When planning your 2018 Norway tour do not forget to include at least some of the sites from UNESCO World Heritage List. Here are some of our favorites – but keep in mind that this article doesn’t even discuss every remarkable landmark in this category!
Nærøyfjord and Geirangerfjord
In 2005, these two locations were jointly added to the UNESCO World Heritage list. They represent the archetypal fjord environment. These specific sites are two of the deepest, longest fjords anywhere in the world. Their cliffs can be over 1400 meters above ground, while sometimes still extending 500 meters below the surface of the water. Nærøyfjord and Geirangerfjord are the type of idyllic landscape you dream of seeing when you book an adventure tour to Norway or Scandinavia as a whole. Pro tip: you can sell kids on visiting this location by informing them that it was an inspiration for Disney’s modern classic movie Frozen.
NORWAY’S UNESCO WORLD HERITAGE SITES Photo Gallery
Bryggen
In Norwegian, Bryggen means “wharf.” It’s an apt name because the seaside area of Bryggen is emblematic of its city’s roots as an oceanic portal to the rest of the world. Bryggen is one of the most core features of Bergen, a trading city that was at the epicenter of the commercial activities of the Hanseatic League. The oldest piers in Bergen are from 1100. If you’re a history buff, that alone makes Bryggen worth a visit! Today, the colorful row houses along the piers mostly consist of museums, shops, and cafes.
Urnes Stave Church
Most adventure tourism in Scandinavia will bring you to a house of worship at some point. Non-believers may even tire of the stained glass windows, arched roofs, and old-fashioned imagery. Norway’s stave churches, in contrast, are completely different. The UNESCO-blessed wooden structure in Urnes represents the fusion of Christian architecture and Viking Age artistry. While it is no longer a functioning church, it is still used for special occasions like baptisms and weddings – so if there’s a special event in your life that coincides with your tour of Scandinavia, this might be the place to commemorate it!
The Struve Arc
Geography nerds, an underrepresented category of travelers, will adore the Struve Arc! A Russian scientist established this chain of survey triangulations to measure the exact size and shape of our planet. The southern boundary of this chain is the Ukrainian Black Sea, while Hammerfest, Norway marks its northern border. This arc and its commemorative statues were added to the UNESCO World Heritage list in 2005. Northern Norway holds four of these geographically significant structures.
Most probably you won’t be able to visit all UNESCO sites on your trip, but a carefully planned tour by Nordic Saga will help you to visit at least some of them.
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