An 1893 version of The Scream (of which Munch painted four) and some 50 other notable pieces by the painter, such as The Dance of Life, are on view at the Nasjonalgalleriet (National Gallery) and are part of Norway’s most extensive collection of art. Work by Nordic landscape painter Johan Christian Dahl (1788–1857) is also featured here along with a broad overview of European art from Picasso to Van Gogh.
A fine collection of Munch lithographs accents some of the common areas of the Hotel Continental, one of the capital’s finest accommodations and still run by the Brochmann family since its opening in 1900. Right across the street from the National Theater (and in the privileged shadow of the Royal Palace), the hotel has hosted performers and playgoers for over a century, and its Viennese-style Theatercaféen is legendary. Lively and always full, it is eclipsed only by its more formal younger sister establishment, the stylish Eik Annen Etage, which serves French-influenced seasonal cuisine, from fresh Arctic seafood to grilled lamb.
MUNCH MUSEUM: Tel 47/23-49-3500; www.munch.museum.no. OPERA HOUSE: 47/21-42-2121; www.operaen.no. NATIONAL GALLERY: Tel 47/21-98-2000; www.nasjonalmuseet.no. HOTEL CONTINENTAL: Tel 47/22-82-4000; www.hotelcontinental.no. Cost: from $275; dinner at Theatercaféen $65, at Eik Annen Etage $90. BEST TIMES: Jul–Aug for warmest weather; Jul or Aug for Mela World Music Festival; Oslo Jazz Festival in Aug.
Maritime Masterpieces
VIKING SHIP MUSEUM
Oslo, Norway
The Age of the Vikings, when Norsemen terrorized the coasts of Europe, lasted approximately from 800 to 1050. (Perhaps the most famous among them was Leif Ericsson, the bold explorer and son of Erik the Red from western Norway; he is said to have “discovered” America in 1001.)
Few of their vivid sagas and legends were written down, but plenty of heritage is nevertheless preserved at the cathedral-like Vikingskiphuset, the Viking Ship Museum. Built in 1936, it houses three remarkably intact 9th-century Viking burial ships discovered at the turn of the last century in the nearby Oslo Fjord. Considered the country’s most important archaeological cache, the three long, low-slung wooden vessels contained the bodies of Viking chieftains and one queen (believed to be the grandmother of Harald Hårfagre, the first king of Norway), all entombed with weapons, horses, jewelry, tools, and artifacts meant to serve them in the afterlife. Although partially plundered by grave robbers, they nevertheless represent the largest Viking find ever recorded and have shaped the understanding of Norway’s distant maritime past.
For a more recent example of the Nordic fascination with the sea, fast-forward to the late 1940s, when a young, adventurous Norwegian scientist, Thor Heyerdahl, and his five-man crew sailed a fragile balsa-log raft from Peru to Polynesia, to prove Heyerdahl’s belief that people from South America could have settled the South Sea islands in pre-Columbian times. The Kon-Tiki, as the raft was christened, sailed for 101 days over 4,300 miles across the Pacific Ocean before smashing into a reef in the Tuamotu Islands of Polynesia (see p. 691). The crew was rescued, and today the vessel is proudly displayed in the Kon-Tiki Museum, where you’ll also find striking exhibits of Heyerdahl’s explorations of Easter Island (see p. 1021).
The Oseberg, one of the museum’s three showpieces, was built around 820 A.D.
VIKING SHIP MUSEUM: Tel 47/22-13-5283; www.khm.uio.no. KON-TIKI MUSEUM: Tel 47/23-08-6767; www.kon-tiki.no.
Exploring the Deepest Fjord in the World
SOGNEFJORD
Norway
Norway’s wild, breathtaking beauty is rooted in its fjords, and the Sognefjord is not only the longest and deepest but also one of the most dramatic. It is wonderfully diverse, awash in fertile parkland, glassy lakes, thundering waterfalls, and blindingly white glaciers—all of it bathed in the clear northern light. It’s also one of the most popular fjords, particularly among time-strapped visitors, owing to its accessibility from Bergen (see p. 355).
The petite harbor town of Balestrand, which lies about a four-hour sail northwest of Bergen along a spectacular coastal landscape, is the best base for exploring Sognefjord. A walk through town takes you past romantic 18th-century villas as well as the wooden St. Olaf’s church, built in 1897. The finest place to stay is the rambling Kviknes Hotel, which stands on a small peninsula jutting into the 127-mile-long fjord. Dating back to 1752, the hotel has been a favorite destination of everyone from poets to monarchs. Today, the fourth-generation owners maintain a casual base-camp ambience, encouraging treks and bike rides into the extravagantly beautiful countryside. Ask for a room in the original house, which takes you back in time while promising stunning water and mountain views. The hotel restaurant features a smorgasbord buffet in an elegant, historic dining room.
