Spend an evening walking around a Norwegian town in winter and you may notice something strange glinting at you.

A person ahead of you suddenly flashes brightly in the headlights of a passing car. A silver strip appears around someone's ankle. Children's jackets seem to light up from nowhere.

Look more closely and you'll probably spot a refleks. These small reflectors are attached to coats, bags and backpacks throughout the darker months.

Some hang from a string, others wrap around an arm or leg, while reflective material is increasingly incorporated directly into winter clothing.

To someone arriving from a country where pedestrian reflectors aren't common, they can seem distinctly Scandinavian. And there is a very good reason for them.

Such is their popularity that I even talk about them during my “audience with” sessions when I work as a cruise ship enrichment speaker in Norway.

What exactly is a refleks?

The Norwegian word refleks is used for the small reflective devices worn to make someone more visible in the dark.

Unlike a light, a reflector doesn't produce any illumination of its own. Instead, its surface sends incoming light back towards its source. That means an inconspicuous grey or silver tag can suddenly appear extremely bright when caught in a car's headlights.

The effect is particularly noticeable in Norway during the long winter. Even in the cities, morning and evening commutes can take place in darkness for months at a time. Head farther north and the issue becomes even more obvious, with some parts of Northern Norway experiencing the polar night.

A reflector is therefore not about helping you see. It's all about helping other people see you.

A surprisingly big difference

The numbers demonstrate why Norwegian road safety organisations make such a fuss about them.

According to the Norwegian Public Roads Administration, a pedestrian without a reflector may only become visible in dipped headlights from around 25 to 30 metres away.

With a reflector, that distance can increase to around 140 metres. For a driver travelling at 50km/h, the difference amounts to roughly two seconds of reaction time without a reflector compared with ten seconds when one is being worn.

That extra distance gives the driver considerably more time to notice the pedestrian, assess what is happening and react. It's also why reflectors aren't only useful on isolated country roads.

Street lighting can create a false sense of security. Shop windows, traffic lights, headlights and other competing sources of light can actually make a pedestrian wearing dark clothing surprisingly difficult to pick out.

Trygg Trafikk, Norway's leading road safety organisation, specifically encourages people to wear reflectors in cities as well as rural areas.

Do Norwegians really wear reflectors?

Well, yes and no. The refleks is certainly a familiar feature of Norwegian winter life. Children grow up with reflective material on jackets, school bags and outdoor clothing, while adults often keep loose reflectors attached to winter coats or backpacks.

Reflective bands that snap around the wrist or ankle are also extremely common. Yet Norway's enthusiasm for the idea doesn't mean everyone actually remembers to use one.

Trygg Trafikk carries out annual observations of adult pedestrians across Norway. Its figures for 2025 showed that just 46% were wearing a reflector.

There were enormous regional differences. Trøndelag topped the list at 64%, followed by Nordland at 61%. At the other end of the scale, only 24% of pedestrians observed in Oslo were using one. More than 23,000 pedestrians were included in the nationwide count.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, people living in rural areas tend to be better at using reflectors than city dwellers. If you've ever walked along an unlit Norwegian road on a winter evening, it's easy to understand why.

Refleksdagen: Norway's annual reminder

Norwegians apparently need reminding too. Every autumn, Trygg Trafikk organises Refleksdagen, or Reflector Day, on the third Thursday in October.

Schools, kindergartens, workplaces and organisations around Norway take part, while reflectors are often handed out to the public.

The first Refleksdagen was held in 2006. Since 2009, Trygg Trafikk has also worked with well-known Norwegian artists, designers and personalities to create special reflector designs. Past contributors have included skier Therese Johaug, musician Kygo and cartoonist and television presenter Fredrik Skavlan.

It's a wonderfully Norwegian approach to road safety: if people won't wear something purely because it's practical, perhaps they'll wear it because it looks good too.

The reflector is actually a Finnish invention

Although reflectors fit naturally into Norwegian winter culture, Norway can't claim the invention. For that, we have to head east to Finland.

The pedestrian reflector is generally credited to Finnish farmer Arvi Lehti, who began experimenting with plastic reflectors in the 1950s.

Lehti was already producing reflectors for vehicles when the idea emerged of adapting the same principle for pedestrians. An early version essentially consisted of two reflective panels joined together and suspended from a coat.

The idea was refined during the following years, eventually becoming the lightweight dangling reflector familiar across the Nordic region today.

One particularly famous Finnish design is the snowflake reflector created by designer Kalervo Suomela in the 1970s.

It's a nice example of something developed for a very practical Nordic problem becoming part of everyday culture.

How should you wear a reflector?

Simply owning one isn't enough. As Trygg Trafikk rather neatly puts it, a reflector doesn't work while it's sitting in a drawer.

The Norwegian Public Roads Administration recommends using at least two reflectors so that you're visible from different directions.

Dangling reflectors work particularly well because their movement makes them easier to notice. They should ideally hang at around knee height, where they're more likely to catch a vehicle's headlights.

You'll also see reflective slap bands worn around ankles and arms, reflective strips built into outdoor clothing, and high-visibility vests used by walkers and runners.

Dogs and children's pushchairs often get the same treatment.

Reflectors don't last forever either. Scratches and wear can reduce their effectiveness, while reflective material on a frequently washed vest can deteriorate over time.

So that free reflector you've carried around on the same backpack for ten years may not be doing quite as much as you think.

Is wearing a reflector compulsory in Norway?

Despite all the campaigns encouraging their use, pedestrians in Norway are not legally required to wear a reflector.

That's an interesting contrast with neighbouring Finland, where pedestrian reflector use in darkness is written into traffic law.

There are, however, legal requirements concerning reflectors and lighting on bicycles in Norway. A bicycle must have a red reflector at the rear and approved white or yellow reflectors on the pedals or pedal arms.

For pedestrians, the decision remains an individual one.

A small part of Norwegian winter life

A refleks costs little, weighs almost nothing and spends much of the year forgotten in a cupboard. Yet when the days shorten, those tiny reflective tags begin appearing everywhere again.

They are one of those small details of Norwegian life that says quite a lot about the country: long dark winters, an outdoor lifestyle that doesn't stop when daylight disappears, and a practical approach to adapting everyday life to the conditions.

So if you're visiting Norway between autumn and spring and somebody hands you a strange little plastic shape on a string, don't throw it in your bag. Attach it to the outside instead.

The post Refleks: Norway’s Winter Essential Explained appeared first on Life in Norway.

When planning a trip to Lofoten, most people will instinctively start by looking at hotels.

That makes perfect sense. On a city break, I often do exactly the same thing. But in the Lofoten Islands, I think it's worth considering something different.

For many visitors, a self-catering apartment or cabin can provide a more enjoyable experience, and not simply because it may save you some money.

Having your own kitchen gives you flexibility. You can make breakfast before an early hike, prepare sandwiches for a day on the road, or eat dinner late after spending an evening chasing the midnight sun or northern lights.

It also means you don't need to organise every day around restaurant opening hours.

That doesn't mean you shouldn't eat out. Lofoten has some excellent restaurants, and local seafood should absolutely be part of a trip here. But eating out for every single meal can get expensive, while restaurant choice is limited in some of the smaller villages.

Then there is the accommodation experience itself. Many of Lofoten's cabins and apartments are right beside the sea, surrounded by the mountains that you have travelled all this way to see.

Sitting outside your own cabin with a morning coffee can be every bit as memorable as one of the day's planned attractions. And, of course, there are the rorbuer.

Staying In A Rorbu In Lofoten

The red fishermen's cabins dotted around Lofoten are one of the defining images of the islands.

Traditionally, a rorbu was seasonal accommodation used by fishermen who travelled to Lofoten for the great winter cod fishery. Today, many have been restored and converted into holiday accommodation.

Standards vary considerably. Some retain plenty of rustic character, while others are essentially modern apartments housed in traditional-looking waterfront buildings.

Most tourist rorbuer offer much more space than a typical hotel room, often including a living area and kitchen. Visit Lofoten's current accommodation listings include more rorbuer and sea houses than hotels, alongside apartments, cabins, guesthouses and campsites.

For couples, families or groups staying several nights, that extra space can make a real difference.

But don't assume that staying in a rorbu automatically means staying in a centuries-old fisherman's cabin. If the history or authenticity matters to you, check the details before booking.

Of course, hotels still have their advantages. If you are staying for only a night or two, travelling alone, or visiting Lofoten without a car, having breakfast, reception facilities and restaurants close at hand can be extremely convenient.

Before deciding between a hotel and a cabin, though, there is a much more important decision to make.

First, Decide Where In Lofoten You Want To Stay

This is the biggest mistake I see people make when planning a trip to Lofoten. They find a beautiful cabin or a highly rated hotel, book it, and only afterwards work out where it is.

