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What is Norway most famous for

Nature is the first thing we all have in mind when thinking about Norway, the Fjords, the beautiful mountains with snow… But that is not it, there are many other things that make Norway popular.

This is why we love Norway

Best things Norway is known for

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Even though many people don´t know about them, there are many things that are famous from Norway, because of it, we have made this list with the most popular ones, divided in different categories, like places, food, history, people…

1) Fjords

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This isn´t an specific place, fjords are all over the country, but it was just too hard to choose only one of them and of course we had to rank them first in this list of What´s Norway famous for.

There are more than a thousand fjords in Norway. Seeing them all isn´t an easy task, but if you have the chance to admire at least one, we can promise you won´t regret it.

Some of the most famous fjords in Norway are Geirangerfjord, Hardangerfjord, Isfjord and Hjørundfjord.

2) Lofoten Islands

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This is probably the most famous landmarks in Norway. One of those places that many people don´t even know the name, but they have seen million pictures of it in Instagram.

The Lofoten Islands are stunning, and you will be able to do all kind of activities there, doesn´t matter if you visit in summer or winter time.

During summertime, you will be able to enjoy a more chill and relax vacation at their perfect beaches. Meanwhile, in the cold days, you will have the chance of admiring the northern lights and all the mountains cover with snow.

3) Oslo

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Of course, we could not forget about the capital of Norway. The city offers everything you could be looking for, if you are more into urban activities, you have multiple options. At museums like Viking Ship, Fram or Norwegian Folk, you will be able to learn more about the history of the country, you can also go sightseeing, and admire the architecture of the royal palace or Akershus Fortress.

In the other side, if you are more into nature, but you just don´t have enough days to travel to different parts of the country, we totally recommend you a visit to the Oslofjord.

4) Norwegian salmon

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Norway exports salmon to over 100 countries in the world, that just tells you how popular and most important how delicious they are.

An interesting fact, is that Japan didn´t even use salmon to make sushi until Norwegians introduced it to them in the 1980’s.

Salmon is usually expensive, but if you have the chance of trying them in your next visit, you should totally go for it.

5) Norwegian heart shaped Waffles

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Another reason why Norway is famous, is its delicious waffles, a must try if you visit the country. They might not be as good as the ones from Belgium, but they are still delicious. Once you try them, you will realize they do not taste the same, but other differences are that the Norwegian ones are thinner and also made with the shape of a heart, which makes it more photogenic.

They are ofently served with jam and cream as well as a dash of raw sugar.

6) Vikings

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The Viking story is one of the most famous things in Norway. They were indeed wild and killed a lot of innocent people, but they were also extremely talented craftsmen, story tellers and authentic explorers.

If you want to know more about their history, culture, and gods we totally recommend you watching Vikings, the show is a mix of history and fiction, but it will help you understand their way of leaving. Plus, it is so good.

7) The Scream

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Other than all the Viking heritage, if we are going to talk about Norwegian art, we need to mention Edvard Munch. He was born in Norway, in 1863 and he created many authentic pieces of art, but there is one that really stands out and it is almost as famous as the Mona Lisa, it´s called the Scream.

You can tell how important and famous this painting is, when one of the most used emojis these days, is based on it. If you want to see the Scream, you should visit the National Museum in Oslo.

8) Winter Olympics

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Norway is the real winner when talking about the Winter Olympics. They are always competitive, but most important, they have more medals and gold medals than any other nation.

They even organized the Winter Olympic Games twice, the first one was in Oslo in 1952 and the second time took place in Lillehammer in 1994.

9)  Skiing

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Skiing is another one of the famous things about Norway. There isn´t a national sport, but if we had to say which one do Norwegians practice the most and are better at, then that would be skiing.

Skiing was even invented in Norway, so no wonder why they are so good at it. Other than the sport itself, they were also the ones who came with the modalities of Telemark Skiing, Skii Jumping and Slaloms.

10) Paper clips

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There has been a lot of misunderstandings with who was the original paper clip author, but the truth is that there were two of them.

In 1867 Samuel B. Fat invented in the United States, the first paper clip, the one who we all still use now a days. Meanwhile in 1899 the Norwegian Johan Vaaler patented its own type of paper clip in Germany, this one never got to be produced massively and was less functional than the first paper clip.

Johan Vaaler´s paper clip didn´t get much recognition internationally, but it was very important for Norway during World War II as it became a Norwegian symbol of resistance.

11) Cheese slicer

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The cheese slicer is one of the most famous things made in Norway. It was clearly made by someone from the country and also it is one of those things that even now a days people still use daily.

Thor Bjørklund was the one who invented this product that was not just very easy to use and comfortable, but also with a very small and cleaver design. He even created his own firm of cheese slicers and even now a days it is still opened in Lillehammer, his hometown.