Well worth a day trip from Balestrand is a breezy sail up the gorgeous little Fjæsrlandfjord north of Sognefjord, to see the Jostedalsbreen (Jostedal Glacier). The melting ice from this plateau is what gives the local rivers, lakes, and fjords their distinct blue-green cast. The pretty town of Fjæsrland, lined with rustic clapboard houses and small shops, lies near the southern end of the glacier, and from here you can strike off on organized hikes in the area. Or visit the small scenic town of Flåm, which is perched on Aurlandsfjord, one of the many arms of Sognefjord. You can arrive on a Norway in a Nutshell trip from Bergen as part of an action-packed day that includes a thrilling train ride on the line connecting Myrdal and Flåm. It’s considered one of Scandinavia’s—if not the world’s—most scenic railways.
The Flåm Railway passes by narrow, scenic fjords.
WHERE: Balestrand is 121 miles/195 km north of Bergen. KVIKNES HOTEL: Tel 47/57-69-4200; www.kviknes.no. Cost: from $230; dinner $90. When: closed Oct–Apr. BEST TIMES: Jun–Sep for the warmest weather; 1st week of May for Balejazz festival in Balestrand.
The Garden Fjord Banked by Blossoms and Fruit
HARDANGERFJORD
Utne, Norway
Fjords have become synonymous with Arctic nature and craggy peaks, but Hardangerfjord offers a rural departure, with lush, terraced fruit orchards tumbling down its fertile banks. Hardanger, called the Garden Fjord, is generally considered Norway’s most beautiful fjord, particularly in the late spring when the apple and cherry trees are in bloom.
At the foot of the steep banks is the petite town of Utne. One of most charming accommodations in the country and Norway’s oldest inn, the small, modernized Utne Hotel has hosted guests from all over the world since 1722. Its 25 rooms feature beautiful historic furnishings and textiles, and you’ll find warm hospitality and charm here too, thanks to the amiable innkeepers. The traditional painted-wood Norwegian interior provides a backdrop for antiques, photos, and works left behind by the artists who have favored this spot since the late 1800s. Nearby is the excellent open-air Hardanger Folk Museum, featuring a cluster farm made up of 19th-century buildings.
Just east lies another striking destination: the small resort town of Ulvik, which is ringed by the characteristic looming mountains of the fjords but also acres of fragrant fruit farms. Hiking trails fan out into the surrounding countryside, which is especially beautiful during the spring, when the fruit trees burst into blossom, and summer, when they’re laden with juicy pears and plums. Stay at either the light-filled Rica Brakanes Hotel, a large and well-known resort proud of its panoramic views of Hardangerfjord, or the welcoming Ulvik Fjord Pensjonat, managed by a friendly family and featuring rural Norwegian design and heavy wood furnishings. The small hotel’s cozy Café Bar is perfect for nursing a beer or mulled wine after a day of hiking.
WHERE: 87 miles/140 km southeast of Bergen. UTNE HOTEL: Tel 47/53-66-6400; www.utnehotel.no. Cost: $240. When: closed Jan–Mar. FOLK MUSEUM: Tel 47/53-67-0040; www.hardanger.museum.no. RICA BRAKANES HOTEL: Tel 47/56-52-6105; www.brakanes-hotel.no. Cost: $310. ULVIK FJORD PENSJONAT: Tel 47/56-52-6170; www.ulvikfjordpensjonat.no. Cost: $170. When: closed Oct–Mar. BEST TIME: May–Jun for blooming fruit trees; Jun–Sep for warmest weather.
Sweden’s Engineering Masterpiece
GÖTA CANAL
Götaland, Sweden
The Göta Canal, the “Blue Ribbon,” is the backbone of an extensive waterway network connecting Sweden’s two largest cities, Göteborg in the west and Stockholm in the east. One of the country’s engineering masterpieces, the 45-foot-wide canal was hand dug between 1810 and 1832, by close to 60,000 soldiers, who removed more than 200 million cubic feet of earth and rock in order to create 58 locks. The best way to appreciate the 118-mile-long canal is by boat, and a variety of companies offer trips, ranging from 1 to 6 days, or even longer cruises that include the canal as part of their Swedish or Scandinavian itinerary.
