Norway is one of my favourite places in the world!  Ana and I recently visited Bergen over a weekend, but I have made two previous trips there to visit my aunt and uncle when they were stationed in Stavanger. 

The People

Norwegians love to drink, kill whales, and eat strange fish dishes (dreams of ludefisk..).  They are also very attractive physically - lots of tall blondes, both men and women.  I have found that once you get to know them, they are extremely warm and will be your friend for life.  But on first meeting, they are similar to most Scandinavians - not particularly obliging, which can actually be a pleasure if you want a break from North American "let me tell you my life story" openness.

Things to Know 

Take lots of money because it's expensive.  Some things, such as public transport and books, are not too bad but food, alcohol and anything else relatively entertaining will cost you big time.  As well, Norway does not use the Euro so you'll need to exchange your currency for kroners.

Where to Stay

Stay with family.  If you don't have family there, try to make friends with somebody and stay with them!  Failing that, you'll have to shell out for a hotel.

Things to See and Do

One of the great things to do in Norway is hiking.  There are an unbelievable amount of hiking trails amongst some absolutely stunning scenery.  One of the most most popular hikes is to Preikestolen, which means "Pulpit Rock" and is fairly close to Stavanger.

In Bergen, we took this little tram up to the top of this viewpoint which was quite nice.  The fish market was very interesting and you could buy the packaged Norwegian salmon there for a reasonable price.  We also visited the aquarium which was definitely worthwhile.