Intheunconsciousofatraveller，Norwayevokesaconceptofanex—tremeland，ofabsolutenorth.TheextremenorthofEuropeisknownasLapland，alandthatstraddlestheNorwegianborderstOincludethenorth-ernpartofScandinaviaandasmallportionofRussia.Thenativepopula-tionisthe“Sami”wholivetraditionallyfromhuntingandfishing，insymbiosis，evenifnowadaysinatechnologicalversion，withtheirenvi—ronment.ThecapitalofNorway，Oslo，hasapopulationofbarelyhalfamil—lion.Thecityensuresthenecessaryadministrativeandculturalcohesionofapeoplewhohaveaverystrongsenseofharmonywiththenature，bornintheirdistantVikingpastandproudlycultivatedthroughouttheyears.TheHolmenkollenski—jumpingboardisoneofthemostfamoussymbolsofOslo.Norwegians’relationshipwithskisgoesveryfarbackintime：indeeditisnotimprobablethateventheVikingstraversedScan。
dinaviaonthesewoodenslats.ThefundamentalrelationshipthatNorwegianshavewithnaturemakesthemopenanduninhibitedwithrespecttonudity.Here，thehumanbodyisdisplayedwithspontaneityanddirectness，likeoneofthemanynaturalelementsthatblendinwiththelandscape.InfrontofthesquareoftheCityHall，thequaythatoverlooksthetoawalk，ashoppingcentreandanentertanentarea.Butt11espectacleisstillthebeatingofthewavesoftheseaandtheboatsbathedinthegoldenlightofthesummer.AnotherlookatthefortressofAkershus，whichonceagaindemon—stratestheharmonyofthecitywithnature，isallthemoreworthwhile.TheitineraryfromnorthtosouthisacompendiumofNorwegianna-ture：thunderingwaterfalls，rushingmountainstreamsandroadsthatrunalongglaciers.afterhavinggonethroughdensepineforestsandcoastallakesandfjords.TheinteriorofthecountryisincrediblynaggedandalmostonethirdofitiscoveredintreesDespiteitsnorthernlatitude，theNorwegiancli—mateisessentiallymaritimeanddamp，becauseitisinfluencedbythemitigatingactionofthewarmGulfStream，originatingfromtheGulfofMexico，whichflowsupthecoastpreventingtheformationofseaice.Bergen，aportlyinginthesoutheastofthecountry，iscrowdedwithbrightlycolouredhouses，whichbelongedtoGermantradersofthepow—erfulHanseaticLeague.Despiteseveralfires，theareamaintainstheat-mosphereofthe“oldport”andCommercialCityfromtheMiddleAges.UNESCOrecentlydeclareditaWorldHeritageSiteandincludeditinthelistofmonumentsthataretobepreserved.ThereisalargeparkinthecentreofB—ergenwhichistakenupal—mostcompletelybyanoctagonallake，aroundwhich，liesomeoftheprin—cipalmuseumsinthecity.TheHakonshallen，themostbeautifulmonumentinthecity，lieswithinthewallsofBergen’Sfortress.Thegreat13thcenturyGothichallforthepartiesandthe—ptionsintnedaytrolovertradeintheNortnSea.YougetthebestviewoverBergen，theOordsandthesurroundingpine—coveredmountainsfromthebelvedere.It’SeasytoadmireNorwe—giansfortheiruniquewayofrespectingthenature!