Frommer's^® Norway, 1st Edition

by Darwin Porter; Danforth Prince

• ISBN13: 9780764524677
• ISBN10: 0764524674
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2003-01-01
• Publisher: Frommers

Summary

You2ll never fall into the tourist traps when you travel with Frommer2s. It2s like having a friend show you around, taking you to the places locals like best. Our expert authors have already gone everywhere you might go - they2ve done the legwork for you, and they2re not afraid to tell it like it is, saving you time and money. No other series offers candid reviews of so many hotels and restaurants in all price ranges. Every Frommer2s Travel Guide is up-to-date, with exact prices for everything, dozens of color maps, and exciting coverage of sports, shopping, and nightlife. You2d be lost without us! Turn to Frommer2s for complete, up-to-date coverage of Europe2s most scenic and unspoiled region. In one easy-to-use guide, you2ll find the very best of Norway from city sightseeing to wilderness adventures, fjord cruises, and great small towns. Loaded with detailed maps and smart tips that help you stretch your dollar and plan your trip more easily, our guide features accommodations for every taste and budget, the best in authentic dining, and terrific shopping finds. We2ll outline spectacular driving tours; visit the most intriguing Viking ruins; and cover the best of the magnificent countryside, from mountain climbing and skiing to fishing and hiking in the Land of the Midnight Sun.

