long waterfalls punctuated by charming fishermen's houses - red, of course - set flush with the water, and uninterrupted meanders allowing the sun to play with light and shade, turning the water of the fjord a deep blue here, oyster shells elsewhere, and downright black elsewhere.
Bergen, a medieval reminiscence
It's easy to see why the Norwegians imagined the world of trolls in this style of landscape, little creatures that are omnipresent in popular culture, part gentle goblin, part unsightly devil, but who can at times turn out to be as nasty as moths. Of course, children always end up taming them. From the boat, we transfer to a bus which, via the twists and turns of a panoramic road, takes the participants back to the regular train. Arrival in the country's second-largest city is in the early evening.
Bergen, a large town on the south-west coast of Norway, is an example of a medieval port clustered around the Vagen basin and above all along the Bryggen quay, also a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Seven hills give it a San Francisco feel in places, and there's a very old university centre which, as well as attracting a certain intelligentsia, also offers a lively nightlife. But of course, it's the gabled houses of the Hanseatic city - from the time, between the 14th and 18th centuries, when German merchants extended their power across the North Sea - that are the main attraction. Red, yellow or ochre, these wooden buildings, huddled together, some of them heaving spectacularly, have burnt down many times over the centuries, but have always been rebuilt exactly as they were before. The ones we see today all date from after the fire of 1702 and form a superb alignment behind which lies a labyrinth of alleyways made of rough planks of wood, fitted together like farmhouse floors. And then there are the narrow, dark passageways, shingled walls with three-inch windows, clumsy staircases, corridors opening onto the outside on the upper floors...
1 - Just behind the Bryggen quay in BergenIn a rare tangle, the streets are curiously covered in thick planks, the houses are elbow to elbow, the walls are almost silent, with small openings here and there. A world once inward-looking, now perhaps a little too touristy.
To better appreciate the way of life of the famous merchants of the time, you should visit the Hanseatisk Museum on the same famous quay, which is in fact a reconstruction of a house from the past. On the ground floor is the classic cod warehouse that made Bergen's fortune. On the first floor, the master's house: lounges, dining rooms, the accounts office and other rooms for apprentices. And just about everywhere there were alcoves - or rather cupboards - where the very young apprentices crammed together to sleep for a few hours. Of course, the area is full of bric-a-brac merchants, but on the first floor of one of the houses on the quayside you'll find one of the city's most charming restaurants, which can be privatised. When it comes to gastronomy, be sure to visit the fish market on the other side of the dock, where you can indulge in an orgy of fresh salmon and prawns. Beyond that, the city has everything you need for business tourism, from conference rooms to unusual venues for meetings or dinners: private museums, the former villa of composer Edvard Grieg, the wooden castle of violinist Ole Bull...
The legendary coastal express
Bergen deserves its nickname of "gateway to the fjords of Norway. It's from here that the boats leave for day cruises, and it's also from here that the legendary coastal express leaves, sailing from small ports to large towns, taking five and a half days to cover almost the entire coast of the country, well beyond the North Cape, all the way to the Russian border... and back. The Hurtigruten is a veritable institution: a ship, or to be more precise, 11 buildings, all part of the country's national heritage.
It all began in 1896 when the first steamer left Trondheim for Hammerfest, creating the Hurtigrute, literally the "expresswaywhich was intended in part to overcome the total isolation of certain fishing villages. Over the years, the voyage, which was initially reserved for the transport of goods and people, expanded, extending its route over 1,250 miles along the coast to become what it is today. In other words, 34 ports of call, some of which are no more than a few houses; ships that still act as cargo ships, transporting local people from one village to another, but also welcoming tourists from all over the world in luxurious conditions. The ship, the MS Midnatsol in this case, is spread over nine decks, carrying 1,000 passengers and offering over 300 cabins and suites, as well as lounges, boudoirs, boutiques, saunas, whirlpools, several conference rooms, Internet corners, cafés, bars and restaurants serving over fifty different dishes and salads... Entertainment is provided on board, particularly when the ship crosses the Arctic Circle. What's more, Hurtigruten offers excursions and activities worthy of the biggest cruise lines at its most remarkable ports of call - which it deliberately makes last just a few hours. Here are just a few examples: discover the Geiranger fjord (UNESCO), Art Nouveau in Alesund, the cathedral in Trondheim, the Svartisen in Ornes, Norway's second largest glacier, Huskies and sled dogs in Tromso in winter, an excursion to North Cape, a meeting with the Lapps in Kjollefjord...
