Lonely Planet: Things to do in Norway

Getting to grips with Norwegian basics

With 324,220 square kilometres of mountains, fjords and glaciers and 465,000 inhabitants made up of Nordic, Alpine, and Baltic people, as well as a Lapp minority, this country offers endless variety. Lonely Planet online is a concise idiot-proof guide to Norway, giving a clear picture of its history, culture, and environment. It also points users in the right direction of Norway 's glaciers and plunging waterfalls(try Jotunheimen National Park for starters).

The infamous Vikings supposedly started their seafaring spree with a visit to Lindisfarne Monastery in England, continuing to be the first to sail across the Atlantic. It was at Stamford Bridge where they finally got their just deserts, with the 'routing' of King Harald Hardrada. Norway 's split from Sweden came more peacefully in 1905, and life has been pretty peaceful ever since. Midsummer Eve on 23 June entails bonfires on beaches across the country.

Visitors to Tromso will be forced to "Skål" repeatedly - it has more pubs per capita than any other town in Norway. Oslo, meanwhile, is a 'a pleasant jumble of old and new architecture with an abundance of museums, parks and monuments'. Don't forget to look out for the stave churches that dot the countryside - they are among the oldest wooden buildings on the planet.

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