Lofoten doesn't look especially big on a map. But travelling around the islands takes longer than many first-time visitors expect.

The E10 runs for about 163km between Fiskebøl and Å, while the full National Scenic Route through Lofoten covers approximately 230km.

Svolvær and Reine, two of the best-known places in Lofoten, are about 120km apart. Even without stopping, the drive takes around two hours. And you will want to stop!

You'll spot a beach you hadn't planned on visiting. The light will suddenly look spectacular. You'll pull into a viewpoint. You'll encounter roadworks, summer traffic or difficult winter conditions.

That is part of the joy of travelling around Lofoten, but it means you really don't want to spend every day driving from one end of the islands to the other.

So before choosing accommodation, think about what you most want to do. Do you want boat trips and restaurants? Hiking and beaches? The famous scenery around Reine? Are you arriving on the Moskenes ferry? Are you travelling without a car?

Answer those questions first. Then look for somewhere to sleep. Here are the main options.

Svolvær: Best For First-Time Visitors And Travellers Without A Car

For many first-time visitors, Svolvær is the easiest base in Lofoten.

It's the biggest town on the islands and has the widest choice of shops, restaurants, tours and other services. Many boat trips and organised excursions leave from the harbour, while Svolvær Airport is just outside town.

There is also a much broader choice of traditional hotels here than elsewhere in Lofoten. Thon Hotel Svolvær is a great choice, while Fast Hotel Svolvær is a good value option.

For anyone travelling without a car, that convenience matters. Local buses can take you to many places along the E10, but Visit Lofoten warns that services are less frequent away from the main road.

Svolvær also offers plenty of alternatives to a standard hotel. Svinøya Rorbuer occupies a historic waterfront setting just outside the centre, while Anker Brygge offers rorbu-style suites right beside the harbour.

The downside? Svolvær doesn't quite deliver the remote fishing-village atmosphere that many people imagine when dreaming of Lofoten.

If you want easy access to Svolvær while staying somewhere quieter, consider nearby Kabelvåg. It's only 5-6km away and offers options including Nyvågar, where the rorbu-style accommodation includes kitchens and living areas.

Choose Svolvær if: you don't have a car, want to take several organised tours, or value restaurants and convenience.

Henningsvær: Best For Atmosphere

If Svolvær is the practical choice, Henningsvær is the atmospheric one. Spread across a group of small islands beneath dramatic mountains, the fishing village has become one of Lofoten's best-known destinations.

There are galleries, independent shops, cafes and restaurants, while fishing boats and traditional wooden buildings ensure Henningsvær still feels connected to its maritime past. Most importantly, it's a lovely place to come back to in the evening.

Accommodation includes traditional rorbuer, apartments and small hotels. Henningsvær Rorbuer has 26 fishermen's cabins, all with kitchens, while other options include Trevarefabrikken and Villa Bryggekanten.

The disadvantage is location. Henningsvær sits away from the E10, so almost every sightseeing day begins with a drive back towards the main road.

That's hardly a hardship if you love the village, but it makes Henningsvær less convenient as an all-purpose base than Svolvær or central Lofoten.

Choose Henningsvær if: atmosphere, restaurants and village life matter more to you than having the most efficient road-trip base.

Leknes And Ballstad: Best For A Central Base

This may be the most useful choice for travellers planning to explore both eastern and western Lofoten.

Leknes itself isn't the Lofoten of postcards. It's a functional small town with supermarkets, shops, restaurants, an airport and everyday services.

But that's precisely its advantage. Its central location on Vestvågøy puts many of Lofoten's best-known beaches and hiking areas within relatively easy reach, while neither Svolvær nor Reine is impossibly far away.

I've previously described Leknes as a practical alternative base for exploring Lofoten, and that's exactly how I would think of it when choosing accommodation.

If the convenience appeals but you'd prefer somewhere with more character, look at Ballstad, a working fishing village a short drive from Leknes.

Ballstad offers the scenery and waterfront atmosphere many visitors come to Lofoten for, together with a good selection of rorbuer and apartments. Solsiden Brygge has rorbu apartments and suites, while Sjøstrand Rorbuer offers cabins and self-catering accommodation in the fishing harbour.

This combination works particularly well: use Leknes for shopping and practical needs while staying by the water in Ballstad.

Choose Leknes or Ballstad if: you have a car, want one relatively central base, and plan to explore a broad area of Lofoten.

Reine, Hamnøy And Sakrisøy: Best For The Classic Lofoten Scenery

If you've spent any time looking at photographs of Lofoten, you have almost certainly already seen this part of the islands.

The cluster of tiny communities around Reine, Hamnøy and Sakrisøy delivers the classic combination of red fishermen's cabins, still water and impossibly steep mountains.

Staying here means waking up inside the scenery rather than driving to see it.

Reine itself offers the most services of the three and is a convenient starting point for exploring Reinefjord and hiking Reinebringen. Reine Rorbuer provides restored historic fishermen's cabins around the harbour, with views towards the surrounding mountains.

Just along the road, Hamnøy is even smaller but arguably even more photogenic.

Eliassen Rorbuer is one of the best-known accommodation complexes in Lofoten. Its traditional and modern cabins sit beside the Reinefjord, and most include fully equipped kitchens and living areas.

Nearby Sakrisøy offers further cabins and apartments in an equally dramatic setting.

There is, however, a significant trade-off. Western Lofoten is a long way from Svolvær. If you stay here but plan to take several boat trips or tours leaving from Svolvær, you could spend four hours in the car on a single day just getting there and back.

So don't choose Reine simply because you've seen a beautiful photograph. Choose it because western Lofoten is where you actually want to spend your time.

Choose Reine, Hamnøy or Sakrisøy if: spectacular scenery, photography and western Lofoten are your priorities.

Sørvågen And Å: Best For The Far West

Continue southwest from Reine and the E10 eventually reaches its end at the wonderfully named village of Å. This is as far west as you can drive in Lofoten.

Nearby Sørvågen makes a particularly interesting base. It's an active fishing village with dramatic mountain scenery, hiking opportunities and relatively easy access to both Å and Reine.

It's also very convenient for anyone arriving or leaving on the Bodø-Moskenes ferry.

The Tide offers an unusual combination of a modern hotel, rorbuer and apartments, so it suits travellers who like the idea of self-catering but still want facilities such as a restaurant and breakfast nearby.

Sørvågen and Å are less practical if you plan to explore eastern Lofoten extensively. But if your priority is hiking, photography and slowing down in the western islands, that may not matter at all.

Choose Sørvågen or Å if: you want to stay in the far west, are using the Moskenes ferry, or prefer a quieter base.

What About Nusfjord, Ramberg And The Beaches?

You certainly don't have to stay in one of Lofoten's main towns or villages. For some travellers, the whole point of coming here is to get away from them.

Nusfjord offers perhaps the most complete historic fishing-village experience, with much of the settlement carefully preserved. Nusfjord Village & Resort operates accommodation within the village itself.

Around Ramberg and Flakstad, staying closer to the beaches makes sense for surfers, photographers and hikers. Flakstad municipality includes Ramberg, Fredvang, Napp, Sund and Nusfjord, putting you close to places such as Kvalvika and Ryten.

Farther east, Gimsøy can appeal to travellers who want open landscapes, beaches and a more isolated experience. These places can be wonderful, but having a car becomes increasingly important.

One Base Or Two?

This is another question worth considering before you book.

If you're staying in Lofoten for two or three nights, I'd usually choose one base. Spending precious time checking in and out of accommodation isn't worthwhile.

For a stay of four to six nights, you have a choice. A central base around Leknes or Ballstad works well if you're happy driving, but splitting your stay between eastern and western Lofoten can considerably reduce time on the road.

For a week or longer, I'd seriously consider two bases. For example, you could spend a few nights in Svolvær or Henningsvær followed by several nights around Reine or Sørvågen.

That doesn't just reduce driving. It gives the two halves of your trip a different character.

When Should You Book Accommodation In Lofoten?

Early, if you're visiting in summer. Visit Lofoten specifically recommends booking accommodation in advance during the high season from June to August, especially if you have a particular place in mind.

That advice matters even more if you have your heart set on a specific rorbu, waterfront cabin or village.

There may appear to be a lot of accommodation across Lofoten as a whole, but there aren't necessarily many alternatives in the precise location you've chosen.

Outside summer, availability can actually become more complicated rather than easier. Some accommodation, restaurants and activities reduce their opening periods, so check exactly what will be available during your stay.

So, Where Should You Stay In Lofoten?

