Norway is a fascinating destination for a luxury , tailor-made holiday . The land and the culture of Norway lend themselves to a diverse and rich array of holiday experiences and a choice of mode of transport . At first glance , Norway offers magnificent , dramatic , severe and wild natural surroundings in its glaciers , Arctic snow and ice , majestic fjords , crashing waterfalls and mystical natural phenomena such as the Aurora Borealis and Fata Morgana . However , Norway also offers cultural ties , a shared history dating from the days of the Vikings , a cosiness in its orchards and pastures , brightly-painted wooden houses , folk tales and mythology , world-class art , literature and music in the works of Munch , Ibsen and Grieg , to name but three , and international philanthropy as exemplified by the Nobel prize . Many towns have superb museums ; ancient wooden stave churches are well-preserved ; the heritage of the Vikings is visible not just in major centres such as Oslo but all around ; and seemingly small places are rich with music and drama festivals . Whilst the length of Norway with is 2,518 km poses a challenge to the visitor , this also means that it makes sense to use a variety of transport to travel around ; scenic trains , sleeper trains , boat rides , coastal cruises and car-hire can all be incorporated . The landscape lends itself well to hiking and cycling and there are many national parks that offer a variety of conditions , catering for different abilities . Norway ’ s cities are vibrant and blend modernity with tradition . The iconic Oslo Opera House sits a short distance from the Akershus fortress , the Old Town Hall dating from 1641 is a stroll away from the Akrobaten pedestrian bridge , a near-futuristic construction of steel and glass .

Aurland , credit Paul Edmundson

CULTURAL HIGHLIGHTS OF NORWAY

Oslo is home to mediaeval and modern architecture from the Akershus fortress to the modern Oslo opera house . Oslo is also home to several outstanding museums including the Munch museum , the Resistance museum , the Norwegian folk museum and the Kon-Tiki museum . The Viking museum is undergoing refurbishment at the time of writing . In the Arctic city of Tromsø is the Polar Museum and the Troll museum . The architecture of stave churches dating from the Viking era and Viking treasure in museums around the country . The literature of Henrik Ibsen and Knut Hamsun . Folk tales and mythology . The music of Edvard Grieg and the art of Edvard Munch . Contemporary jazz and folk music .

Oslo opera house , credit Didrick Stenersen

AVERAGE TEMPERATURE

The climate in Norway is relatively temperate considering its latitude . This is because of the influence of the Gulf Stream which keeps the north Atlantic and Arctic oceans free of ice in the winter and it warms the westerly and southwesterly winds that blow in from the sea . Average summer temperatures are about 16C in the south ( although they can be double that ) and about 13C in the north . In the winter the average temperature in the south is 1c and in the north -1C. Bergen attracts the most rainfall , with Gudbrandesdal and Rondane amongst the driest areas .

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