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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 the Places We Left"), a book featuring nine [...]

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 ability to switch between fossil fuel and electric [...]

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 many will be sure to recognize. The film [...]

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. Sherpas are very skilled in collecting stones from [...]

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 hotel is convenient. The small fishing village of [...]

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, a fraternal benefit organization headquartered in Toronto. Fraternal [...]

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 hour, Betsy tackled those first. She set our [...]

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 up with the concept of ice music while [...]

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 last sheaf of harvested corn contained the power [...]

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 to bypass several more well-known locations including Madrid, [...]

Every once in a while, late-night television viewers might be lucky enough to harken back to the early days of film-making while enjoying snowy and lush Nordic panoramas, courtesy of the 1929 Norwegian silent film, Laila. Laila is the charming heroine and central character of the film. In addition to spectacular scenery (notably the extreme Northeastern mountains of Finnmark), the film offers romantic drama in the form of a [...]

Biri native Even Sigstad received his first pair of alpine skis at six years old. Today, he’s turned his passions of skiing and making films into a cool career. His award-winning production company, Field Productions specializes in outdoor movies. Check out Viking’s interview with Sigstad in the December issue and see more here. What’s one of your favorite memories from growing up in Biri, Norway? I loved the freedom [...]

Did you see our 2017 Gift Guide in the November issue of Viking? Here are five additional gifts to inspire your Christmas shopping. For a short hike or trek around a new city, consider the Norrøna bitihorn Hip Pack 6L. Spots for a water bottle and multiple zip pockets keep you organized, wherever your adventure takes you. Swedish designer Estrid Ericson designed the timeless Svenskt Tenn Trivet Scandinavia in [...]

The name Doug Warne may sound familiar to many of you. After all, he serves on the Sons of Norway Foundation Board of Governors and is the voice behind the Seattle-based radio show “Scandinavian Hour,”which he has hosted for 55 years. Today, Warne is the proud holder of a St. Olav Medal, bestowed by His Majesty King Harald V in recognition of his outstanding service in promoting relations between [...]

The phenomenon known as “Northern Lights” is most commonly seen in the northern hemisphere of our planet between the months of October and March. The lights are described to be magical, dramatic and utterly dazzling.  If you are fortunate enough to experience the display, you’ll see a ray of dancing greens, yellows, violets and reds; on a rare occurrence, you could even spot some oranges and whites. Here are [...]