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DISCOVER NORWAY

‘A giant garbage can’: The harshest TripAdvisor comments about Norway

From awe-inspiring fjords to Viking history, Norway has a variety of impressive tourist attractions. But there's just no pleasing some people, as these TripAdvisor reviews show.

Pictured is Trolltunga.
There are a few things you should know before taking on one of Norway's most famous hikes. Pictured is the world famous rock formation. Photo by Tuomas Härkönen on Unsplash

Norway is praised by many of its visitors as a top-tier destination with jaw-dropping fjords, mountains, and lakes, wonderful museums showcasing its Viking heritage, and the contributions to world culture made by artists, writers and musicians, like Edvard Munch, Gustav Vigeland, Henrik Ibsen and Edvard Grieg.

Many tourists leave the country with fond memories of their holiday in the Nordic kingdom. But not everyone.

A scroll through some of the reviews on the travel website TripAdvisor suggests that many of the popular tourist spots across the country are not to everyone’s tastes. Here are some of the harshest (and potentially funniest) comments.

Pictured is Pulpit Rock n Norway.

Pulpit Rock received a record number of monthly visitors for the month of July. Pictured is Pulpit Rock n Norway. Photo by Jordi Vich Navarro on Unsplash

Pulpit Rock

For most tourists, the light hike up to the 604m high Pulpit Rock is an enjoyable trip rewarded by magical views from the rock platform down onto the Lysefjorden.

But the visitors below saw things differently.

“You have to share it with thousands of people, so many people in fact that it resembles Oxford Street on a Christmas shopping weekend,” moaned Thomas, from the UK, rueing the “piles of human excrement” and “constant hum of drones”. 

“Shut it down!” demanded Aluk from Azerbaijan. “I cannot imagine that anyone could enjoy a human touristic queue that reaches from the parking lot right up to the Pulpit Rock.”

Ed from San Jose in the US was not even that impressed by the view. “Unless you are a daredevil and lean over edges, the view off the cliff is not that great,” he said. “I think people do it because of Pinterest photos.”

The Viking Ship Museum

The Viking Ship museum, which showcases the Oseberg Ship, the Gokstad Ship, and the Tune Ship, three Viking ships unearthed from burial mounds, is closed for renovation and will reopen between 2026 and 2027 in a new building as the Museum of the Viking Age.

These ships are the best preserved Viking ships in the world, with Gokstad and Oseberg, both built in the 9th century, almost entirely intact.

But for Ray, from Bristol in the UK, who visited before the old museum closed, it was “a let down” and “in actual fact it’s just an exhibit of a few ships that were dug up”.

“You are essentially just looking at a massive wooden row[ing] boat,” agreed the similarly underwhelmed LilMapleMami from Calgary, Canada.

The Munch Museum feels a little less pricey for foreigners. Photo: Einar Aslaksen/Munch Museum

The Munch Museum 

The Munch Museum reopened in its new building, designed by the star Spanish architect Juan Herreros, in October 2021. There have been rave reviews.

But not all users of TripAdvisor were similarly impressed, with Matt, from London, likening the new building to “an airport control tower” and Mcdl_82 from Oslo calling it “a monstrosity” which “taints the whole landscape”.

The Fram Museum

The Fram Museum, on the Bygdøy peninsular in west Oslo, is centred on Fram, the ship that the Norwegian Arctic Explorer Fridtjof Nansen used for his expedition to reach the North Pole. The museum has another building containing Gjøa, the first vessel to transit the Northwest Passage, and exhibitions on other explorers, like Roald Amundsen and Otto Sverdrup. 

But some are not inspired by its displays of Polar adventure. 

“If this is the ‘Greatest Museum in Norway’, then I would hate to see the other ones,” complained Lauren J. “To me, it was really lacklustre and boring.”

LauraSanengen from Oslo went so far as to condemn the museum as “the worst place ever”. 

“Honestly, I’m surprised more people don’t comment on the smell,” added KZPNicole from San Francisco. 