There is no single best place to stay in Lofoten. For a first-time visitor without a car, I'd lean towards Svolvær. For a road trip with one central base, Ballstad or Leknes makes a lot of sense.

If waking up among the iconic mountains of western Lofoten is the dream, choose Reine or Hamnøy and accept that you are a long way from Svolvær. And if atmosphere matters above all else, I'd be very tempted by Henningsvær.

Whatever you choose, my biggest piece of advice is simple: Choose your base first. Choose your accommodation second.

A beautiful hotel in the wrong part of Lofoten can make your trip much less enjoyable. A simple cabin in exactly the right location might turn out to be one of the highlights.

The post Where To Stay In Lofoten: Choosing The Best Base For Your Trip appeared first on Life in Norway.

Norway will say its final farewell to King Harald V on Wednesday, 9 September, when his funeral takes place at Oslo Cathedral.

The service begins at 1pm, but the events will extend far beyond the cathedral. A ceremonial procession will carry the King’s coffin through central Oslo before the service, while a second procession will continue to Akershus Fortress afterwards.

Large crowds are expected throughout the centre, while extensive security measures and transport restrictions will affect both residents and visitors.

For anyone planning to be in Oslo that day, the most important advice is simple: allow plenty of time, expect to walk, and be prepared for a very different city centre from usual.

When is King Harald’s funeral?

The funeral service begins at 1pm on Wednesday, 9 September, at Oslo Cathedral (Oslo domkirke), close to Stortorvet in the heart of the capital.

The service will be led by Olav Fykse Tveit, presiding bishop of the Church of Norway. Oslo bishop Sunniva Gylver, cathedral organist Marcus André Berg and Oslo Cathedral Choir will also take part. The ceremony will follow the Church of Norway’s standard funeral liturgy.

Attendance inside the cathedral is by invitation. For most people in Oslo, the opportunity to participate will instead come from standing along the procession route or watching the ceremony on television or public screens.

Oslo municipality has confirmed that several large screens will be installed along the procession route, although their exact locations had not yet been announced as of 6 September.

The funeral procession through Oslo

Before the service, King Harald’s coffin will leave the Royal Palace on a military gun carriage.

The procession will travel from the Palace along Karl Johans gate, before turning left into Kirkegata and continuing to Oslo Cathedral. After the funeral service, the procession will continue to Akershus Fortress, where a private ceremony will be held at Akershus Castle Church.

The Norwegian Armed Forces will have a highly visible role throughout the day. Around 3,500 military personnel will be ceremonially involved, including approximately 1,900 soldiers lining the entire route from the Palace to the cathedral and onwards to Akershus Fortress.

A further 1,200 personnel will take part in honour guards or military bands.

Central Oslo becomes a pedestrian security zone

One of the biggest changes since the funeral was first announced concerns access to central Oslo.

Several parts of the city centre will be closed to vehicles and public transport, with preparations affecting the area from 6pm on Tuesday, 8 September, until 9pm on Wednesday, 9 September.

From 6am on the funeral day, the central area will be closed to normal road traffic. People entering the secured area around the procession route must do so on foot through checkpoints staffed by police.

Police are asking people to travel light and avoid bringing large bags or unnecessary items.

No bicycles, scooters or umbrellas

Cycling will not be permitted inside the pedestrian zone, and bicycles cannot be taken through the secured checkpoints around the procession route.

Electric scooters will be geofenced across the area from midnight at the start of Tuesday, 8 September, until 9pm on Wednesday. In practice, rental scooters will stop working as users approach the restricted area.

Perhaps more surprisingly, umbrellas are also banned inside the secured area.

Police say anyone arriving with an umbrella will not be allowed through the checkpoints, and there will be no facility to store them. If rain is forecast, bring a waterproof jacket instead.

Knives and similar objects should also be left at home. Police specifically mention work knives and knives worn as part of traditional clothing such as a bunad. Such items may be temporarily confiscated.

Expect a major police presence

The funeral will be one of the largest security operations Norway has hosted in recent years.

Police resources are being brought into Oslo from around the country, while Swedish and Danish police are also assisting Norwegian authorities. Police are working alongside the Norwegian Police Security Service, the Armed Forces, the Royal Palace and other agencies.

A significant number of foreign royals, heads of state and government representatives are expected to attend.

Norway has also temporarily reintroduced controls on its internal Schengen borders from 4 to 14 September. Police say the measure is intended to allow more targeted security checks and is expected to have little impact on ordinary travellers.

Temporary restrictions will also apply to the airspace over Oslo and surrounding areas, including drones.

Public transport will be heavily affected

Driving into central Oslo should be avoided, but public transport will not operate normally either.

Ruter recommends using the metro or train where possible, with Jernbanetorget the most useful station for anyone heading towards Oslo Cathedral. Stortinget metro station will be completely closed from 6am until 9pm.

Nationaltheatret station remains open, but the entrance from Johanne Dybwads plass will be closed. Metro trains stopping at Nationaltheatret will only operate eastwards towards Jernbanetorget; passengers travelling west should use another station.

Trams will not run through central Oslo at all. Several routes will be cut short on either side of the centre, while numerous city and regional buses will be diverted.

Several buses arriving from the west will terminate at Skøyen instead of Nationaltheatret, from where passengers can continue by train or alternative bus services.

Anyone travelling on 9 September should check the Ruter app immediately before leaving, as further changes can be introduced at short notice.

Travelling between Oslo Airport and the city

The disruption is not confined to central Oslo. Many international guests will arrive through Oslo Airport at Gardermoen, requiring police escorts between the airport and the capital.

Police have warned of temporary restrictions on the E6 in both directions from 8 to 10 September, including short-term closures of some entrances and exits while official motorcades pass.

Drivers are being encouraged to avoid the E6 where possible and to expect additional congestion on surrounding roads.

For visitors arriving by air around the funeral, the airport train or other rail services may therefore be a more predictable option than road transport.

Akershus Fortress will be closed

Visitors should also be aware that one of Oslo’s biggest tourist attractions will be unavailable around the funeral. The inner part of Akershus Fortress has already closed to the public.

The entire fortress will close at 9pm on Sunday, 6 September, and remain closed until 6am on Friday, 11 September. Akershus Castle will remain closed until 6am on 14 September.

King Harald’s coffin will be taken to the Royal Mausoleum at Akershus after the cathedral service, where he will be laid to rest in a specially designed sarcophagus.

Anyone visiting Oslo during this period should therefore remove Akershus Fortress from their sightseeing plans.

Oslo City Hall is also closed to ordinary visitors on 8, 9 and 10 September.

A minute’s silence across Norway

The funeral will also be marked throughout the country.

At 12 noon, an hour before the service begins, the Norwegian Armed Forces will fire a 21-gun mourning salute. Salutes will take place at Akershus Fortress and Norway’s other official saluting stations.

At 1pm, as the funeral begins, Norway will observe a national minute’s silence.

Public transport will take part too. Ruter says its vehicles will stop at the nearest suitable stop and remain stationary for the minute between 1pm and 1.01pm.

After the funeral, the Armed Forces will fire a double royal salute: two sequences of 21 shots separated by a one-minute pause.

The funeral day is not a public holiday. Schools and workplaces can decide individually how they mark the occasion, although Oslo schools will remain open.

Paying respects before the funeral

Anyone wanting a quieter opportunity to say farewell can do so before 9 September. King Harald is lying in state in the Palace Chapel, where members of the public can file slowly past the coffin.

Demand has been extremely high, with queues reaching as long as four hours, prompting the Royal Palace to extend the opening hours.

The Palace Chapel is open from 10am until 11pm on Sunday 6 September and Monday 7 September, and from 10am until 7pm on Tuesday 8 September.

The Royal Palace says queues tend to be shortest in the morning.

What about cruise passengers?

At the time of writing, the cruise call scheduled for Oslo on 9 September has not been cancelled. Phoenix Reisen still lists Amadea as arriving in Oslo at 8am and departing at 6pm on the funeral day.

However, passengers should expect significant changes to normal sightseeing arrangements.

Passengers going ashore independently should also expect walking routes through central Oslo to be restricted and public transport to operate differently from normal.

Visiting Oslo on 9 September

For visitors who happen to be in Oslo, the funeral will be an extraordinary moment in modern Norwegian history. It will also make normal sightseeing in the city centre difficult.

Expect closures and restrictions around the Royal Palace, Karl Johans gate, Oslo Cathedral and Akershus Fortress, together with large crowds and a substantial police and military presence.

Anyone hoping to witness the procession should arrive well in advance, travel light and follow instructions from police and event staff. Remember that bicycles, electric scooters and umbrellas cannot be taken into the secured area.

Those simply trying to travel through Oslo should allow considerably more time than normal or, if possible, avoid the centre altogether.

