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Polar Bear, Svalbard
Photograph by Paul Nicklen
A young polar bear leaps between drifts of Barents Sea ice in Svalbard, Norway’s Arctic archipelago. Glacial ice covers more than half of the island chain, which lies 400 miles (640 kilometers) north of the Norwegian mainland.
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Bryggen Wharf, Bergen
Photograph by Michael Melford
Tourists stroll along the Hanseatic-era Bryggen Wharf and centuries-old merchant quarter in the western coastal city of Bergen. Surrounded by mountains, Norway’s second largest city—and “Gateway to the Fjords”—is a popular starting point for cruises and tours.
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Geirangerfjord
Photograph by Gavin Hellier/AWL/Aurora
Ships approach Geiranger village at the head of picturesque Geirangerfjord in western Norway. A UNESCO World Heritage site, Norway’s most popular fjord attracts cruise and land visitors to its dramatic natural beauty and to such sights as the Seven Sisters Waterfall.
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Frost-Covered Log Cabin
Photograph by Bjorn Owe Holmberg, My Shot
Frost obscures the sign affixed to a mountain cabin, one of the most popular lodging options for winter holidays in Norway.
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Viking Ship
Photograph by David Lomax/Photolibrary
A replica Viking ship called the Gaia sails under the flags of Norway and Iceland. Sailing advanced ships for their age, Norway’s Viking navigators found Iceland uninhabited during ninth-century voyages and later settled the island.
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Nordfjord Valley
Photograph by Bjorn Anders Nymoen
A glacier’s ice-blue arms reach into a forested valley in the heart of Nordfjord, a collection of municipalities ranged throughout the mountains, lakes, and fjords of western Norway. Extending to the coast, the diverse and fertile region has been inhabited since the Stone Age.
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Stave Church, Heddal
Photograph by Jorn Bohmer-Olsen and Rolf Sorensen/Getty Images
A close view of the façade of Heddal's stave church reveals its intricate woodwork. Built during the Middle Ages and currently in use, it is the largest remaining church of its kind and considered one of Norway’s architectural treasures.
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Kongsvinger Forest
Photograph by Gunhild Andersen, My Shot
Forests contribute to the geographic diversity of Norway, covering more than a third of the mainland. Mountains, plateaus, and Arctic tundra—along with famed fjords and one of the world’s longest coastlines—distinguish much of the rest of Norway’s natural topography.
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Oslo City Hall
Photograph by Guy Vanderelst/Getty Images
Home of the Nobel Peace Prize award ceremony, Oslo’s mid-20th-century City Hall is the capital’s administrative seat and a showcase for Norwegian art and architecture.
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Brünnich’s Guillemots, Svalbard
Photograph by Paul Nicklen
Brünnich’s guillemots plunge into the ocean near Bjørnøya Island to snatch schooling fish, sometimes reaching depths of 500 feet (150 meters). These stout seabirds breed in Svalbard by the hundreds of thousands, most dispersing to Iceland or Greenland in winter.
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Children’s Parade, Oslo
Photograph by Bjoern Sigurdsoen/AP
A children’s parade before the Royal Palace fills Oslo’s main thoroughfare on Constitution Day. Norwegian children play a large part in the spring festivities, many wearing the national dress and carrying flags as they walk with their schools through the community.
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Reindeer, Spitsbergen Island
Photograph by Paul Nicklen
A reindeer races across the sphagnum moss-covered tundra in Hornsund, a fjord on Spitsbergen Island in the Svalbard archipelago.
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Cross-Country Skiing
Photograph by Jean-baptiste Rabouan/Aurora Photos
Sleds and cross-country skis are commonplace near Lillehammer, host to the 1994 Winter Olympics. Ideal terrain for alpine and cross-country skiing and snowboarding make this eastern town one of Norway’s oldest and most popular destinations for winter sports.