Pictured is Trolltunga.

Here’s how you can tell when you are eligible for Norwegian citizenship? Pictured is Trolltunga.Photo by Dong Zhang on Unsplash

Trolltunga 

The Trolltunga or Troll’s Tongue promontory, which juts out 700m above the Ringedalsvatnet lake about 190km from Bergen, is another hike some Tripadvisor reviewers felt was marred by over-tourism.

Emils208 from Idaho in the US described it as “a giant garbage can for the world”. 

“Toilet paper, orange peels, banana peels, wrappers of all kinds, plastic water bottles, sandwich bags, old food, you name it. Heck, there was even a maxi pad in the bottom of a pool of water. Is nothing sacred?”

Thomas complained that the site was “insanely crowded” and that “the atmosphere was like a music festival”, with “a steady stream of people with drones and music blasting from portable speakers”.

The Polar Museum 

The Polar Museum in Tromsø gets overwhelmingly good reviews and is one of the most popular attractions in Norway’s most northerly major city. 

But for some visitors, the exhibitions on seal-hunting and whaling were too much, with the Tripadvisor user Vax complaining that “deaths of seals and polar bears are all around this museum – terrible pictures with tens of bears frozen and dead.”

Julia from Long Island, New York, called it “a rundown little place with a surly staff”, which is “full of dead stuffed animals and dioramas that depict (some in quite gruesome detail) the slaughter of seals, polar bears and other arctic wildlife”.

Can you get by in Norway without Norwegian? Pictured is Oslo opera house.

Can you get by in Norway without Norwegian? Pictured is Oslo opera house. Photo by Gunnar Ridderström on Unsplash

The Norwegian National Opera and Ballet

Most visitors to Oslo pay a visit to the opera house just to walk on its marble roof and get a view over the Oslofjord. But, not all Tripadvisor reviewers appreciated the architecture.

For Darren Bailes, from Newcastle in the UK, it was “utterly underwhelming” and a “bland, uninspiring design with ugly views”.

Aniruddha from Kolkata, meanwhile, said that the building was worth no more than 10 minutes as there was “hardly anything worth seeing”.

Bryggen

Bryggen, located in Bergen, is one of Norway’s most iconic historical sites. Photo by Andrei Ionov on Unsplash

Bryggen Hanseatic Wharf

The old Hanseatic era waterfront in Norway’s second city, Bergen, is described by Unesco as “unequalled in the world”, with many of its wooden buildings and warehouses dating back to the medieval period and St. Mary’s Church believed to be Norway’s oldest building.

But many visitors failed to be caught up in the area’s spell.

“It feels fake, like Disney made it,” moaned Janey b from Fareham in the UK. “The place is crawling with tourists.”

Tim from Usk, also in the UK, complained of the “junky souvenir hawkers.”

“You can spend an hour walking around,” summed up Liz from Michigan, “but it’s not a pleasant hour.”

Pictured is the Geirangerfjord

Short cruises up the Geirangerfjord are enormously popular among tourists. Photo by Simon Fischenbeck on Unsplash

Geirangerfjord 

The Geirangerfjord, another Unesco World Heritage Site, is the Norwegian fjord that draws the most visitors.

Not everyone, however, felt able to enjoy the beauty, with Tedb from Bristol in the UK complaining of exhaust fumes from cruise ships. 

“These fumes often fill the lower half of the fjord with a smog that spoils the view and that you can smell and taste,” he grumbled. 

“This is a sacrificial fjord,” agreed HyddaMedras from Brecon in the UK, complaining of the “grey-blue smog”. “Send the tourists to this one and then go explore the other equally beautiful remote areas Norway has to offer.”

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DISCOVER NORWAY

How to enjoy summer in Norway like a Norwegian

Norwegians, reveal a different side when the summer sun appears. Here's how you, too, can make the most of Norway's cherished summer season.