Norway has not buried a reigning monarch since King Olav V’s funeral in 1991. On 9 September, central Oslo will once again become the setting for a national farewell.

The post King Harald V’s Funeral in Oslo: What You Need to Know appeared first on Life in Norway.

In a deeply personal speech, King Haakon paid tribute to his father as a parent, grandfather and monarch, while also reflecting on the responsibility he now assumes and the values he hopes will define his reign.

The speech was warmly received. NRK commentator Lars Nehru Sand called the new King a “first class communicator”, following the “credible and genuine” speech.

Crown Prince Haakon became King Haakon VIII following the death of his father, King Harald V in the early hours of Friday morning.

The speech was delivered in Norwegian. Here is an unofficial translation of the speech in full:

King Haakon's First Speech

Dear everyone,

Yesterday morning at 6:35, His Majesty King Harald V, my father, whom I loved so dearly, passed away.

We are grieving. At the same time, it brings comfort and strength to know that so many are grieving with us. It has been a powerful and moving experience to see the Palace Square filled with people, flowers, messages and candles. Thank you so very much.

My dear father, thank you for being such a wonderful dad to Märtha and me. Warm and reassuring. You were also a gentle and funny grandfather. A loving and considerate husband. A generous father-in-law. A brother and uncle whom everyone loved spending time with. You were the head of our family, and together with my mother you embraced us all and brought us together with a natural authority that perhaps you were not entirely aware of yourself.

Above all, you were a person who always stood firmly by your values and your commitments. You supported and looked after all of us. It makes me proud to think of everything you endured — and everything you stood up for.

I am going to miss him. I will miss his laughter. His warm, understated way of meeting people and dealing with situations. My father always made the people around him feel at ease.

He was a good listener. Especially when he met children and young people, for whom he had a special place in his heart.

That large, warm royal hand would gently reach out to young and old alike when they needed an extra handshake. He treated everyone with respect and generosity — and never made distinctions between people.

He travelled to comfort those affected by a hurricane — dressed in a padded jacket and rubber boots.

He apologised to the Sámi for the injustices committed against them — on behalf of us all.

He cried with us after we lost so many at Utøya and in the government quarter.

He brought us together by putting into words who we Norwegians are.

I picture him in his sailing boat — wearing a cap and sunglasses, his laughter ringing out. There he could simply be himself, recharge his batteries and experience immense joy, competing alongside other passionate sailors.

And I picture his enormous smile as he lay in a hammock in the Amazon, where he finally fulfilled his childhood dream of spending a few days living with the Yanomami people. It was a dream born from his commitment to protecting the world's animals and natural environment.

I know that many of you will miss these things too.

Across the country — and around the world — there are thousands of people today who treasure their memories of meeting him more than ever. Memories that will live on in people's hearts and in their family stories.

As King, my father represented Norway and the Norwegian people with pride and joy. Through visits around the country, at events here at the Palace, and while working on behalf of Norway abroad.

In driving snow at the cross-country skiing stadium.

On the Palace balcony on 17 May.

On a state visit with Nelson Mandela.

It was also a great source of strength for him to have my mother, Queen Sonja, as his life partner and to share his duties with her. Together they became a strong royal couple who complemented one another well.

I know how much she meant to King Harald, and how much she helped him remain so steady in his life's work. In the life's work they shared.

Today marks 58 years since they were married. Happy anniversary, dear Mum.

King Harald accompanied our country through a period of enormous change. From the moment he stepped ashore at Rådhuskaia as an eight-year-old on his return home after the Second World War until today, Norway has undergone tremendous positive development.

Today we are a welfare society in which people from different backgrounds live together and find ways to understand one another.

At the same time, the world is once again more uncertain and unpredictable than it was during most of King Harald's reign. That affects us here in Norway too, and has brought with it a renewed sense of seriousness.

Now that my father has passed away, a great responsibility awaits me.

He often reminded those of us in the family that each person has to do things in their own way. Find their own form. Be themselves. He succeeded his father, King Olav, who in turn succeeded his father, King Haakon.

Now it is my turn.

I am deeply grateful to have my family around me, and for the tremendous support that Queen Mette-Marit and our children give me.

I would also like to thank my mother and my sister for the strength they share at a time when they themselves are in the midst of grief over the loss of a beloved husband and father.

Our family has learned how important it is to stand together in order to remain strong — both within ourselves and for one another. Also in difficult times.

Our unity is a great source of strength for the work we are to do for Norway.

After King Harald's long and eventful service as King, it is now we who will accompany one another into a new era. Queen Mette-Marit and I want to be present and to listen.

The Queen, Crown Princess Ingrid Alexandra and I will always seek to understand the different circumstances in which people live their lives.

None of us knows today what we who live in this country will face together. But what we do know is that we will accompany one another through both good days and difficult ones.

We believe in a Norway that is firmly rooted in our history, in everything that has shaped us over time.

We believe in government by the people — and in democracy.

We believe in a society built on law and justice — and in which every person is of equal worth.

A society in which we see and recognise one another's strengths, so that together we can create a Norway in which everyone can contribute and feel at home.

We believe in a Norway with room for everyone.

We shall draw strength from our sense of community — and know within ourselves that we are one people.

Dear everyone,

Today I feel an immense sense of gratitude towards those who came before me. Each was a king for his time. They were loved and respected, and they meant a great deal to many people. I have learned much from every one of them.

Like King Haakon, King Olav and King Harald, I take as my motto: “All for Norway.”

“All for Norway” means fighting to ensure that everyone in Norway has the opportunity to live a free life. It also means accepting our responsibility as a nation to make a positive contribution to the world.

And, ultimately, it means being willing to risk everything, even one's life, for Norway's freedom and independence.

For its peace we stand guard.

Today, we are a family in mourning, and a people in mourning.

We thank King Harald for everything he was and everything he did — for Norway, and for everyone in our country.

With God's help and the support of the people, I look ahead to the great responsibility that lies before me. I ask that we all unite around the old wish:

May God preserve our country.

The post King Haakon Addresses Norway For The First Time appeared first on Life in Norway.

Norway has a new king.

King Harald V died peacefully at Oslo University Hospital, Rikshospitalet, on 28 August 2026 at the age of 89. His son Haakon immediately succeeded him as Norway’s monarch.

For most Norwegians, Haakon has been a familiar figure for decades. He became Crown Prince at just 17 years old and gradually took on a greater share of royal duties as his father grew older.

Yet becoming king marks a major change, both for Haakon himself and for the Norwegian Royal Family.

He takes the throne at the age of 53 after a lifetime spent preparing for the role. But he also inherits a monarchy facing perhaps its most difficult period of public scrutiny in decades. So, who is Norway’s new king?

Born into Norway’s Royal Family

Haakon Magnus was born at Rikshospitalet in Oslo on 20 July 1973, the second child of the then Crown Prince Harald and Crown Princess Sonja.

His older sister, Princess Märtha Louise, had been born almost two years earlier.

However, the succession rules in place at the time gave preference to male heirs. This meant Haakon was placed ahead of his older sister in the line of succession, although his father Harald remained first in line to the throne.

Norway changed its constitution in 1990 so that the eldest child would take precedence regardless of gender. Transitional rules meant the change did not alter Haakon’s position.

That change can be seen in the next generation. Haakon’s daughter, Princess Ingrid Alexandra, takes precedence over her younger brother, Prince Sverre Magnus. With Haakon’s accession, Ingrid Alexandra is now first in line to the Norwegian throne.

Haakon grew up at the Skaugum estate in Asker. King Harald and Queen Sonja wanted their children to experience as ordinary an upbringing as possible, and both attended local schools rather than being educated privately at the palace.

Becoming Crown Prince at 17

Haakon had not even finished secondary school when his grandfather, King Olav V, died on 17 January 1991.

His father immediately became King Harald V and 17-year-old Haakon became Crown Prince of Norway and heir to the throne.

He completed school the following year before beginning his military education.

Unlike his father, whose military training was primarily with the army, Haakon chose the Royal Norwegian Navy. He attended the Royal Norwegian Naval Academy in Bergen and became a naval officer.

Military service has remained part of his official role, although his education would soon take him much farther from home.

Studying in California

In 1996, Haakon moved to the United States to study political science at the University of California, Berkeley. It was an interesting choice for someone expected to become King of Norway.

Haakon has spoken openly about being uncomfortable with aspects of his royal identity when he was younger. California provided some physical and psychological distance from royal life, together with opportunities to pursue interests including music and surfing.

He graduated with a bachelor’s degree in political science in 1999.

Haakon later studied at the London School of Economics, where he gained a master’s degree in development studies. He also completed the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ trainee programme and spent time with Norway’s delegation to the United Nations in New York.

