The Scandi Series – Norway Edition
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Welcome to the ‘The Scandi Series’ a four-part travel series exploring the North of Europe and sharing everywhere you need to go to tick off those TikTok trends all while feeling like a local.
Starting from the bottom and working our way up the map, this series has covered everything from food, drinks, adventures, and places to stay so you can live your best Scandi-girl life next Euro summer.
If you didn’t get a chance to read part three of this series on Helsinki, it can be found here.
For our fourth and final week of ‘The Scandi Series’, let’s explore somewhere known for its breathtaking fjords and mountain ranges, the land of brown cheese and a country with a proud Viking heritage – Norway!
As a close neighbour of Sweden, visiting Norway for a quick trip is almost too easy for an eager traveller like me. With most flights taking no more than one hour from Sweden, I have been fortunate enough to visit this wonderful nation two times since moving over to Scandinavia. And while there are many bucket-list-worthy places to visit in Norway, this article will focus on the three cities I visited over seven nights.
Oslo – Days one to three
When holidaying in a capital city, it can be easy to fill your time going to all the classic tourist attractions, but if there is one thing I would recommend when visiting Oslo is to do the opposite. Trust me when I say it’s a great way to avoid the crowds and truly experience Oslo’s city culture!
For my week in Norway, I started my adventures in Oslo. Flying in from Stockholm, I spent two nights here, which was the perfect amount of time to tick off everything in this small city. Read on below, to discover three places I recommend in Oslo.
Bogstadveien
Bogstadveien is Norway’s longest shopping street located in the heart of Oslo. From small boutiques to high-end Scandinavian labels, this popular strip is constantly buzzing with locals and visitors, making it a great place to stay and get a feel of Oslo city life.
During my visit, I booked a room at Thon Hotel Gyldenløve, a Norwegian-based hotel chain. This standard single room was the perfect option for a solo traveller, featuring a spacious bed and a breakfast buffet included as part of the stay package. With such a central position this accommodation was in walking distance to all the city’s sights, and also meant I could spend most afternoons window-shopping on my stroll back to the hotel.
Grünerløkka
If you’re looking for somewhere other than the city centrum to wander through while visiting Oslo, Grünerløkka is a place I would recommend for you.
As the former workers’ district, Grünerløkka is undergone a mass transformation over the years to establish itself as the hipster area in Oslo. From street art to funky bars, cafes and stylish vintage stores, this lively spot is a great area to walk and stumble across hidden gems. It wasn’t until I happened to walk past their shopfront when exploring Grünerløkka that I realised GANNI also has one of their Postmodern (archive) stores in Norway.
Tip – If you are a GANNI lover like me, be sure to pop past their archive store, I even found this GANNI Postmodern better than their flagship Postmodern shop in Copenhagen!
Another gem I discovered in Grünerløkka was Lille Oslo Kaffebrenneri. Featured in the 2024 Oslo Coffee Guide as one of the city’s 12 finest coffee venues, this micro coffee roastery is all about brewing in small batches to ensure quality in every cup. I chose to get my coffee takeaway when visiting this café, but the venue’s rustic aesthetic would make the perfect mid-morning stop with a great courtyard to sit in.
Bygdøy
Located to the west of the city centrum, Bygdøy is a peninsula with some of Oslo’s popular museums, walking trails and beaches. While accessible by ferry and buses from the city, I jumped on a Voi electric scooter from my hotel to get to here. This was a fun, zippy and affordable way (heads up public transport in Norway is not cheap!) to move around the city and explore backstreet neighbourhoods.
If you’re not much of a museum person, like me, I would recommend dressing in some activewear and walking along the nature paths here. With many trails carved out along the water’s edge, this was a great way to escape the city for the afternoon and appreciate the beauty of Oslofjord.
Bergen – Days three to six
Positioned on the west coast and in and around multiple fjords, Bergen is the must-see destination in Norway. While being the nation’s second-largest city, Bergen has maintained its small-town charm with endless streets of traditional wooden houses and cobblestone roads.
For my trip I stayed in Bergen for three nights.
Ride the Bergensbanen – The Bergen Line
Now, even though the one-hour flight from Oslo sounds quick and tempting, if there is one thing I want you to add to your bucket list from this article , it’s the train from Oslo to Bergen.
This seven-hour ride is a long but amazing, and it’s known worldwide as the most scenic railway journey you can take in Europe. Departing from Oslo’s central station, sit back and relax onboard and witness Norway’s natural landscape as you cross through Hardangervidda National Park.