Table of Contents

List of Maps	ix
1 The Best of Norway	1	(8)
1 The Best Travel Experiences	1	(1)
2 The Best Scenic Towns & Villages	2	(1)
3 The Best Active Vacations	3	(1)
4 The Best Festivals & Special Events	4	(1)
5 The Best Hotels	4	(1)
6 The Best Restaurants	5	(1)
7 The Best Museums	6	(1)
8 The Best Buys	7	(1)
9 The Best Websites	8	(1)
2 Planning Your Trip to Norway	9	(39)
1 The Regions in Brief	9	(1)
2 Visitor Information	10	(2)
3 Entry Requirements & Customs	12	(1)
4 Money	13	(2)
Emergency Cash- The Fastest Way	14	(1)
The Norwegian Krone	15	(1)
5 When to Go	15	(5)
What Things Cost in Oslo	16	(2)
Norway Calendar of Events	18	(1)
Tracing Your Norwegian Roots	19	(1)
6 Health & Insurance	20	(2)
7 Tips for Travelers with Special Needs	22	(5)
People to People: Reaching Out	25	(1)
What You Can Carry On- And What You Can't	26	(1)
All About E-Ticketing	27	(1)
8 Getting There	27	(7)
9 Planning Your Trip Online	34	(1)
10 Getting Around	35	(6)
Suggested Itineraries	40	(1)
11 Tips on Accommodations	41	(3)
12 Recommended Books	44	(4)
Fast Facts: Norway	45	(3)
3 The Active Vacation Planner	48	(9)
1 Skiing	48	(2)
2 Fishing	50	(1)
3 Biking, Hiking & Other Summer Pursuits	51	(3)
Frommer's Favorite Offbeat Adventures	52	(2)
4 Canoeing, Sailing & Scuba Diving	54	(1)
5 Adventure Sightseeing	55	(1)
6 Learning Vacations	56	(1)
4 Settling into Oslo	57	(39)
1 Orientation	57	(4)
Neighborhoods in Brief	59	(2)
2 Getting Around	61	(5)
Fast Facts: Oslo	64	(2)
3 Where to Stay	66	(11)
Family-Friendly Hotels	70	(7)
4 Where to Dine	77	(19)
Dining Secrets of Oslo	84	(3)
Family-Friendly Restaurants	87	(9)
5 Exploring Oslo	96	(38)
Suggested Itineraries	96	(1)
Oslo's Must-See Attractions	97	(1)
1 The Top Attractions	97	(9)
Frommers Favorite Oslo Experiences	101	(4)
Who the Heck Was Sonja Henie?	105	(1)
2 Parks & Gardens	106	(1)
3 Of Artistic Interest	106	(3)
A Royal Pair; The Un-Fairy Tale Romance	107	(1)
The Man Behind The Scream	108	(1)
4 Literary Landmarks	109	(1)
5 Especially for Kids	110	(1)
6 Oslo on Foot: Walking Tours	110	(7)
Walking Tour 1: Historic
Walking Tour 2: In the Footsteps of Ibsen & Munch	114	(3)
7 Organized Tours	117	(1)
Summer Evenings on the Oslofjord	118	(1)
8 Active Sports	118	(2)
9 Shopping	120	(5)
10 Oslo After Dark	125	(9)
6 Side Trips from Oslo	134	(27)
1 Moss & the Isle of Jeløy	134	(3)
2 Fredrikstad: Norway's Oldest Fortified Town	137	(5)
Bridge by Leonardo da Vinci	141	(1)
3 Halden: The Burning City	142	(4)
The Mysterious Death of King Karl XII	143	(3)
4 Drammen: River City	146	(5)
5 Horten & Åsgårdstrand	151	(3)
6 Tønsberg: The First Settlement	154	(4)
7 Sandefjord	158	(3)
7 Lillehammer & the Peer Gynt Road	161	(29)
1 Hamar: Gateway to lake Mjøsa	161	(6)
The Voice of the Century	165	(2)
2 Lillehammer of Olympic Glory	167	(7)
3 Vinstra: The Peer Gynt Road	174	(5)
Bjørnstjerne Bjørnson: Yes, We Love This Land	177	(2)
4 Lom & Jutunheimen National Park	179	(4)
5 Rondane & Dovrefjell National Parks	183	(3)
Sigrid Undset Country	185	(1)
6 Røros: Norway's Great Mining Town	186	(4)
8 Southern Norway	190	(17)
1 Kongsberg: Where Silver WasKing	190	(4)
2 Skien: Memories of Henrik Ibsen	194	(4)
3 Arendal & Merfløy Island	198	(3)
4 Kristiansand S: The Summer City	201	(6)
9 Stavanger	207	(20)
1 Orientation	207	(2)
Fast Facts; Stavanger	209	(1)
2 Where to Stay	209	(4)
3 Where to Dine	213	(5)
4 Seeing the Sights	218	(5)
A Bike Ride to the "Three Swords"	222	(1)
5 Shopping	223	(1)
6 Stavanger After Dark	224	(2)
Norway's Most Beautiful Fjord	226	(1)
7 Side Trip from Stavanger	226	(1)
10 Bergen	227	(41)
1 Orientation	227	(2)
The World's Longest Tunnel	228	(1)
2 Getting Around	229	(3)
Fast Facts. Bergen	230	(2)
3 Where to Stay	232	(8)
Saving Money on Your Room	233	(7)
4 Where to Dine	240	(5)
A Dining Curiosity of the Middle Ages	243	(2)
5 Seeing the Sights	245	(14)
Grieg: The Chopin of the North	253	(2)
Ole Bull: Romantic Musician & Patriot	255	(1)
Walking Tour: Historic Bergen	256	(3)
6 Outdoor Activities	259	(1)
7 Shopping	259	(3)
8 Bergen After Dark	262	(4)
9 Side Trips from Bergen	266	(2)
11 The West Coast Fjord Country	268	(46)
1 Utne: A Trio of Fjords	268	(3)
2 Lofthus: Center of the Hardangerfjord	271
3 Kinsarvik: Holiday on the Kinso River	213	(61)
4 Eidfjord: Western Gateway to Hardangervidda	274	(2)
5 Ulvik: Misty Peaks & Fruity Fjord Farms	276	(2)
6 Voss: A Winter Playground	278	(4)
7 Balestrand: Center for Sognefjord	282	(2)
8 Flåm: Stopover on Europe's Most Scenic Train Ride	284	(1)
9 Geilo: Summer &Winter Fun	285	(3)
10 Fjaerland: Artists & Mountaineers	288	(2)
11 Loen/Olden/Stryn & the Jostedal Glacier	290	(5)
12 Geirangerfjord: Norway's Most Spectacular Fjord	295
13 Andalsnes: Launch Pad for Trollstigveien	291	(8)
14 Ålesund: The Great Fishing Harbor	299	(6)
15 Molde: City of Roses	305	(5)
16 Kristiansund N & the Historic Grip Isles	310	(4)
12 Trondheim	314	(33)
1 Orientation	314	(3)
Fast Facts: Trondheim	316	(1)
2 Where to Stay	317	(5)
3 Where to Dine	322	(6)
4 Seeing the Sights	328	(13)
An Escapist's Retreat	329	(4)
The First European to Discover America	333	(2)
Zealots, "Perverts" & the Ax Man	335	(1)
Walking Tour: Trondheim's Historic Center	336	(4)
Beauty from the Sea On Ice	340	(1)
5 Activities Indoors & Out	341	(1)
A Midsummer Night's Dream: Warm-Weather Ski-Jumping in Trondheim	342	(1)
6 Shopping	342	(1)
7 Trondheim After Dark	343	(3)
Burgers, Bangers & a Soccer Fetish	345	(1)
8 Side Trips from Trondheim	346	(1)
13 Tromsø	347	(16)
1 Orientation	347	(2)
2 Where to Stay	349	(3)
3 Where to Dine	352	(3)
Aurora Borealis: The Northern Lights	354	(1)
4 Seeing the Sights	355	(5)
5 Shopping	360	(1)
6 Tromsø After Dark	361	(2)
14 The Route to the North Cape	363	(38)
1 Mo i Rana: Arctic Circle City	363	(5)
Coastal Steamer: The Way to Go	364	(4)
2 Bodø: Gateway to the North	368	(5)
3 Narvik: World War II Battleground	373	(3)
4 The Lofoten Islands: The Soul of Norway	376	(13)
5 Alta: City of Northern Lights	389	(2)
6 Karasjok: Capital of the Samis	391	(3)
7 Hammerfest: World's Northernmost Town	394	(3)
8 Honningsvåg & the North Cape	397	(4)
Appendix: Norway in Depth	401	(11)
1 Norway Today	402	(1)
2 The Natural Environment	403	(1)
3 History 101	404	(6)
Dateline	404	(1)
Did You Know?	405	(4)
A Sifter of Viking Secrets	409	(1)
4 Food & Drink	410	(2)
Index	412
General Index	412	(13)
Accommodations Index	425	(2)
Restaurant Index	427