That international education would influence many of the causes he later championed as Crown Prince.

Haakon’s Royal Duties

Haakon began carrying out royal duties while still a young man and acted as regent on numerous occasions when King Harald was abroad or unable to perform his constitutional duties.

Over time, his public role expanded considerably. He represented Norway on official visits around the world, often travelling with delegations from Norwegian business, culture, science and academia.

International development has long been a particular interest. Haakon became a Goodwill Ambassador for the United Nations Development Programme in 2003.

He has also been closely associated with environmental issues, particularly the health of the oceans, climate change and sustainable development.

As King Harald experienced increasing health problems during his later years, Haakon regularly stepped in as Regent.

That gradual transition means that although becoming king is an enormous personal and constitutional moment, many of the duties of Norway’s head of state are already very familiar to him.

Marriage to Mette-Marit

One of the defining events of Haakon’s life was his relationship with Mette-Marit Tjessem Høiby.

The pair first met during the 1990s and began a relationship after meeting again at the Quart music festival in her hometown of Kristiansand in 1999. Their engagement proved controversial.

Mette-Marit was a commoner and single mother whose earlier life had included connections to Oslo’s party scene. Her background prompted intense scrutiny from the Norwegian media.

For the Royal Family, however, there was a certain historical echo. King Harald had himself spent years waiting for permission to marry Sonja Haraldsen, also a commoner. Harald and Sonja ultimately supported their son’s choice.

Shortly before the wedding, Mette-Marit publicly addressed her past at an emotional press conference and expressed regret over some of her earlier choices.

Haakon and Mette-Marit married at Oslo Cathedral on 25 August 2001.

They have two children together: Princess Ingrid Alexandra, born in 2004, and Prince Sverre Magnus, born in 2005. Haakon also became stepfather to Mette-Marit’s son from a previous relationship, Marius Borg Høiby.

A Difficult Period for the Royal Family

Haakon takes the throne at an unusually challenging time for Norway’s monarchy.

Mette-Marit’s past association with the late American financier and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein first became public in 2019.

The issue returned with considerably greater force in 2026 following the release of further documents in the United States. Mette-Marit subsequently expressed deep regret over the relationship and acknowledged that she should have investigated Epstein’s background more thoroughly.

At the same time, criminal proceedings involving her son Marius Borg Høiby have subjected the family to further intense media scrutiny.

Høiby has never been a member of the Royal House, held a royal title or carried out official duties on behalf of the monarchy.

Nevertheless, the controversies have affected perceptions of an institution that enjoyed exceptionally high levels of public support for much of King Harald’s reign.

How Haakon handles that scrutiny may prove one of the first significant tests of his time as king.

Mette-Marit’s Health

The family has also faced serious health concerns. Mette-Marit was diagnosed with pulmonary fibrosis, a chronic lung disease, in 2018. Her condition worsened significantly, and in 2026 she underwent a lung transplant.

Her health is likely to affect the number and type of official duties she is able to perform during the early part of Haakon’s reign.

It also means Norway’s new king begins his reign at a difficult time personally, just as he assumes the biggest responsibility of his public life.

Haakon Becomes King of Norway

Haakon became king automatically at the moment of his father’s death on 28 August 2026.

There is no gap between monarchs in Norway and no coronation is required before a new monarch takes up the role.  The transition nevertheless involves several important constitutional and ceremonial events.

An extraordinary Council of State is held following the death of a monarch. The new king also takes an oath before the Storting, promising to govern in accordance with Norway’s constitution and laws.

Norway no longer holds coronations.

King Harald and Queen Sonja instead took part in a consecration ceremony at Nidaros Cathedral in Trondheim in 1991, following the example of King Olav V. Whether Haakon chooses to continue that tradition will become clear in the weeks and months ahead.

What Kind of King Will Haakon Be?

Haakon becomes Norway’s fourth monarch since the country gained independence in 1905, following Haakon VII, Olav V and Harald V. In many respects, continuity is likely to be important.

Like his father, Haakon has spent decades working within the restrained traditions of Norway’s constitutional monarchy. The king is head of state, but political power rests with the country’s elected government and parliament.

Haakon’s generation and interests may nevertheless give his reign a different character.

He has spent much of his public life discussing international development, environmental issues, young people and the oceans. His education in the United States and United Kingdom, together with decades of international travel, has also given him a strongly international outlook.

There is another significant difference. King Harald inherited a monarchy enjoying considerable goodwill and largely untouched by personal scandal. Haakon begins his reign while the institution faces uncomfortable questions surrounding members of his family.

The challenge will be to preserve the stability and broad public appeal that characterised much of his father’s reign while establishing his own identity as monarch.

For more than 35 years, Haakon was Norway’s Crown Prince. The period of preparation is over. Norway now has a new king.

The post King Haakon: The Story of Norway’s New Monarch appeared first on Life in Norway.

King Harald V of Norway has died, bringing to an end a reign that began in 1991 and spanned more than three decades of enormous change in Norwegian society.

A press release from the Royal House confirmed the sad news: “It is with deep grief that we announce that His Majesty King Harald has passed away. King Harald died peacefully at Oslo University Hospital Rikshospitalet Friday 28 August at 6:35 AM.”

Harald's son and heir, Crown Prince Haakon, succeeds him as Norway's monarch. Under the Norwegian system, succession takes place immediately upon the death of the reigning monarch rather than at a later coronation or ceremony.

For many Norwegians, Harald was a reassuringly familiar presence. Although his constitutional powers were almost entirely ceremonial, he played an important role in representing Norway at home and abroad, and in speaking for the country at moments of celebration, tragedy and uncertainty.

His own life had been shaped by some of the defining events of modern Norwegian history, from exile during the Second World War to the transformation of Norway into one of Europe's wealthiest and most socially progressive countries.

Harald’s early years

Harald was born on 21 February 1937 at Skaugum, the royal estate in Asker outside Oslo.

He was the son of Crown Prince Olav and Crown Princess Märtha, and the grandson of King Haakon VII, who had become Norway's king following the dissolution of the union with Sweden in 1905. Harald was the first prince to be born in Norway for 567 years.

His peaceful early childhood came to an abrupt end with the German invasion of Norway on 9 April 1940.

The Royal Family, Norwegian government and members of parliament fled Oslo. Crown Princess Märtha crossed the border into Sweden with three-year-old Harald and his older sisters, Ragnhild and Astrid.

King Haakon and Crown Prince Olav remained with the Norwegian government before eventually travelling to Britain, while Märtha and the children continued to the United States.

Harald spent much of the war living near Washington, D.C. The family developed a close relationship with U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt, and the young prince was present when Roosevelt was sworn in for his fourth term in 1945.

Those childhood years left a lasting mark. Harald continued to speak English with a noticeable American influence throughout his life.

Following the end of the war in Europe, Harald returned to Norway with his family in June 1945. At the age of eight, he began attending a Norwegian school for the first time.

From prince to crown prince

Harald's mother, Crown Princess Märtha, died from cancer in 1954 when he was just 17. Three years later, King Haakon VII died and Harald's father became King Olav V. The 20-year-old Harald was now Crown Prince of Norway.

His education included studies at the University of Oslo, military training at the Cavalry Officers' Candidate School and the Norwegian Military Academy, and two years at Balliol College, Oxford, where he studied history, economics and politics.

As Crown Prince, Harald gradually took on more official duties and frequently represented Norway abroad.

He would ultimately spend more than three decades preparing for a role that, unlike many modern European monarchs, he would retain for the rest of his life.

King Harald and Queen Sonja

One of the defining personal stories of Harald's younger life was his relationship with Sonja Haraldsen. The pair first met in 1959, but it would be nine years before they were permitted to marry.

The problem was Sonja's background. She was a commoner from Oslo, while the heir to the Norwegian throne was still expected to marry someone from another royal family or European nobility.

The relationship caused considerable debate over the future of the monarchy. Eventually, following consultations with the government and parliamentary leaders, King Olav gave his consent.

Harald and Sonja married at Oslo Cathedral on 29 August 1968. Their marriage would become one of the enduring features of the Norwegian monarchy. The couple celebrated their golden wedding anniversary in 2018.

They had two children: Princess Märtha Louise, born in 1971, and Crown Prince Haakon, born in 1973.

An Olympic sailor

Away from his official duties, sailing was one of Harald's great passions.

He represented Norway in sailing at three Olympic Games: Tokyo in 1964, Mexico City in 1968 and Munich in 1972. He also carried the Norwegian flag at the opening ceremony of the Tokyo Olympics.

His competitive sailing continued long after his Olympic career ended. Even into his late seventies, Harald continued to race internationally. In 2016, at the age of 79, he competed in the Sira Cup on Lake Ontario in Canada, where his team finished second.

