Cultural experiences

Fjord Norway is perhaps best known for its beautiful fjords and great nature experiences, but you will also find cultural gems you shouldn't miss! 

Nature has influenced the culture and art in Fjord Norway. We can thank nature for the fantastic landscape paintings and magnificent music, and exciting cultural experiences are still being created here; not only in the cities, but also in smaller creative communities.

Balestrand on the Sognefjord has inspired artists from across the world with its special fjord light captured on canvas. Tourism started early here, and in Balestrand you can find the Norwegian Museum of Travel and Tourism where you can learn more about this and what tourism has meant for the villages along the fjord. 

Hardanger was the inspiration behind the period of National Romanticism, which captured the mood in Norway from the writing of the Constitution until independence. The traditional costume (bunad), the Hardanger fiddle and not least the landscape has been captured by many famous painters. At the Norwegian Nature Centre in Eidfjord, there is a cinema where you can watch a film about the interaction between art and nature, and you can also see the landscape that inspired some of our most well-known works of art. 

Norway’s second biggest museum, KODE, is located in Bergen. Here you can for instance visit three composer homes, see the largest collection of Munch works in the country and an entire collection dedicated to Nikolai Astrup. 

If you're interested in Astrup, you should also travel to Jølster and visit the artist’s home at Astruptunet and see the landscape that inspired his key works. 

Ålesund is regarded by many as the most beautiful town in Norway. The town is known for its Art Nouveau style architecture, making it an experience in itself to simply wander along its streets. If you’re interested in architecture, you should travel via the Norwegian Scenic Routes, where you can experience exciting architecture in magnificent scenery. Even going to the toilet can be quite the experience along the Scenic Routes! 

You can learn about the different eras of our history at the many museums in Fjord Norway. From the Viking Age at Avaldsnes, Sagastad and Viking Village in Gudvangen, to the ultramodern Norwegian Petroleum Museum in Stavanger, or the Norwegian Mountaineering Centre in Åndalsnes. 
 

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