The Bergensbanen runs four to six times a day (one of these being a sleeper train), so depending on if you’re an early bird or a night owl there is a journey for everyone. I, however, would recommend the morning ride (departing at 6:20 am). Despite waking up at dawn, this journey allows you to witness the beauty of the Hardangervidda plateau (the largest high plateau in Europe) under the morning sun and arrive in Bergen by lunchtime, meaning you don’t waste an entire day in transit.
Traveller tip: Try to get to Oslo Central 30 minutes before departure to get something for breakfast and a coffee as the options onboard are quite limited.
Pop by Bergen’s oldest and smallest coffee shop
If you’re looking for a good coffee while visiting Bergen – Det Lille Kaffekompanient is the place to go.
Voted Bergen’s best coffee in 2022, this cute little café is tucked away on the hill near Fløibanen and makes a cosy spot to hide away from the rain (warning – it is nearly always raining in this city).
Tip: As a tiny coffee shop this place fills up very quickly, so try to get here by 10 am for café opening if you’re wanting to dine-in.
Taste the delights of Norwegian sweets at Solros
This might be a controversial opinion coming from someone who now lives in Sweden, but I will argue that the kanelbullar (cinnamon buns) are better in Norway – however I’ll let you be the judge of that after you go to Solros in Bergen.
This little bakery operates out of a blue wooden house along Marken, (a pedestrian street in the city) and first opened in 2019, quickly becoming the most popular bakery in Bergen. Baking everything from kanelsnurr (the Norwegian version of the kanelbullar) to to Solbolle (buns with vanilla custard in the centre), Solros’s treats are so delicious I visited here multiple times during my trip.
Journey up Mount Fløyen
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Did you know the Bergen has seven mountains surrounding the city? And in just under an hour by foot or six minutes by funicular (if you’re feeling lazy) you can witness panorama views of Bergen on top of Mount Fløyen.
At an elevation of 320 metres and with multiple walking track options, Fløyen hike is a great way to take in the beauty of Bergen but at your own pace. When visiting Bergen, I chose to complete this short hike in the afternoon (as I found the afternoons less rainy).
Stavanger – Days six to eight
Moving south along the west coast of Norway you’ll soon reach Stavanger.
While commonly known as Norway’s energy capital, Stavanger is also home to the remarkable Lysefjord and a city recognised for its street art. And as a small, quiet city, this was a great place to end my solo trip and disconnect before returning to reality.
During my visit I stayed at Central Guest House. While affordable for Norway standards, this traveller lodge was newly renovated, very clean and all rooms had their own en-suites, perfect for solo female travellers!
Hiking to Preikestolen
At the very top of my list when visiting Stavanger was completing the Preikestolen (Pulpit Rock) hike. This steep cliff above Lysefjord is one of Norway’s most famous mountains hikes and has even featured in one of Tom Cruise’s Mission Impossible films.
I chose to complete this moderately demanding eight kilometre walk on a guided tour with Lyseforden Adventures, which can be booked directly or on Viator. Funnily enough my guide was a fellow Aussie!
Before completing this hike, I knew Norway was a beautiful country, but my goodness, this hike gave me a magical new perspective of planet earth. If you aren’t afraid of heights and have the stamina, don’t miss this opportunity.
Tip: While you can complete this hike independently, I would recommend booking the guided tour as transport to the hike starting point is expensive and difficult to coordinate. Also, as a solo traveller this was also a great way to meet some new people, which made the four-hour hike up go a lot faster!
Stroll Gamle Stavanger and Øvre Homlegate
Gamle Stavanger or ‘Old Stavanger’ is the historic area of this small city. Just west of the harbour, this area consists of 173 restored white wooden houses along rustic cobblestone roads allowing you to take a step back in time and picture Norway in the 18th century. If you get lucky with the weather, these white-painted structures absolutely glow in morning sun, so walking through these streets is nothing but an aesthetic experience.
While exploring Stavanger city also try make a pit stop by Øvre Homlegate. This major attraction is nicknamed Fargegata (the street of colours), is a vibrant street of bright painted houses in Stavanger’s centre that have been transformed into a variety of bars and cafés.
While on weekends, this street is a social hub with many locals and tourists coming together for evening drinks and banter, I would recommend going for an afternoon drink on one of the terraces.
Tip: If you’re looking for a good coffee in Stavanger, Kokko kaffebar is just around the corner from Øvre Homlegate.
Norwegian Waffles at No.18
There is one Norwegian delicacy that you must try in Norway and that is their waffles!
These thin, soft treats often shaped in a heart are a lighter version of the stereotypical Belgian waffle and are traditionally garnished with jam and brown cheese (a caramelised cheese that is so incredibly tasty).
While I am usually not the biggest of fan of waffles, Norway’s version of this treat is the perfect balance between sweet and savoury, so be sure to get your hands on some at No.18 Kulturkafé in Stavanger’s town centre.