Do you know other things Norway invented?

12) Blond and blue eyes

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This is probably the most famous stereotype about Norwegians, and it is absolutely… true! Of course, not everyone who lives in Norway has blue or green eyes and blond hair, but many of them.

Just so you can imagine, 88% of Norwegians have blue or green eyes, that is the highest in Europe and 75% of all adult males have light hair (that includes red hair too).

13) Happy people

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Many people tend to think life in the northern countries is very hard due to the lack of sun and daylight comparing with other countries, but you would surprised to know that according to a recent study made by the United Nations, Norway’s population is one of the happiest in the world, it ranks 3rd in the list, only behind Finland and Denmark.

There isn´t a specific reason why this happen, but the freedom and wealthiness they have could be important factors for it.

14) What is the primary language spoken in Norway?

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The official and most spoken language in Norway is the Norwegian. It is the first language for about 95% of the people living there. The Norwegian is a descendant language of the old Norse and it is very similar to Swedish and Danish.

There is nothing to worry about if you don´t speak any of those languages, as Norway is one of the top 5 countries in the EF English Proficiency Index, which means that about 90% of the population of the country can also seak English.

Other things associated with Norway

These things Norway is famous for are some of the most popular ones and those who almost everyone would recognize from the country, but there are many others and below we are going to tell you 5 more things associated with Norway:

15) Famous people from Norway

The artist Edvard Munch and the inventors Thor Bjørklund and Johan Vaaler have been very important people in Norway and they were also known internationally, but sometimes we tend to forget they are not the only famous Norwegians. Here is a short list with other famous Norwegian people:

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  • Erik the Red: Erik Thorvaldsson also known as Eric the red, was a Viking born in 950, he is remembered for being the Viking who created the first Norse settlement in Greenland. His soon Leif Erikson is also extremely popular, as he is considered to be one of the first Europeans who made it to North America.
  • Kristofer Hivju: He is one of the most famous Norwegian actors internationally, this is mainly thanks to its role as Tormund Giantsbane in Game of Thrones and Rhodes in The Fate of the Furious.
  • The explorers: Ever since the Vikings days, the Norwegians have been known as some of the greatest explorers. Norwegians were the first ones to reach the South Pole. Some of the most famous explorers are Roald Amundsen, Thor Heyerdahl and Fridtjof Nansen.

16) What Wildlife is famous in Norway

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Unlike most of the European countries, where finding wildlife isn´t easy at all, Norway is known as a country full of beautiful and magnificent creatures and animals. It is for sure one of those things Norway is known for.

Out of all, there is one that stands out, which is the Polar Bear. For some reason, many people outside the country, think Polar Bears walk through the streets like if it was completely normal, but this is totally wrong. Furthermore, there is only one place in the whole country where you will be able to find them, which is the remote artic island of Svalbard. Over there are more way more chances of finding polar bears even in the towns as there are more of them than people.

Other iconic Norwegian animals are the Moose, Reynders, Eurasian Lynx, Puffins and many more.

17) Northern Lights

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Finally, right! Yes, northern lights are also quite common in Norway, don´t expect to see them every day, but there are more chances here in Norway than most of the other countries in the world.

The best places to see them in the country are the northern territories, furthermore if you visit this part of the country, admiring the auroras should be a must. One of those things everyone should see at least once in a lifetime.  

18) Why is Norway called as the land of midnight sun

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Being so up north has its good and bad things. But there is one that not everyone would be able to live with, which are the polar nights. This means that during wintertime, the sun never rises above the horizon and there is 24 hours of darkness. However, during summer is the opposite and they have 24 hours of sun, that´s actually the reason why Norway is also known as the land of the midnight sun.

Norway is famous for being a dark country with no light, but as you can see this is not quite right, they just have a different kind of schedule.

19) Weather in Norway

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Of course, we couldn´t forget about the cold weather when talking about all the things Norway is famous for. Norway is one of the coldest countries in the world and that´s primarily thanks to its proximity to the Artic Circle and its altitude.

The best months to visit Norway are from May to August, but even then, you might have some cold days, so it´s important to always bring enough clothes with you. Also, the north and the south don´t have the same weather, so make sure to know which exact places you will be visiting.

Hope you enjoyed reading the famous things from Norway

That´s all you need to know about “What´s Norway best known for?”, hope you have enjoyed reading about it and if you are visiting Norway any time soon, have a wonderful trip!

If you have any other question about the popular things in Norway, please let us know!

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‍❄️ What is Norway famous for? ⛷️ Things Norway is known for!
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‍❄️ What is Norway famous for? ⛷️ Things Norway is known for!
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➞ What is Norway famous for? ✅ There are many reasons why Norway is popular, Nature, Vikings... ⭐ Here you can find 20 known Norway things! →
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