1 - Hurtigruten exploits eleven boats, most of them recently built, all different, but each offering top-of-the-range facilities with a multitude of bars, restaurants and shops.
2 - Mi-omnibus of the seas for the inhabitants of the Far North, half cruise ship for tourists exploring the breathtaking landscapes along the Norwegian coast, the Coastal Express carries up to 1,000 passengers.
Let's set sail from Bergen for the Far North. Right away, the boat weaves its way between bare islands and islets, which are nonetheless home to small, isolated houses... The tone is set; This is how it will be for the rest of the journey, sometimes skirting steep cliffs, passing by birch woods or tiny meadows, taking to the high seas again, waving a horn at another boat heading south, stopping and setting off again almost immediately in tiny harbours with four houses and three warehouses, sinking into bays, passing mountains to the north with peaks covered in eternal snow, slipping into passes and... mooring for a few hours in harbour towns, each of which, for one reason or another, has its own special character. "speciality.
Starting with Alesund, which makes your heart sway between two choices: visit the town or continue on the coastal express for a round trip cruise in the Geiranger fjord. Completely unexpected at this latitude, the town has a special cachet, as it is built almost entirely in a uniform Art Nouveau style. Why should this be? Because in 1904, it was totally destroyed by a gigantic fire that left 10,000 inhabitants homeless. In just three years, thanks to Prussia, it was completely rebuilt. The ensemble is perfect, remarkably well-preserved, and features houses with turrets, spires, buttons, stylised floral motifs, etc. All centred around a small port where the facades of the rehabilitated warehouses fall, without a single quay, directly into the water. The town has its own airport, so groups can fly in directly from Oslo. They won't regret it. Gala evenings can be organised in the gigantic marine aquarium, which is privatised for the occasion, or at the Devold Factory, a former textile factory 15 minutes away by boat that now houses shops selling Norwegian products and design, an industrial museum and conference rooms. We're not trying to compete with Geiranger," says Ronny Brunvoll from the town's tourist office. On the contrary, we're using its magnetism to attract incentive groups, as Alesund is perfectly served, both by sea with the Hurtigruten and by air in just over an hour from Oslo."
The city and its surroundings offer a wide range of incentive activities: We have our own boat capable of carrying 90 people on the Geiranger," continues Anniken Aakvik, from the very upmarket 62° North agency. We also have three helicopters, speed boats and a desert island with a few rooms for exclusive incentives. And, finally, three hotels.
One of the most beautiful landscapes in the world
So what about Geiranger? It's easy to see why the fjord is a UNESCO World Heritage Site! Because it is, without a doubt, one of the most beautiful landscapes in the country, if not the world, for around twenty kilometres. A breathtaking emerald green cruise, a route dominated by two very high and very narrow granite walls along which waterfalls tumble. Without doubt, the highlight of a trip to Norway.
Then the boat sets off again for its next long stop, the port of Trondheim, at the foot of Nidaros Cathedral, the most northerly cathedral in the world, whose construction began in 1070. Burnt down many times, altered many times, unexpected in these latitudes, magnificent and with a unique statuary, the church is undeniably Gothic and houses the relics of the Viking king Olav II, patron saint of Norway, baptised in Rouen, Normandy... Adjacent and the oldest secular building in Scandinavia (1160), the archbishop's palace preserves the gleaming jewels of the crown in its basements. However, like Oslo, Trondheim is not resting on its laurels. Alongside the port and its old wooden warehouses, now transformed into bohemian bourgeois flats, and its congress centre, the city has just inaugurated a postmodern museum devoted entirely to rock'n'roll and is preparing to open a Clarion Hotel and Congress with the most contemporary lines.
3 - A dye based on rock powder gives Norwegian houses their uniform red colour. It protects them from the rain and allows the fir wood to breathe, one of the best insulators against the polar cold that grips the region for much of the year.
4 - Both beasts of burdenA source of food and a staple of clothing, the reindeer that populate the Lapland tundra in their thousands are at the heart of the Saami culture that dates back thousands of years.
5 - North Capethe ominous black rock rising out of the Arctic Ocean, seems to tower 307 metres above the globe. When the weather is right, this mythical place offers an unforgettable spectacle and leaves visitors with the memory of having once set foot on the most northerly point on the planet.
