Intro to Norway

Shortcuts

- Timeline
- Short facts
- Things to experience
- Norwegian kings

Timeline, oversimplified

793-1066: Viking area.
Late 9th century: Harald Fairhair started to gather Norway into one kingdom.
1060ies: Harald Hardråde finished Fairhairs gathering.
1066: Viking area ended with the Battle of Stamford bridge (England).
1349: The black death came to Norway. Half of all inhabitants in Norway died because if the illness.
1380: Norway went into a union with Denmark, partly due to the black death and its consequenses.
1536: The Danish rule over Norway started.
1814: The Danish rule over Norway ended, and Norway went into a union with Sweden. Norway got its own Constitution, inspired by the French and the US constitution. It was signed 18th of may (not the 17th as our national day indicates). Norway was practically (but not quite formally) self govenered.
1850 (ca.): "Nynorsk", a written language based on norwegian dialects, was published by Ivar Aasen.
1905: Union with Sweden ended.
1940: WW2 started in Norway 9th of april.
1945: WW2 ended in Norway the night from 8th to 9th of may.
1965: Oil was found in the bedrock under the Norwegian sea.
1994: Winter olympics at Lillehammer. (Have you seen the series Lillyhammer?)
2011, 22nd of June: The greatest terror attack on Norway (excluding wartime).

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Cows

Short facts

There are at least four "industries" that are or was extra important to Norway; Fish (especially cod and salmon), petrolium, ship industry and peace engotiations. Electric power may be the fifth worth mention.

Historically, Norway (or parts of Norway) have an extra strong bonds to Great Brittain, Denmark, Sweden and Germany.

Bergen is called a "Hansa city" because the Germans traveled to Bergen to buy Norwegian fish.

The music industry on the west cost of Norway, especially in Bergen, have experienced the same thing as The Beatles did; The youth got new music through the workes onboard ships. The music in Bergen has also close relations to the Brittish music.

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Stavanger

Things to experience

This could be a LONG list, and I am not the right to ask about things to experience north of Trondheim (oh, the shame!). I desided to make it (too?) short.

Cities:
- Bergen
- Stavanger
- Trondheim
- If you like museums; Oslo
- Experience some small towns too.

Areas:
- The nature in Sunnmøret
- If you travel between Bergen and Ålesund; explore the nature near Olden and Stryn.
- Geirangerfjorden
- The entire coast
- Svalbard
- The Norwegian mountains. Take the train between Bergen and Oslo. If possible, have a stop at Geilo or Ustaoset and take a mountain hike.
- Find a glacier
- The beaches near Stavanger

Specific places:
- Trollstigen
- Hulderfossen
- Prekestolen
- Trolltungen
- Heddal stavkirke

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