Author and historian Øystein Morten has studied ødegårder—abandoned farms—at length. Fascinated by their vacant, fallen structures, Morten believes deserted farms have a particular allure and tell us something important about the places and the culture that Norwegians have moved away from. With photographer Pål Hermansen, Morten has published—Norske ødegårder – Historien om stedene vi forlot—("Abandoned Norwegian Farms - The History of [...]
Norwegian cruise line Hurtigruten is investing in ships with a hybrid engine developed by Rolls Royce. The ships, constructed at Kleven Yards in Norway, are expected to launch in 2018 and 2019. The launch of these hybrid ships will be an important milestone in Hurtigruten’s goal of sailing fully electric ships to the Arctic and Antarctic. The ships will have the [...]
Photo Credit: Disney/Pixar "Olaf's Frozen Adventure" Find yourself missing the holiday season already? If so, you can continue celebrating those beloved Norwegian Christmas traditions well into the New Year by watching the newly released short film, “Olaf’s Frozen Adventure.” Building further upon the Norwegian references introduced in the original film “Frozen,” this 22-minute spin-off features a number of Scandinavian holiday customs [...]
A group of Sherpas from Nepal have spent the last 18 years reconstructing Norway’s mountain paths for locals and tourists to enjoy. They have built paths and stairways in more than 100 different locations throughout Norway. Sherpas are from villages in the Himalayan mountain range near Mount Everest. They are known for their strength and capacity to work in high altitudes. [...]
Located halfway between Iceland and Norway, the Faroes are an 18-island archipelago of unspoiled natural beauty. They offer unique and thrilling experiences for every kind of traveler. Check out the January issue of Viking magazine to learn more. Here, we highlight five places to stay in the Faroes. Hotel Vágar If you want to be close to Vágar airport, this 3-star [...]
Note: This interview was originally posted in December 2017. Chris Pinkerton was named CEO of Sons of Norway in March 2020. Q. Welcome to Sons of Norway, Chris, and congratulations on being Sons of Norway’s first-ever Chief Operating Officer. What attracted you to this position at our organization? A. A couple of things. First, I had a great experience working at Foresters, [...]
The Viking team shot the December cover story in late September with baker and food stylist Betsy Nelson and photographer Richard Westley Wong. We had so much fun preparing the treats — and eating them once the shoot wrapped. Take a look at some of our favorite moments below. Since the tree cake toppers had to set for at least an [...]
Photo Credit: Emile Holba, icemusicfestival.no As the midnight hour strikes on Feb. 6, a group of international musicians will perform at the annual Ice Music Festival in Norway. The festival brings in more than 1,500 attendees in sub-zero temperatures to hear unpredictable melodies produced by instruments made of ice and snow. Norwegian percussionist and innovator of the festival, Terje Isungset, came [...]
On lille julaften (December 23), Norwegian families typically decorate the juletre (Christmas tree), adorning the branches with handmade woven baskets, lights, Norwegian flags and figures made from straw. One of the traditional straw ornaments is the julebukk, or Yule Goat. Many of Norway’s Christmas symbols stem from pre-Christian times, and the Yule Goat is no exception. It was believed that the [...]
Photo Credit: Helge Høifødt Oslo, the relatively small capital of Norway, has suddenly captured the attention of food enthusiasts from around the world. Historically known for its cutting edge architecture, amazing skiing opportunities and unique coffee shops, Oslo can now proudly add “established foodie destination” to its resume after recently placing high in two major culinary best-of lists. The city even managed [...]
