The Beauty of Norway
Photographed in Summer 2019.
Beyond Hadrian’s Wall
Beyond a mighty wall built by the Roman emperor, Hadrian used to be a country called Caledonia with brave inhabitants who liked to color their faces and didn’t fancy their southern neighbors very much. In the end, nothing changed in a dramatic way, and the country is called Scotland today. The blue face paint became the color of the flag, and you still don’t want to argue with a Scotsman.
The Far North
The far north of Europe is actually pretty fortunate regarding the weather. The reason is the Gulf Stream, which makes it possible to cultivate even fruits around the Norwegian fjords (pictures 2, 6). However, if you go uphill from the fjords, your surroundings change pretty quickly, and you will experience marvelous but very alien ice deserts like the Hardangervidda (picture 1). That’s Planet Hoth from Star Wars Episode V, by the way – the scenes were shot there. One of the biggest and historically most important towns in the far north of Europe is Bergen at the North Sea. For centuries, it was an important port and a center of commerce, especially regarding the trade with fish. Today it is a lovely student town with a lot of culture and museums (pictures 3, 4 and 5).
Land of the Vikings
With all the advantages of modernity, living in the far north is still full of challenges. The deep fjords and steep surrounding hills make it difficult to reach the hinterland; that’s why Norway is investing a lot of money in tunnels and bridges to connect the most remote villages to the country’s urban centers. While the days are long in summer, in winter, the nights are never-ending as well. But the fjords also have their advantages; that’s why people settled here many thousand years ago and why the Vikings flourished in the Middle Ages. First and foremost, the fjord land is very fertile; even fruits and vegetables can grow here. We speak about a country as far in the north as Canada. The favorable climate is due to the Gulf Stream, which makes northern Europe unusually warm. Also, the fjords were perfectly secured against intruders and allowed for remote but connected villages. At the same time, the location of these settlements made it necessary to develop and improve ships. It is no coincidence that the Vikings were the first European people to set foot in America.
Undredal at the Nærøyfjord
Undredal is a small village situated at the majestic Nærøyfjord in Western Norway. Up until 1988, the remote settlement was accessible solely by water. Nonetheless, people lived here for centuries, cultivating the rich soil and living off sheep herding. It is famous for a delicious kind of cheese named Geinost, consisting of goat milk. Also, in Undredal, you can find the smallest Viking church in Norway; it has only forty seats (picture 6).
Michael Hoffman Photography 