Sailing was more than simply a royal hobby. Harald competed seriously and was widely respected within the sport.

Becoming King Harald V

King Olav V died on 17 January 1991. At that same moment, Crown Prince Harald became King Harald V. He was the first Norwegian-born monarch for more than 600 years.

Four days later, Harald swore the constitutional oath before the Norwegian parliament, the Storting. Like his father and grandfather before him, he adopted the royal motto Alt for Norge: “We give our all for Norway.”

Norway no longer holds coronations. Instead, Harald and Sonja chose to take part in a consecration ceremony at Nidaros Cathedral in Trondheim on 23 June 1991.

It was a deliberate continuation of a tradition followed by King Olav, while avoiding the elaborate coronation ceremony last used for King Haakon VII and Queen Maud in 1906.

A modern Norwegian monarchy

Harald inherited a monarchy that was already popular, but Norwegian society changed enormously during his reign.

The country became richer and more diverse, attitudes towards gender and sexuality changed, and public expectations of institutions—including the monarchy—became very different. Harald generally adapted with them.

The Royal Family became more accessible to the media, while Harald developed a reputation for dry humour and occasional flashes of informality beneath his normally reserved public manner.

Perhaps his most famous speech came at a garden party at the Royal Palace in 2016.

Attempting to describe modern Norway, the King said that Norwegians were “girls who love girls, boys who love boys, and girls and boys who love each other.” He added that Norwegians believed “in God, Allah, the Universe and nothing.”

The speech was shared around the world and became one of the defining moments of his reign. Its message was simple: Norwegian identity was broad enough to encompass people of different backgrounds, beliefs and ways of life.

A king in times of tragedy

The largely ceremonial nature of Norway's monarchy was perhaps most visible at moments of national crisis.

None was greater during Harald's reign than the terrorist attacks of 22 July 2011, in which 77 people were killed in Oslo and on the island of Utøya.

Harald and other members of the Royal Family met survivors and grieving relatives, while the King's emotional public appearances reflected the shock felt throughout the country.

At a national memorial service, Harald spoke not as a politician proposing a response to the attacks, but as a head of state attempting to give voice to a country's grief.

It was in moments such as these that supporters of Norway's constitutional monarchy saw its greatest value: an unelected and politically neutral figure who could represent the country regardless of party politics.

Health problems in later life

Harald suffered a number of health problems as he grew older, but repeatedly returned to his duties.

He underwent surgery for bladder cancer in 2003 and heart surgery the following year. Further health issues and hospital stays followed in later years.

In early 2024, the King became seriously ill with an infection while on a private holiday in Malaysia. He was fitted with a temporary pacemaker before returning to Norway, where a permanent pacemaker was subsequently implanted.

Following the illness, the Royal Court announced that Harald would permanently reduce the number and scope of his official engagements because of his age.

He nevertheless made clear that he did not intend to follow the example of Denmark's Queen Margrethe II, who had abdicated earlier that year. Harald regarded the oath he had made on becoming king as a commitment for life.

He continued to perform constitutional and ceremonial duties, with Crown Prince Haakon increasingly stepping in as Regent during periods of illness.

King Harald's legacy

Assessments of any reign inevitably change with time, but Harald's place in modern Norwegian history is already clear.

He was born before the Second World War, spent part of his childhood as a refugee in the United States and returned to a Norway still recovering from occupation.

By the end of his reign, Norway was an extraordinarily different country. Through those decades of change, Harald helped transform the monarchy without radically reinventing it.

He maintained many of its traditions, from the royal motto to the consecration at Nidaros Cathedral, while gradually making the institution more open, informal and representative of modern Norwegian society.

His marriage to Sonja, once considered potentially damaging to the monarchy, came to seem entirely normal. His speeches increasingly emphasised tolerance, community and the idea that there were many different ways to be Norwegian.

Yet he rarely attempted to make himself the centre of attention.

For all the pomp surrounding the office, Harald's public persona was typically understated: reserved, occasionally mischievous, passionate about sailing and deeply conscious of the unusual responsibility he had inherited.

For more than 35 years, he was Norway's king. For most Norwegians alive today, he had simply always been there.

The post King Harald V of Norway Dies Aged 89 appeared first on Life in Norway.

Spend enough time hiking or driving through rural Norway and sooner or later you'll come across the word seter.

Perhaps it's part of a place name. Perhaps a sign points towards one several kilometres up a mountain road. Or perhaps you arrive at a collection of old wooden buildings where someone is selling waffles, sour cream and locally made cheese.

At first glance, a seter can look like a remote farm, but that's not quite what it is.

Traditionally, a seter was a seasonal summer farm, usually some distance from the main farm, where livestock were taken to graze during the warmer months. The idea was simple, practical and perfectly suited to Norway.

Why did Norwegian farms need a seter?

Norway has never been blessed with an abundance of good agricultural land.

For centuries, farmers had to make the most of every available patch of productive soil. During summer, fields close to the main farm were needed to grow crops and, crucially, produce hay and other food to keep livestock alive through the long winter.

So rather than allowing cows and goats to eat that valuable grass, farmers moved the animals elsewhere.

The forests, uplands and mountains offered vast areas of summer grazing that couldn't easily be cultivated but were perfectly useful to livestock. Moving animals to those outlying pastures freed up the home farm for growing winter fodder and crops.

That seasonal move is a form of transhumance: moving livestock between different grazing areas at different times of year. In Norway, it became the tradition of going til seters.

Life moved to the mountains

The animals couldn't simply be sent away for the summer by themselves. Someone had to milk them, look after them and process what they produced. That meant people moved too.

A traditional seter therefore included buildings for both livestock and the people caring for them. Depending on the size and location, there could be a living house, cowshed, hay barn, storage rooms and buildings used for processing milk.

The person most closely associated with seter life was the budeie, traditionally a woman responsible for milking the animals and making dairy products. That was important work.

Rather than trying to transport fresh milk long distances back to the farm every day, it could be turned into products that lasted much longer, including butter, cheese and sour-milk products.

These could then be carried back to the home farm periodically and stored for use through the winter.

So although the romantic image today may be of peaceful summer days surrounded by mountains and grazing cows, seter life involved plenty of hard physical work.

Seter, sæter or støl?

Here's a small linguistic complication. You'll encounter several words for essentially the same thing. Seter is the standard modern spelling, although sæter is an older spelling still familiar from place names.

In western parts of Norway, you're especially likely to encounter the word støl. Variations such as støyl and stul also appear in place names.

Today, seter and støl are generally used synonymously, although historically they had somewhat different meanings. Seter comes from the Old Norse word setr, relating to a seat, residence or place to stay, while støl originally referred more specifically to a place where livestock were gathered and milked.

That linguistic legacy is written all over the Norwegian map. Store norske leksikon estimates there are around 50,000 Norwegian place names connected with seter culture, including thousands ending in forms of -seter, -set, -støl and -støyl.

So even where the summer farm itself has disappeared, the name often remains.

Not every seter was high in the mountains

It's tempting to imagine every seter perched dramatically above the tree line. Some certainly were, but summer farming was practised throughout Norway, including in forests and relatively low-lying areas.

Some farms even used several different seasonal sites. A heimeseter might be relatively close to the main farm and used early or late in the grazing season. A mellomseter could provide an intermediate stop, while a more distant summer seter might lie far into the mountains.

In some cases, the main summer farm was dozens of kilometres from home. The important thing wasn't altitude. It was access to grazing that wasn't needed for winter food production.

The seter produced more than milk

Seter culture developed its own traditions, knowledge and folklore. People needed to understand animal husbandry, dairy production, weather, grazing land and the maintenance of buildings and fences.

There were also distinctive songs and calls used to communicate with livestock over long distances.

One of the best known today is kulning, the high-pitched herding call associated with summer farming in Norway and Sweden. The tradition is already something we've covered here on Life in Norway. Folklore also found its way into seter life.

Stories told of the huldra, a mysterious supernatural woman associated with the forests and mountains. Some traditions involved announcing one's arrival at the seter to the supernatural inhabitants believed to occupy the area.

What happened to Norway's seter tradition?

Modern agriculture in Norway changed everything. Better roads, refrigeration, mechanisation and centralised dairy production made it increasingly unnecessary for farmers to spend an entire summer living beside their animals.

The number of active seter farms declined dramatically during the 20th century. Norsk Seterkultur says there were as many as 100,000 summer farms operating in Norway during the 1850s. By 1939, there were around 27,000.

By 2022, only around 750 summer dairy farms remained in operation.

Many former seter buildings have since become recreational cabins. Others stand abandoned, while some have been preserved by museums or converted into accommodation and tourist attractions. But traditional summer farming hasn't disappeared entirely.

