Since I’m into history, the Gudvangen Viking Village was a place I wanted to visit to learn more about the Vikings. I find that open-air museums like this one are great for experiencing what life was like in a different time, rather than simply reading about it or seeing artefacts. If you want to go to the Gudvangen Viking Village, here’s what to expect and what I thought of it.

Called “Viking Valley,” the Viking village is actually named Njardarheimr, meaning “the home dedicated to the Norse god Njord.” It opened in 2017 on the site of what was … Continue reading

I didn’t want to visit Norway without seeing a stave church, and Borgund Stave Church is accessible from Bergen and also the best preserved. I’m so glad I got to see it because it is so beautiful and a remarkable emblem of Norway’s history.

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What is a “stave church”?

To understand Borgund Stave Church, it helps to know what a stave church actually is. In short, it’s the architectural style of church used in post-Viking Scandinavia.

At the end of the Viking age, in 12th-13th century Scandinavia, Christian churches were built from wood all around the area. I’m really … Continue reading

Bergen is one of Norway’s most visited cities, and with its proximity to the fjords, it was a definite stop on my first trip to Norway. I did a lot more in the city than I feel a lot of other travellers do, so what did I think of it?

The History of Bergen

Bergen was founded just at the end of the Viking age in the 11th century, just like Norway’s other big city, Oslo. Due to its location, it very quickly grew to be a large trading port city which also hosted royal residences and coronations by the … Continue reading

Would any trip to Norway be complete without seeing Oslo? I admit, before going, some people said they didn’t like it much but I was keen on visiting its museums. I’ll explain more in detail, but even though I didn’t like it much the first day myself, I began to really like it after exploring the city more in depth. Here’s what I thought of it:

The History of Oslo

The city as we know it was actually established after the Viking age ended in the 11th century, but was shortly made capital in the late 13th or early 14th … Continue reading