Further north, past the Arctic Circle, at the edge of the town of Tromso, lies the "land of the midnight sun", where it is no longer clear whether the endless nights of winter or the uninterrupted days of summer are the most beautiful, or at least the most lively. For Tromso, the self-proclaimed most northerly city in the world, is also a major international university centre. As a result, the population is incredibly young, speaks to foreigners as if they were old friends, speaks every language, sings and dances, dare we say, at least in winter, into the wee hours of the night.... Some people say that our town doesn't have much charm," smiles Kyle Parsonage from the tourist office. My answer is that it's the friendliest town in Norway, and the liveliest too. And then there's the surrounding area. Groups, who can fly in directly from Oslo, come here in the summer, not only for the great atmosphere in the pubs, but also for all the more or less sporting activities we have to offer: sea kayaking, tandem paragliding, cycling, angling, horse riding, sledging on wheels pulled by dogs... We are also very respectful of the Sami culture, to which we have dedicated a museum."
Days without beginning or end
And yet, it has to be said, if you climb so high, it is, consciously or unconsciously, to set foot on the phantasmagorical North Cape. Almost the end of the world, before the 2,000 km of Arctic Ocean and ice pack that separate it from the pole. A kingdom of seabirds, this black rock on the island of Mageroya - the Norwegian coastline is made up of islands, capes, fjords and bays - rises over 300 metres above the ocean. In summer, when the weather is fine, which is very rare - no more than 28 days a year, it's said - midnight sun-lovers pop the champagne in front of the star, which skims the ocean before rising again to start the day straight away. In winter, of course, it's the other way round: it's pitch black. All the time. The landscape, before you reach the end of the earth, is truly polar, sublime, treeless, full of curves and free for some 5,000 reindeer grazing on moss and lichen. The excursion, always organised by Hurtigruten, only lasts a few hours. But you won't want to miss it before setting sail again for the last port of call: Kirkenes.
1, 2 - Devastated overnight by fire - Alesund was completely rebuilt in three years, thanks to the King of Prussia. Not in the same style, but in the Art Nouveau style that was taking its first steps at the time and is still omnipresent in the town. Since then, Alesund has broadened its architectural register to include design, a Scandinavian speciality, which gives a modern twist to the town's establishments, such as the boutique hotel Brosundet here.
3 - Passengers rush in in the middle of the night on the deck of the Coastal Express to witness the rare moment when, at these latitudes, the sun bids farewell to the Earth's surface in summer.
And what a stopover! This former mining town located five kilometres from the Russian border - but is it really a town at all? - is so ugly that it exudes an undeniable charm, a twisted, rusty je-ne-sais-quoi, with improbable Russian trawlers that have been abandoned there for a few years; something post-industrial, even post-world war that razed everything to the ground by bombing it over and over again. Almost as much as Dresden and the island of Malta, that's saying something... Still, there are a few pretty wooden houses here and there; a pub, the Rallarn, which is extremely welcoming, when the sailors sing at the top of their voices in the evening; and a few very good establishments, including the brand new Hotel Thon. Kirkenes is first and foremost a base for lovers of Lapland, sporting adventures and absolutely silent vastness, the famous silence of the Far North, high above the globe.
Kirkens, the mad charm of the improbable
This is confirmed by Ronny Ostrem, director of the Radius agency: "It's obvious that the city centre is not what you'd call an urban success story. But we mustn't forget that Kirkenes was completely destroyed by Russian bombing during the Second World War. On this subject, we are showing visitors some old shelters, dug into the rock, which could have housed several thousand people. It's a kind of duty to remember, and a great success. But what most interests groups is a brief stay at our adventure site, which was named one of the 25 best in the world by National Geographic in 2008. Here, in the heart of nature, you'll find a reindeer farm, a kennel with around a hundred dogs, a country sauna on the edge of a lake and a very comfortable restaurant set up under a large wooden tent. And, from November, an ice hotel. Summer lends itself to quad biking on marked trails under the midnight sun. In winter, the sled dogs take over".
Kirkenes is also the end of the coastal express line, a cruise to be savoured without moderation and, as it is written in large letters on the decks of its boats, undoubtedly one of the most beautiful cruises in the world. "the world's most beautiful cruises.
