Norway
Norway is a Scandinavian country of 5.4 million encompassing majestic mountains, impressive glaciers and deep coastal fjords. Since it was first united in the Viking Age back in the 800s, the country has had a long history first ruled by Denmark and then Sweden, until 1905 when the country finally gained independence. Over the last century, Norway has enjoyed increased prosperity and is now one of the world's wealthiest countries, in part thanks to the discovery of oil back in the 1960s. Norway's long, rocky coastline has always played an important role in the country's history, and today it's large fishing fleet and its merchant navy is among the world's largest. The major cities of Oslo and Bergen are key ports and centers of trade - not to mention popular tourist destinations as well. There's so much to see and explore here - so let's take a look at a few at of the country's most beautiful and impressive sights in today's update.
Our tour of Norway begins with a trip to the country's Atlantic coastline - where mountains and fjords carve up the landscape. Smaller fjords provide perfect locations for rural fishing villages, like the one pictured below - and since ancient times, the country's coastline and waterways have played an vital role in providing access to rich fishing grounds.
After experiencing some of rural Norway, we head north along the country's mountainous Atlantic shoreline until we reach one of Norway's most iconic northern cities - Tromsø. This major cultural hub is known for its unique architecture, which ranges from centuries-old wooden houses on it's coastline to modern wonders like the Arctic Cathedral (pictured below) - with its distinctive peaked roof and soaring stained-glass windows, it dominates the city's skyline. Due to it's northerly location above the Arctic Circle, it's a great place to experience the famed northern lights - or to get stuck in a raging snowstorm.
Another one of Norway's most iconic cities can also be found on it's rocky Atlantic shoreline - Bergen. The country's second largest city is surrounded by steep mountains and fjords, giving it a beautiful backdrop and plenty of places to overlook central Bergen. The Bryggen district is an especially beautiful area to take in - featuring colorful wooden houses on the old wharf, it was once a center of the Hanseatic League's trading empire. Due to it's location at the head of the mighty Sognefjord, Bergen's also a popular destination to board cruises and ships to take in the country's impressive natural features.
Not all of Norway's wonders can be found on land - the turbulent North Sea is also home to some of the country's most important structures. Since the discovery of oil here in the 1960s, exports of oil and gas have become extremely important to the Norwegian economy, with large oil platforms dotting the seas playing an extremely important role in the extraction process.
We head back to land, and along the southwest coast and inland region of Norway is where you'll find one of the country's most iconic sights - the stave church. These large medieval wooden Christian churches were once extremely common across all of northwest Europe, but today there's only 28 remaining in Norway - the largest of which is the imposing Heddal Stave Church. This triple nave stave church was built in the 13th century is a true masterwork of wood - constructed largely with Norweigan Pine, it's held up quite well over the centuries and is known for its many beautiful paintings and carvings inside.
The next stop in our journey across Norway takes us to the country's impressive capital city of Oslo. This city of nearly 700,000 sits on the country’s southern coast at the head of the Oslofjord, and it’s known for its many green spaces and museums. Many of these are on the Bygdøy Peninsula, including the waterside Norwegian Maritime Museum and the Viking Ship Museum, with Viking ships from the 9th century, which can be seen near the center of the aerial overview below. The city has also been an important seaport in the region since the Viking Age, and today is a major commercial and industrial center.
After exploring Norway's capital city of Oslo, the final leg of our journey takes us to two of Norway's most amazing natural wonders - starting with the legendary Trolltunga, or the Troll's Tongue. This rock formation juts out over a fjord some 3,600 feet above sea level, offering some truly breath-taking views of this incredible landscape. The closer you get to the edge, the better the view gets - but make sure to watch your step.
Norway is a country known for its impressive fjords - and our last scene takes us to one of the country's most famous - Geirangerfjord. This deep-blue UNESCO world heritage sight is surrounded by majestic, snow-covered mountain peaks, wild waterfalls and lush, green vegetation - it's truly one of the country's most magical sights from above.
Don't forget to comment, like, and follow True Earth if you haven't already! 
-korver
-
22
-
1
-
1
7 Comments
Recommended Comments
Sign In or register to comment...
To comment in reply, you must be a community member
Sign In
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In NowCreate an Account
Sign up to join our friendly community. It's easy!
Register a New Account