| Norway: |
In many ways Norway is still a land
of unknowns. Quiet for a thousand years since the Vikings
stamped their distinctive mark on Europe, the country
often seems more than just geographically distant nowadays.
Beyond Oslo and the famous fjords, the rest of Norway
might as well be blank for all many visitors know - and,
in a manner of speaking, large parts of it are. Vast stretches
in the north and east are sparsely populated and starkly
vegetated, and it is, at times, possible to travel for
hours without seeing a soul.
Despite this isolation, Norway has had a pervasive influence
on the world outside. Traditionally its inhabitants were
explorers, from the Vikings - the first Europeans to reach
Greenland and North America - to more recent figures like
Amundsen, Nansen and Heyerdahl. And Norse traditions are
common to many other isolated fishing communities, not
least northwest Scotland and the Shetlands. At home, too,
the Norwegian people have striven to escape the charge
of national provincialism, touting the disproportionate
number of acclaimed artists, writers and musicians (most
notably Munch, Ibsen and Grieg) who have made their mark
on the wider European scene. It's also a pleasing discovery
that the great outdoors - great though it is - harbours
some lively historical towns. |
| Find out more information
on Norway by clicking on the following links: |
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Norway tourism: http://www.visitnorway.com
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