The Best of Norway in Summer

Perhaps drawing inspiration from its apricot sunsets, or the painterly, island-strewn fjord on which it sits, the Norwegian capital has a creative bent, epitomized in the new National Museum, replete with art and design objects, while Munchmuseet stands as a temple to the prolific artist who gave the world The Scream. Art is not Oslo’s only specialty: Scandi-chic coffee shops and boutiques line the streets of Grünerløkka, while floating saunas bob among the fishing boats in the harbor.  

Adventure runs through every bubbling mountain stream of Flåmsdalen, a lush valley cleaving through the west. Days here are as high-octane as zip-lining over waterfalls or biking through the hills; alternatively, they are as leisurely as a freshly baked, cinnamon-sweet kanelsnurrer from the bakery in Flåm, drinking in the cloud-ringed peaks of some of Norway’s most spectacular scenery.  

A funicular at the top of Mount Fløyen reveals Norway’s second city in all its sinuous, misty-blue glory. Bergen is intimately tied to the water; a city draped around fjords, inlets and fountains, it was founded by seafaring Vikings and its picture-perfect harbor still heaves with the bounty of the North Sea, sliced and sold each morning at the city’s many fish markets. The majestic landscapes of the Western Fjords beckon, as does the lakeside retreat of Troldhaugen, where composer Edvard Grieg composed his masterpieces.