Viking Magazine - July 2021 - Cover3

Ambassador's Insights
Travel Bucket List
BY ANNIKEN KRUTNES
want to get a photo of yourself standing
on the iconic, precarious-looking Pulpit
Rock. You'll also want to spend time in
the city of Stavanger itself, the largest
city in southwest Norway, which offers
culture in spades, with Michelin-starred
restaurants, acclaimed street art and
much more.
fter more than a year of lockdowns
and restrictions, a lot of us are
experiencing the travel blues. There's a
whole world out there to explore, and
right now that's hard to do.
A
But restrictions will lift, and at some
point we will be able to return to
moving about freely.
When that happens, I look forward
to visiting as much of the United States
as I can. And I hope many of you will
consider visiting Norway. With that in
mind, I thought I'd suggest a few places
you might want to put on your postpandemic
bucket list.
Everyone knows that Norway
offers world-class downhill and crosscountry
skiing. But did you know that
Norway is also a great place to hang
ten? Imagine the looks of surprise
on people's faces when you tell them
you're going to Norway, the ostensible
locale for " Frozen " -for a beach
vacation. Head to the Stavanger region,
where the coastal area of Jæren offers
wide, white beaches and excellent
surfing and kiteboarding.
While you're in Stavanger, you might
One sight that makes its way to
many a bucket list is the fjords. The
only problem could be that there are so
many beautiful and noteworthy fjords
in Norway that it can be hard to figure
out where to start. The good news is
that any one of them will form the
perfect backdrop to a variety of outdoor
activities-hiking, climbing, kayaking.
Many of the smaller side branches
of major fjords are the most dramatic,
including the Geirangerfjord, the
Aurlandsfjord, the Nærøyfjord, and
the Lysefjord. But you really can't go
wrong. Every single one offers its own
delights.
While you can experience the
spectacular northern lights from
many parts of Norway, some of the
best vantage points are in and around
the " capital of the Arctic, " Tromsø,
in northern Norway. In addition to
Mother Nature's most spectacular
celestial display, this is a great place
for whale watching, bird watching,
king crab fishing, and-during the
summer months-staying up late
with the midnight sun. Nearby towns
offer skiing, hiking, and the chance to
experience the rich Sámi culture.
For a bit of everything, Lofoten and
Nordland a bit further south could be
just the ticket. Offering beaches, craggy
peaks, sparkling fjords, and charming
fishing villages, the area has something
for everyone. The coastal town of Bodø
will be the European Capital of Culture
in 2024.
Travelers who are after a once in
a lifetime experience might consider
a trip to the Svalbard Islands, north
of mainland Norway. Home to only
3,000 humans and about 1,000 polar
bears, the islands are the place to
go for dog sledding, ice caving and
snowmobiling-and, at the right time
of year, for unencumbered views of
the northern lights. Yet despite the
remoteness of it all and the abundant
nature, Svalbard's main city of
Longyearbyen offers numerous cultural
attractions and excellent drinking and
dining establishments. It's the best of
both worlds, sitting high above the
Arctic Circle.
Norway is chock full of beautiful
scenery, friendly people and fun
things to do. I've only scratched the
surface, but I hope I've given you
some inspiration to help chase those
travel blues away. For more ideas,
I recommend visitnorway.com, the
official travel guide to Norway. And
in my next column, I'll tell you about
some of the more unusual things
Norway has to offer.
About the Author
Anniken Krutnes is
Norway's ambassador
to the United States.
An expert in security
policy, the law of the
sea and Arctic issues,
she has previously
served as Deputy Director General of
the Department of Security Policy, as
Norway's Ambassador for Arctic and
Antarctic Affairs, and as ambassador
to the Netherlands and Luxembourg.
facebook.com/
NorwegianEmbassyinWashington/
@NorwayAmbUSA
sonsofnorway.com VIKING JULY 2021 39
AMBASSADOR PHOTO BY PONTUS HÖÖK
http://www.visitnorway.com http://www.facebook.com/ http://www.sonsofnorway.com
Viking Magazine - July 2021

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Viking Magazine - July 2021
