The best places to see in Norway? The answer to this question is quite simple. Take a map, choose a random place and just go. Most likely, you will be impressed by Norwegian nature anyway. What to see in Norway if you are an introvert seeking solitude, peace and connection with nature? Well, the answer is not much more difficult. Norway is a holiday paradise for introverts and – having experienced it myself – I have a few beautiful places off-the-path to show you.
What to see in Norway if you’re an introvert? Introduction.
Norway is a perfect country for introverts. Density of population amounts to only 15.5 person per square kilometre. For comparison, it amounts to 259 people per square kilometre. You will feel the difference the moment you step out of the airport.
Of course, considering how beautiful Norway is, there are a lot of top attractions. such as Preikestolen, where you could encounter crowds of noisy tourists. There is, however, to avoid meeting all those people and I will later tell you how. The solutions are really simple.
My jumping base for exploring Norway was Wiktor and Agnes’ house (Nordtrip.pl) located a stone’s throw from a charming little town of the Norwegian riviera – Tvedestrand. For the sake of clarity, I have grouped the places you should see in Norway if you are an introvert into groups. Let’s go then!
Visiting Norwegian fjords
Western fjords in Norway are on the travel list of everyone and it doesn’t surprise me at all. They are grand, they are beautiful and all hiking lovers will enjoy physical activity with great views there. How to escape crowds there and enjoy peace while in the fjords?
How to hike Preikestolen in Norway and escape the crowds?
Preikestolen is one of the best and most popular tourist attractions in Norway. It’s a pulpit rock hanging around 600 meters over the stunning Lysefjord. No wonder everyone wants to go there and take the legendary selfie. When I first saw images on internet with Preikestolen SO CROWDED that people were standing in a queue to take a photo, I assumed this would not be a place for me to enjoy. I hate crowds. I truly hate crowds.
Our tour guide, Wiktor, planned our trip in a way that enabled us to escape those crowds. We entered the trail to Preikestolen in late afternoon and were passing hundreds of people descending. Since it was early July, the sunset was only around 11 pm so we had plenty of time to climb Preikestolen. We reached the famous pulpit rock around 8 pm and, guess what, there were hardly any people there. Of course – some hikers were on the rock, but comparing with the daily traffic, it was nearly empty. If you want to read more about trekking Preikestolen, click here.
Kjerag and the Suleskard plateau – lesser known attractions of Norway
Kjerag and Suleskard plateau are definitely places to see in Norway especially if you are an introvert. Kjerag is less busy than Preikestolen due to higher difficulty level and Suleskard plateau is basically ignored by tourists rushing to start climbing to the famous rock.
Suleskard plateau is Norwegian tundra with all its beauties such as lakes, rocks, piles of snow, pastures, and sheep. On your way to Kjerag, just stop ANYWHERE and take a short (or a long!) hike. I am sure that you will not be bothered by other people. If you want to read more on the Suleskard plateu and hiking to Kjerag in Norway, click here.
Off-path attractions in Norway that no one heard about (and are thus perfect for introverts!)
Norway is all about islands and archipelagos! There are countless of them in this amazing country and you can be nearly sure to find absolutely secluded places there untouched by humans. Let me show you some of them.
Borøy Island – where your company are seagulls and jellyfish only
The Borøy Island was one of the first places we saw in Norway and it instantly touched me. Not sure why, but I had some images of Six Bullerby Children in mind. This place looked exactly how I imaged Norwegian summer to be like: secluded, filled with seagulls cries, spread over rocky beaches and surrounded by the sea. The fresh smell was tasty, just like in Iceland and I really missed it. The Borøy Island is a place perfect for spending a lazy afternoon with a book and a cup of tea in hand.
Natural water park in Norway – Jettegrytene
Jettegrytene is a very interesting (if not peculiar) place in Norway. It looks like a giant, natural water park. Plenty of smaller swimming pools, water slides, waterfalls shaped in rocks are surrounded by beautiful and thick forest.
When the sun is shining, Norwegians go there to enjoy the summer. When the weather is a bit cloudy, you will have all this place for yourself. And insects. :) I must add that even driving to Jettegrytene is cool. You will pass mountains, lakes and forests on your way and since the traffic at that road was quite scarce, we could stop any time we wanted to enjoy Norwegian nature.
The most charming island in Norway – Sandøya
Sandøya is a very unique place. It’s a home to approximately 200 houses where car traffic is … banned! You can use nothing but your own legs, a bike or a quad – no cars allowed. When you reach the island, you will notice how peaceful it is.
We walked around the island and saw a lot of charming places. Little orchards with hammocks hung between the trees. A school where pupils hanged their toys – little trolls. Wooden houses, a small greenhouse, lots of flowers on the balconies and in the gardens. This place is simply idyllic and I loved it. Needles to say – we met hardly anyone.
Charming towns in the south of Norway where you won’t find crowds
I haven’t been to Oslo, but if all towns in Norway are like those I have been to, my advice would be like that: pick ANY town in Norway and go there. The chances are that you won’t encounter any crowds there. You can also note down the places I recommend below and give them a try. :)
Gjeving – Norwegian paradise with wooden houses
Gjeving is a small town in the south of Norway located just by the sea. It’s a puzzle of land intertwining with water. The puzzles are connected with wooden bridges. When we were taking a walk in the lanes of Gjeving, I had an impression I was walking in someone’s garden. The lanes were so narrow that you felt very cosy there. The amount of flowers and greenery hanging on the houses or standing in front of them also added a nice touch to the overall look of the city. Wiktor took us to a hill overlooking the town from where we could see the panorama. It was quiet, it was peaceful, it was very Norwegian.
Tvedestrand – the town of bookshops and pink sunsets
We visited Tvedestrand a few times during our stay in Norway. I liked it the most when we went there by boat in the evening. The town was quite abandoned. White streets were empty and we could walk from one book shop window to another and wonder why is Tvedestrand so full of book shops? :)
When we got tired, we went to a top of a hill overlooking the town and watched how it was slowly becoming pink from the sun rays reflected in clouds. It was a really nice evening.
Arendal – something for extroverts maybe?
Maybe Arendal appears to me as a perfect place for extroverts because we visited it during a weekday when lots of people were doing their business. By the sea, some fishermen were selling fish, parents were running some errands with their kids, there were some people walking their dogs – just a causal day like everywhere. Arendal seems to be a place where life is much easier than in some remote spot where all the goods are not so easily accessible. But you also have less peace there.
Norway for introverts – what you need to remember about
If you are looking for places which will offer you peace, quiet and nature, Norway is a perfect choice. Basically anywhere you go which is not a big city, you will find remote places. I love spending time with close friends and working with people on photographic sessions, but it’s in solitude that I recharge my internal batteries. Norway offers that and gives you amazing nature as a gift. If you are an introvert who loves nature, Norway is the palce to go.