Seter culture is now recognised by UNESCO

In December 2024, the summer farming traditions of Norway and Sweden were inscribed on UNESCO's Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. Importantly, UNESCO isn't simply protecting old farm buildings.

The recognition covers the knowledge, traditions and practices associated with summer farming: livestock grazing, dairy production, land management, handicrafts, herding calls, songs, storytelling and other cultural traditions.

Some working seter farms now also welcome visitors, sell cheese and other dairy products, or demonstrate traditional farming techniques.

Valdres in particular remains one of Norway's strongest areas for active seter culture, although working summer farms survive in several parts of the country.

A living piece of the Norwegian landscape

Today, you don't need to be a farmer to encounter seter culture. You may pass an abandoned seter while hiking, stay overnight in a converted one, buy cheese from a working summer farm or simply notice -seter and -støl scattered across a map.

Once you understand what the word means, those names begin to tell a story. For generations of Norwegian farming families, summer involved more than simply waiting for the crops to grow.

People packed up, moved livestock away from the farm and effectively established another home for several months. The cows got the mountain grass. The farm got its winter hay. And Norway got one of its most distinctive rural traditions.

The post Seter: Norway’s Summer Farm Tradition Explained appeared first on Life in Norway.

Foreign holidaymakers spent NOK 44 billion in Norway during 2025, according to figures from Innovation Norway's latest annual tourism survey.

That's NOK 6 billion more than the previous year and, when adjusted for inflation, 57% more than foreign tourists spent in Norway in 2019, before the pandemic disrupted international travel.

But the headline figure doesn't mean individual tourists have suddenly become much more willing to splash the cash in Norway.

In fact, average daily spending and total spending per visitor were broadly unchanged from 2024. The increase has instead come primarily from the growing number of international tourists choosing Norway for their holidays.

More Foreign Tourists Than Ever

Other tourism statistics tell much the same story. Norway recorded 40.6 million overnight stays at commercial accommodation in 2025, the first time the annual figure has passed 40 million.

Of those, 14.2 million were made by international visitors, an increase of 14% in just one year and the highest number ever recorded by Statistics Norway.

Hotels accounted for much of the growth. There were 28 million hotel stays during the year, with foreign guests responsible for almost all of the increase from 2024.

Camping also grew, while the expansion of short-term rentals through platforms such as Airbnb has become an increasingly important part of Norway's visitor economy.

Germany remains Norway's biggest international tourism market in terms of both overnight stays and total spending.

Almost 2.6 million commercial overnight stays in 2025 came from German visitors, well ahead of Sweden, the Netherlands, the UK and Denmark.

The United States is Norway's second biggest market when measured by spending, despite producing substantially fewer overnight stays than Germany. American tourists typically spend considerably more per person during their visit.

Not All Tourists Spend The Same

One of the more interesting findings from Innovation Norway's research is just how much spending varies between different types of visitor.

Motorhome tourists are at the lower end of the scale, spending slightly less than NOK 800 per person per day on average.

At the other extreme are tourists visiting Norway to see the northern lights, who spend close to NOK 2,700 per person per day.

That difference is important as Norway considers how it wants its tourism industry to develop.

Rather than simply attracting ever greater numbers of visitors, Innovation Norway says the focus should increasingly be on visitors who take part in more experiences and leave more money in the local economy.

“Not all guests contribute equally to value creation,” said Aase Marthe J. Horrigmo, director of tourism at Innovation Norway.

The organisation also sees significant potential in encouraging more tourism outside the peak summer months. Oslo and Northern Norway already have a relatively good spread of visitors throughout the year, while southern Norway remains much more dependent on summer tourism.

Norway's Appeal Is Changing

Spectacular scenery remains the biggest reason international tourists choose Norway. The fjords, mountains, outdoor experiences and the prospect of peace and quiet continue to dominate visitors' motivations.

However, culture is becoming increasingly important too. Innovation Norway told E24 that seven in ten international visitors now combine nature and outdoor activities with cultural experiences during their Norwegian holiday.

Oslo in particular benefits from the growing interest in culture, architecture, food and city experiences.

There is also evidence that Norway's tourism boom isn't finished yet.

Statistics Norway recorded more than 2.9 million hotel stays in June 2026, the highest June figure on record. Almost 1.1 million were made by foreign guests, up 1.2% from June 2025.

Managing Norway's Tourism Boom

The record spending comes at an interesting time for Norwegian tourism policy.

Norway's new visitor contribution law came into force in July 2026, giving municipalities experiencing particularly heavy pressure from tourism the option of introducing a local accommodation tax.

The first municipalities will be able to begin collecting the tax from January 2027.

The money must be used to fund tourism-related public goods and infrastructure. That could include facilities such as public toilets and waste management, together with other services and infrastructure where demand increases substantially because of visitor numbers.

Municipalities wanting to introduce the tax must draw up a plan explaining how the revenue will be spent. Tromsø has already done so.

It's a debate likely to become more important if Norway's tourism growth continues. Foreign visitors are bringing record amounts of money into the Norwegian economy, but popular destinations also face the costs that come with increasing numbers of people.

The NOK 44 billion figure underlines just how important international tourism has become to Norway. The challenge now is not simply attracting more visitors, but ensuring that the benefits of that growth are felt in the communities receiving them.

The post Foreign Tourists Spend Record Amount in Norway appeared first on Life in Norway.

For such a small place, an extraordinary number of people visit Flåm. Yet relatively few of them actually stay.

Cruise ship passengers may have just a few hours in port. Road trippers often stop on their way through the fjord region, while many people travelling on the famous Norway in a Nutshell route arrive on the Flåm Railway only to continue by sightseeing ferry towards Gudvangen.

There is absolutely nothing wrong with any of those ways of visiting Flåm. The railway journey and the cruise through the UNESCO-listed Nærøyfjord are among the great travel experiences of Norway.

But if your itinerary allows it, I strongly recommend spending at least one night in Flåm. It changes the experience completely.

Instead of thinking about the departure time of your train, ferry or tour, you have time to look around. You can wander farther into the Flåm valley, take a long dinner, enjoy the fjord from a sauna, or simply sit somewhere and appreciate where you are.

Flåm is not really somewhere with a long checklist of sights to race around. The spectacular location is the attraction. Staying overnight gives you time to enjoy it.

Why Stay Overnight In Flåm?

There is another advantage to staying in such a popular day-trip destination: you get to experience it at a different pace.

During the busiest part of the summer season, central Flåm can feel extremely busy when a cruise ship is in port and sightseeing trains and ferries are arriving and departing.

Stay overnight, though, and you will also experience Flåm in the evening and early morning, outside the busiest part of the sightseeing day.

That doesn't mean the village suddenly becomes deserted. Flåm is one of Norway's best-known tourist destinations, after all. But having nowhere you need to be for several hours makes a considerable difference.

An overnight stay also makes it easier to add another activity. You could walk through the Flåm valley, visit nearby Aurland and the Stegastein viewpoint, take the Flåm Railway as a return trip rather than simply as transport, or enjoy a leisurely journey on the fjord.

For me, this is part of a much broader piece of advice for travelling in Norway: don't automatically try to visit as many places as possible.

Three nights in one beautiful fjord village can often be much more rewarding than three nights spent in three different places. So, if I've convinced you to stay, where should you book?

Fretheim Hotel: The Classic Flåm Hotel

If you're looking for a traditional hotel in the centre of Flåm, the obvious place to begin is Fretheim Hotel.

Located just a few steps from the railway station and fjord, Fretheim is by far the biggest hotel in the village, with 122 rooms, a restaurant and large gardens. But its appeal goes beyond convenience.

The history of Fretheim stretches back to the 19th century, when wealthy visitors began arriving in the area to enjoy salmon fishing and the dramatic landscape.

Accommodation developed on the Fretheim farm to serve those early tourists, long before today's cruise ships and sightseeing trains transformed Flåm into an international tourism hotspot.

Today, the hotel combines historic elements with much more modern accommodation.

Its central location is especially valuable if you are travelling without a car. You can arrive on the Flåm Railway, walk across to the hotel with your luggage, and be equally well placed for the ferry terminal when it is time to continue your journey.

The hotel's Restaurant Arven also means you have a full-service dinner option without having to go far.

Best for: First-time visitors, rail travellers and anyone wanting a full-service hotel in an exceptionally convenient location.

Flåmsbrygga Hotel: Stay Beside The Fjord

For a stay that feels a little closer to the waterfront, Flåmsbrygga Hotel is another of the strongest options in central Flåm.

