Viking Magazine - August 2021 - Cover3

Ambassador's Insights
Discovering Norway's Cultural Delights
BY ANNIKEN KRUTNES
zones,
From left to right: Deichman main library,
the Oslo Opera House and the Munch Museum
L
ast month, I suggested places in
Norway to add to your postpandemic
bucket lists, destinations
known primarily for their natural
beauty and opportunities for outdoor
recreation. This month, I'm turning to
Norwegian destinations that offer an
abundance of culture.
Any discussion of culture in Norway
starts in the capital, Oslo, which
has seen a transformation in recent
years, particularly with noteworthy
architecture along the coastline, largely
in the Bjørvika area.
The project that kicked off the recent
Oslo renaissance was the completion
of the Oslo Opera House in 2008.
The 1,400-seat opera house is a
contemporary marvel. Wood-lined inner
spaces reminiscent of Norwegian forests
are open to the public, as is the marble
roof, which reminds some of an igloo or
the swell of a wave.
Nearby you'll find the recently
completed Deichman main library,
which contains not only the expected
book collections but also a movie
theater, media workshops, gaming
lounges and
a restaurant.
There's plenty
of room to
explore the
modern interior
and one could
lose oneself in
the collections
for weeks at a
time.
This fall, the
new Munch
Museum, 10 years in the making, is
scheduled to open its doors. With 13
floors and 11 exhibition spaces, the
museum will provide ample room to
display roughly 200 of the 28,000
paintings, sketches, photos and
sculptures that the iconic artist willed to
the municipality of Oslo, in addition to
the work of contemporary artists. The
museum will offer expansive views of
the city and Oslo Fjord.
While on your tour of natural and
cultural wonders, you're going to work
up an appetite. What better way to
curb your hunger than dining at one of
Norway's Michelin-starred restaurants?
You can find 11 of them spread across
the country, in Oslo, Bergen on the
southwest coast, Stavanger (south
of Bergen) and Trondheim (central
Norway).
Southern Norway landed its first
Michelin star in 2020 when Under, in
Lindesnes, got the nod. The restaurant
is built partially underwater, with one
end resting on the seabed 15 feet below
the surface, with a gigantic window
allowing diners to watch the passing
sea life. This is a cultural and culinary
experience not to be missed.
I also recommend traveling to
Tromsø, in northern Norway, in
summer to experience the famed
midnight sun. At summer's peak,
above the Arctic Circle, the sun doesn't
set, giving you an amazing 24 hours
of daylight. While it's full of natural
beauty, as the world's northernmost
university town, it is also a wonderful
urban cultural hub, offering nightlife,
concerts, art exhibitions and festivals-
and an excellent place to delve into the
rich culture of the Sámi.
This is only the tip of the Norwegian
cultural iceberg, but I hope it will give
you ideas for your post-pandemic travel.
Perhaps you'll use this as a jumping-off
point to discover other cultural points
of interest. Norway is brimming with
natural and cultural delights from north
to south, east to west. All you have
to do is pick a starting point and start
exploring.
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 AUGUST 2021 47
AMBASSADOR PHOTO BY PONTUS HÖÖK. PHOTO ABOVE BY DIDRICK STENERSEN / VISIT OSLO
http://www.facebook.com/ http://www.sonsofnorway.com
Viking Magazine - August 2021

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