Among the shorter tours are those aboard century-old ships that brim with character and traverse parts of the 382-mile waterway, including the canal as well as lovely Lake Vänern, Sweden’s largest, and even a stretch of inland sea. You’ll glide past well-tended farms, castles, monasteries, and medieval churches, along with leafy canal-side towpaths (you can get off and walk or bike along these). Land excursions to a number of small towns alternate on east- and westbound trips, encouraging round-trip journeys. The rambling 18th-century manor house Ronnums Herrgård, near the southern tip of Lake Vänern and 5 miles from the town of Vänersborg, is a prime example of the charmingly rustic accommodations in this region. The beautifully restored hotel is surrounded by rolling hills, and the comfortable restaurant takes its inspiration from the Swedish countryside, featuring robust dishes like venison, lamb, and butter-fried trout.
Both small, private boats and large, commercial vessels travel the canal.
WHERE: From Stockholm to Göteborg and the reverse; shorter cruises available. HOW: Rederi AB Gota Kanal offers 2- to 6-day cruises on historic ships. Tel 46/318-06315; www.stromma.se/en/Gota-Canal. Cost: from $965, inclusive. When: Apr–Sep. U.S.-based Nordic Saga Tours offers 3- to 8-day escorted and independent cruises. Tel 800-848-6449 or 425-673-4800; www.nordicsaga.com. Cost: from $945. When: May–Sep. RONNUMS HERRGÅRD: Tel 46/521-260-000; www.ronnums.com. Cost: from $165; dinner $55. BEST TIME: Jun–Aug for nicest weather and long days.
Viking and Medieval History on a Sea-Swept Island
GOTLAND
Sweden
It takes very little time to fall in love with Gotland, a sea-swept island just off the coast of Sweden in the middle of the stony-gray Baltic Sea. When Stockholmers want to escape, they head here. Once a strategic hub of Hanseatic trade and, at 78 miles long, the Baltic’s largest island, Gotland—the ancient home of the Goths—still exudes an alluring, medieval atmosphere. Stone walls, country churches, and pristine farmlands date back to the 6th-century Vikings (nowhere else in Sweden have so many Viking and medieval treasures been discovered). Along the island’s eastern shore, dramatic limestone pillars called raukar have been eroded by the wind and waves. They dot a coastline marked by long, empty beaches, tiny fishing villages, and steep cliffs.
Gotland’s highlight is the once-prominent Hanseatic town of Visby, known as the “city of ruins and roses.” You’ll get a glimpse of the island’s 14th-century heyday, when it was a country all its own (it was not incorporated into Sweden until 1679) and Visby boasted 16 churches. The town’s defensive walls—more than 2 miles long with 44 lookout towers—are some of the best preserved in Europe, often compared to those in Ávila, Spain (see p. 257) and Carcassonne, France (see p. 120).
Inland you’ll find thick forests and meadows that are tapestries of poppies, wildflowers, and 35 species of wild orchids, while Tofta Strand, unfolding on the west coast, is one of the island’s most inviting beaches. Rent a bike and head to the northern end for quiet relaxation (the southern strip sees its share of partying and people-watching). Stop along the way at a café to eat saffron pancakes with jam and cream. Gotland also features inviting farmhouse restaurants, like the historic Konstnärsgården, 20 miles southeast of Visby, where you can enjoy fresh salmon and seafood in either the airy dining room, hung with colorful art, or in the small garden.
During the summer, festivals come thick and fast, and Gotland finds itself at the forefront of Sweden’s artistic and cultural life (legendary director Ingmar Bergman lived and filmed here, on Gotland’s ancillary island of Fåró in the north). Stay at the restored 19th-century Clarion Wisby Hotel, located in the historic center within the walls, in August for annual Medieval Week. You’ll see townspeople going about their business in colorful gowns and velvet doublets and minstrels and street performers bringing the city back to when it was as vibrant, rich, and powerful as London or Paris.
WHERE: 60 miles/97 km off the southeast Swedish mainland. KONSTNÄRSGÅRDEN: Tel 46/498-55063; www.konstnarsgarden.se. Cost: lunch $50. CLARION WISBY HOTEL: Tel 46/498-257-500; www.wisbyhotell.se. Cost: from $235. BEST TIMES: Jun–Aug for warm weather; May and Sep offer sunshine but cooler weather; Jun 23 for Midsummer Eve; early Aug for Medieval Week.
Ephemeral Igloo in the Arctic Circle
THE ICE HOTEL
Jukkasjärvi, Norrland, Sweden
Atowering paean to winter, the Ice Hotel sits 125 miles north of the Arctic Circle. This is the vast reindeer-herding tundra called Lapland, one of the 24 provinces that make up the massive region of Norrland, which spreads across the entire north of Sweden. The hotel is crafted entirely from snow and ice, including guest rooms, galleries, a futuristic-looking reception hall with pure ice chandeliers lit by fiber optics, and a long vodka bar replete with drinking glasses made from ice.