The wooden hotel buildings fit nicely into the fjord setting, while several room categories include balconies overlooking the Aurlandsfjord and harbour. The rooms have also recently undergone renovation.

Location is once again a major advantage. You're right beside the heart of Flåm, within easy walking distance of the railway, ferries and other visitor facilities.

There's also food and drink on site, including the Fjord Bistro, while the complex is closely associated with the well-known Ægir brewing concept.

Personally, I think Flåmsbrygga will appeal most to people for whom the setting is a major part of choosing a hotel. If you're going to spend the money to stay overnight in Flåm, having a balcony overlooking the fjord is certainly one way to make the most of it.

Just pay attention to the room category when booking if the view is important to you. Not every room has the same outlook.

Best for: Couples and travellers who want to stay right beside the harbour and make the fjord setting part of the hotel experience.

Heimly Guesthouse: A Quieter Fjord Stay

If the centre of Flåm sounds a little too busy for you, Heimly Guesthouse is worth a look. It's still within walking distance of central Flåm, but its position beside the fjord gives it more of a retreat-like feel.

Heimly is a seasonal property, currently open from mid-May until the end of September, so this is primarily an option for visitors during the main tourist season.

This kind of accommodation suits the philosophy behind staying overnight in Flåm particularly well. You're not choosing it because you need endless hotel facilities. You're choosing it because you want to wake up beside one of Norway's most beautiful fjords.

Best for: Travellers looking for a smaller, quieter alternative to Flåm's main hotels.

Flåm Ferdaminne: Self-Catering In The Centre

Another option I can personally recommend is Flåm Ferdaminne, where I stayed albeit many years ago.

The holiday apartments are still operating right in central Flåm, just a few steps from the railway, and include fully equipped kitchens along with balconies or terraces and mountain views.

That makes Ferdaminne particularly useful for families or anyone who wants more space and the flexibility to self-cater. Given the limited—and often expensive—dining options in Flåm, having your own kitchen can be a real advantage.

Best for: Families, longer stays and travellers who prefer self-catering.

Flåm Camping & Hostel: A Budget-Friendly Choice

Flåm has a reputation for being expensive, and accommodation is no exception. One of the most useful alternatives to the major hotels is Flåm Camping & Hostel, a family-owned property in the Flåm valley close to the railway.

Don't be put off by the word camping if you aren't travelling with a tent.

The property offers several types of accommodation, including hostel rooms and cabins. Some cabins have their own bathroom, while simpler options make use of shared facilities. Hostel guests have access to guest kitchens and living areas.

That makes this a particularly useful choice for younger travellers, families, backpackers and anyone trying to keep the cost of a Norway trip under control.

Having access to cooking facilities can make a significant difference to the budget too. The setting slightly inland from the harbour also gives you a taste of the Flåm valley rather than simply the busy waterfront.

Best for: Budget-conscious travellers, families, backpackers and anyone happy with simpler accommodation.

Brekke Gard: Stay On A Norwegian Farm

For another alternative to the central hotels, consider Brekke Gard.

Located about 1km from Flåm station, Brekke Gard offers apartments as well as simpler hostel-style rooms in a farm setting surrounded by the steep mountains of the valley. It's a very different experience from staying beside the cruise pier.

Instead of looking directly across the harbour, you'll be surrounded by the river, farmland and mountains. Yet you're still close enough to walk into central Flåm.

The apartments include private bathrooms, while the simpler rooms use shared bathroom facilities. Free parking also makes Brekke particularly worth considering if you are exploring the fjord region by car.

Bear in mind the walk if you're arriving with heavy luggage. One kilometre doesn't sound like much, but luggage has a habit of making every distance feel longer!

Best for: Road trippers, independent travellers and those who would prefer a rural setting within walking distance of Flåm.

Fretheim Fjordhytter: Self-Catering On The Waterfront

For something quite different, take a look at Fretheim Fjordhytter.

There are just four traditional wooden cabins in a fabulous waterfront location on the Aurlandsfjord. Despite the peaceful setting, they are only a short walk from the railway station, harbour, shops and restaurants.

The cabins are self-catering, which makes them particularly appealing for a longer stay. This is the sort of accommodation I would consider if Flåm itself is going to be a destination rather than simply a stop on a wider trip.

Book two or three nights and you can have a relaxed breakfast overlooking the fjord, head out for the day, then return to your own space in the evening.

There are only a handful of cabins, of course, so availability is much more limited than at the larger hotels.

Best for: Couples, families and anyone planning a longer, independent stay in Flåm.

Should You Stay In Flåm Or Aurland?

If accommodation in Flåm is full—or you simply want somewhere quieter—don't overlook neighbouring Aurland.

The small settlement is farther along the Aurlandsfjord and has its own accommodation, restaurants and access to the fjord. Options include Hotel Aurlandsfjord as well as apartments and cabins.

Aurland can be a particularly good choice if you're travelling by car, as you don't necessarily need the convenience of being within a few minutes' walk of the Flåm Railway and ferry terminal.

In fact, some independent travellers may prefer it.

Flåm is a tourism hub. Aurland feels more like a small Norwegian fjord community that also happens to receive plenty of visitors.

However, if you are travelling through the region by public transport—especially if your itinerary involves arriving on the Flåm Railway and leaving by ferry—I would generally favour staying in Flåm itself.

There is a lot to be said for checking out of your hotel and simply walking a few minutes to your next departure rather than adding another transport connection to the day.

How Long Should You Stay In Flåm?

For most visitors, one night is enough to make a meaningful difference.

You could arrive in Flåm in the afternoon, enjoy an evening without rushing anywhere, and continue your journey the following morning. Even that gives you much more time to appreciate the setting than a short connection between train and ferry.

But if your Norway itinerary has enough flexibility, I think two nights is even better.

That gives you one complete day in the area without arrival or departure logistics to worry about. You could explore the valley, visit Stegastein, take a fjord trip, cycle, hike, or simply do very little.

And there is nothing wrong with doing very little here. That's rather the point!

Flåm is one of the places in Norway where it's particularly easy to fall into the trap of treating travel as a sequence of famous experiences: ride the railway, board the ferry, photograph the fjord, move on.

All of those experiences are fantastic. But staying overnight gives you the chance to stop thinking about what comes next and properly appreciate where you already are. For a place as beautiful as Flåm, that's reason enough to stay.

The post Where To Stay In Flåm appeared first on Life in Norway.

The unusual incident took place earlier this month in Lomfjorden, a fjord on the eastern side of Spitsbergen that extends south from Hinlopenstretet.

According to the Governor of Svalbard, known in Norwegian as the Sysselmesteren, people aboard the vessel spotted a polar bear asleep on land. One person then used the ship’s horn. The noise woke the bear, which got up and moved to another location.

Perhaps most remarkably, the incident was reported to the authorities by other people aboard the same vessel.

The Governor concluded that the action amounted to deliberately disturbing a polar bear and issued a fine of NOK 50,000 for breaching Section 30a of the Svalbard Environmental Protection Act. The person accepted the fine and has already paid it.

The official statement does not identify the person, their nationality, or the vessel involved. Although some international headlines describe the offender as a tourist operator, the Governor’s statement says only that the person was aboard a vessel.

Strict Rules Around Polar Bears

Deliberately disturbing wildlife has long been taken seriously in Svalbard, but the rules governing encounters with polar bears were tightened substantially from January 1, 2025.

It is forbidden to unnecessarily disturb, attract or pursue a polar bear. People must also normally remain at least 300 metres from one. Between March 1 and June 30, when bears are considered particularly vulnerable to disturbance, that minimum distance increases to 500 metres.

Anyone who unexpectedly encounters a bear at closer range is generally required to retreat to the legal distance.

The Governor’s announcement does not suggest that the latest fine was issued for breaching the distance rule. Instead, it specifically cites the deliberate use of the ship’s horn to disturb the sleeping animal.

Why Svalbard Tightened The Rules

When announcing the changes, Norway’s Ministry of Climate and Environment said both visitor numbers and activity levels in Svalbard had increased since the environmental law was introduced in 2002.

At the same time, rapid climate change is putting additional pressure on Arctic wildlife. The ministry specifically highlighted the importance of allowing polar bears to search for food, hunt, rest and care for their cubs without human interference.

The regulations form part of a wider tightening of environmental rules across Svalbard, including restrictions on tourist landings, ship capacity in protected areas and drone use.

For visitors, the message from this case could hardly be clearer. Seeing a polar bear is one of the great privileges of a trip to Svalbard, but the encounter must happen on the bear’s terms.

In this case, trying to turn a sleeping bear into a better wildlife sighting came with a NOK 50,000 price tag.

The post Person Fined $5,000 For Waking Sleeping Polar Bear In Svalbard appeared first on Life in Norway.