How to enjoy summer in Norway like a Norwegian

Norway is often associated with its stunning fjords and winter sports (most people usually imagine Tromsø in northern Norway when they think about the country).

However, as anyone living in eastern or western Norway will tell you, the country can often feel very central European when it comes to the weather, and it really does enjoy its fair share of summer each year.

READ MORE: What you need to know about summer travel to and from Norway

As temperatures rise and daylight stretches late into the evening, many Norwegians reveal a different, more vibrant side of themselves.

The reserved demeanour often observed during the colder months disappears; instead, a welcoming, almost “party” spirit emerges, making summer a special affair in the country.

If you want to enjoy the season like a local, this mix of activities best reflects the Norwegian way of life.

Hit the beaches and parks

When the temperatures rise and the Sun shines, Norwegians flock to beaches and parks for sunbathing and socialising.

This is a time when people seem to become happier and more open, shedding their usual reserve.

It’s common to see Norwegians lying close to each other in bikinis, enjoying the Sun’s warmth (walk through any city park in Bergen, western Norway, in July, and you’ll see swarms of Norwegians lying on the grass, laughing, and just having a good time).

For newcomers to the country, the contrast in behaviour between summer and winter can be striking, with a noticeable Norwegian friendliness that emerges with the summer light.

Don’t let it go to waste!

READ MORE: How to make friends in Norway – six things I wish someone had told me

Plan a boat or tent trip

Norwegians love spending time in nature, and thanks to Allemannsretten, they have the right to roam freely on uncultivated land.

This freedom allows for spontaneous tent pitching almost anywhere, whether it’s a secluded forest spot or a scenic lakeside.

For the adventurous, spending the night in a hammock or even under the open sky is a cherished experience. It offers a sense of freedom that the average Norwegian values quite highly.

Boat trips also fall under the category of experiences that strengthen this sense of freedom, and many Norwegians hop on their vessels – or rent one out – and head out into the fjords.

Lofoten cod

Summer fishing is a popular activity around the Lofoten Archipelago. Pictured is a fisherman with a cod caught close to Svolvær in June 2023. Photo: The Local Norway

Dust off your fishing gear

Fishing is a year-round passion in Norway, but summer brings a special joy to the activity.

Norwegians relish the chance to catch fresh fish while enjoying the excitement that fishing brings, and the country is famous for its abundant fishing stock.

Anglers have numerous opportunities to try their luck in virtually every part of the country, whether fly fishing for salmon or casting a lure for cod.

Fishing tourism is especially booming in northern Norway, and you won’t struggle to find fishing tours in popular tourist hotspots like the Lofoten Islands.

The season of cabin comforts

For many Norwegians, a long weekend or holiday often means a trip to the cabin.

Cabins, whether in the mountains, forests or by the sea, are seen as a beloved escape from daily life.

EXPLAINED: ‘Hyttefolk’: Why Norwegians are so passionate about cabin retreats

These retreats, ranging from simple huts to more elaborate structures with electricity and internet, offer a cosy refuge where Norwegians can unwind, drink freshly brewed coffee, and enjoy the natural surroundings.

The Norwegian Trekking Association (DNT) provides access to a network of cabins across national parks and mountains, which you can check out on their website.

A beer in the Sun

Summer in Norway means finally being able to enjoy a beer outdoors, a practice known as utepils.

With good weather, Norwegians cherish the chance to relax with friends, savouring cold beers in the warm sunshine – something that might seem ordinary to foreigners but is seen as a magical experience in a country where the weather can often be quite unreliable.

Heading south

Many Norwegians spend part of their summer in southern Europe, particularly Italy or Spain.

This trend includes retirees leveraging the cost of living differences and younger Norwegians seeking sunny, affordable escapes.

If you can’t imagine summer without scorching 30°C temperatures while at the same time saving on some expenses (such as food and drinks), heading southwards to destinations such as the Canary Islands, the Costa del Sol, or the Balearic Islands might just be one of the most Norwegian things you can do this summer.

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