Built every November since 1990 out of more than 4,000 tons of frozen water and densely packed snow, the hotel disappears each spring when it melts into the River Torne on whose banks it is constructed. The surreal ice creation is a marvel in itself, but the interior trappings can be even more amazing: The furniture, art, and sculptures in the public rooms are the work of skilled engineers and well-known ice carvers. Your ice-block bed is lavishly draped with layers of reindeer hide and topped with Arctic-survival sleeping bags. You’ll be awoken with hot lingonberry juice in the morning and can revel in the sauna before indulging in a hearty breakfast.
Then it’s off for a day full of fun (though not in the sun—remember, this is the Arctic Circle, and it’s dark or nearly dark for 6 weeks from December to January). Choose among snowmobile (or reindeer) safaris, dogsledding, ice fishing, cross-country skiing, and experiencing the breathtaking spectacle of the northern lights. The hotel also arranges visits to villages populated by Sami, the once-nomadic reindeer-herding people formerly called Laplanders who have lived here since ancient times. You can join them for lunch prepared over a campfire. For those who have had their share of the deep freeze after just one night at the Ice Hotel (internal temperature hovers around 20–25°F), nearby chalet-style “warm rooms” (featuring creature comforts such as toilets and central heating) offer alternative accommodations, some with skylights through which to watch the northern lights. The restaurant is impressive, taking far northern cuisine very seriously, from hearty dishes like elk stew to fresh-caught Arctic salmon, and homemade cloudberry tarts for dessert.
The small community of Jokkmokk is the cultural heart of the Sami people. Visit in early February, when they hold their Great Winter market, drawing Sami from as far away as Norway and Finland (see p. 349). To warm up, head inside to the Museum Ájtte, which is dedicated to the native people.
Norrlands latitude makes it a prime place to take in the northern lights during the dark winter months.
WHERE: 770 miles/1,240 km north of Stockholm. HOW: U.S.-based Mountain Travel Sobek offers a 10-day reindeer- and dog-sledding trip that includes a stay at the Ice Hotel. Tel 888-831-7526 or 510-594-6000; www.mtsobek.com. Cost: $5,795, inclusive. Originates in Stockholm. When: Mar. ICE HOTEL: Tel 46/980-66800; www.icehotel.com. Cost: from $345. When: mid-Dec–late Apr. MUSEUM ÁJTTE: Tel 46/971-17070; www.ajtte.com. BEST TIMES: Oct–Mar for northern lights; early Feb for Sami festival and market in Jokkmokk.
A Capital City’s Greatest Natural Asset
STOCKHOLM ARCHIPELAGO
Sweden
Sweden’s sum
mer is brief but glorious, and the Stockholm Archipelago is one of the best places to celebrate it—by kayaking, biking, or simply walking the unpaved island roads and taking in the magnificent scenery. The archipelago is a latticework of some 24,000 islands and smooth, glacier-polished outcroppings that dot a 150-mile stretch off of Sweden’s eastern coast. You can explore the area by ferry, vintage steamer, three-mast schooner, sailboat, or yacht. It is one of the country’s most important natural attractions as well as its wild frontier: Only about 6,000 people live on 1,000 of the islands; the rest are free of humans save for those who come for a picnic and a swim.
The islands feature a number of restaurants that range from rustic to daring, and it’s possible to sail from one delicious meal to the next. Take a 30-minute ferryboat ride from Stockholm to the well-known Fjäderholmarnas Krog in Fjäderholmarna (the four Feather Islands), accessible only by boat, for a leisurely lunch of scallops and mussels, grilled char, or roasted salmon. Or board a steamer for a tour of the scenery: flower-bedecked fishing cottages, meadows, farms, beaches, and, depending on when you set sail, a late-evening sky of changing pastels.
Artists and writers have always been drawn to the small seaside town of Vaxholm, gateway to the islands, while the boating crowd firmly favors Sandhamn, site of the prestigious annual Royal Regatta as well as plenty of shops and restaurants. This area also features some lovely country hotels, such as Häringe Slott (Häringe Castle), which is set on a peninsula close by the archipelago 21 miles south of Stockholm. The castle-turned-hotel dates back to 1657, and everyone from Greta Garbo to Elizabeth Taylor has slept in its sumptuous beds. Enjoy views of the bay and the ferries from Waxholms Hotell, which was built in 1902 and is painted a can’t-miss sunflower yellow. Its second-floor restaurant is the reason to come, with outstanding seafood culled from the region, including Norwegian lobster and the perennial favorite of fried Baltic herring and mashed potatoes. Carnivores can tuck into a juicy burger topped with locally picked lingonberries.
1,000 Places to See Before You Die Page 59