Between 1553 (when first “tourist” Lord Chancellor was searching for the Northeast Passage to China) and today, millions of tourists (about 200,000 per year now) have visited the northernmost point of Europe, which is accessible by car. The rock platform holds a museum, cinema, restaurant, hotel and a chapel, but – as usual in Norway – the entrance fee is not cheap.

Nature, scenery, the great roads of the Norwegian backcountry and, all of a sudden, we stop at the Arctic Circle! Because of the Gulf Stream, a huge warm water current, Norway’s Arctic Circle crossing is relatively warm compared to other countries, e.g. Alaska in the U.S. Still – we get quite an “arctic” impression here at 66°33’ northern latitude!

60-190 miles north of the Arctic Circle and already inhabited for more than 6,000 years, this group of islands (the most important ones are connected by tunnels or bridges) takes its name from the local word for “lynx” (Lo), meaning “lynx paws". a population of about 24,000 lives on 760 square miles. Fish and tourism provide the most important incomes of the people living there. The mountains, up to 3,940 ft. high, keep the strongest weather influences away from the south and east sides, which are more densely populated. Be sure to walk around the small fishing village. When the sun is out, it’s just like southern France.

One of Norway’s premier tourist attractions offers a lot of possibilities for spending the afternoon. Founded under the name of “Nidaros” more than 1,000 years ago by the Viking king Olaf Tryggvason, Trondheim was once the capital of Norway. Today it has about 170,000 inhabitants. The two most important sightseeing points are: the Nidarosdome – still the spiritual center of Norway with all of the crowning ceremonies taking place there; and the residence of the Norwegian king, the Stiftsgarden, one of the most important classical wooden buildings in Scandinavia. The Trondheim Synagogue is one of the northernmost in the world. During the long and warm summer nights the nightlife, with its many bars and restaurants, is quite intense.

The picturesque little town of Ålesund (population ~45,000) is crowded onto a narrow fishhook–shaped peninsula in the sea. It is considered by many to be even more beautiful than Bergen and it’s far less touristy. After the sweeping fire of January 23, 1904, which left 10,000 residents homeless, the German emperor Wilhelm II sent shiploads of provisions and building materials to Ålesund and it was rebuilt in characteristic Art Nouveau style. Canals and bridges add to the harbor atmosphere so that the town with its turrets, spires and gargoyles is also nicknamed “Little Venice”.