Art & Cultural Tourism in Norway

Powered by culture
From award-winning museums and architectural masterpieces to renowned food, film and music festivals. Norway is more than just stunning nature!

Typically Norwegian
There is a reason why the Norwegians are among the happiest people on earth. Learn the noble art of “kos”, taste some weird and wonderful food, and join us during our favourite holidays. And we know you’ll want to get a closer look at those fierce Vikings!

ART
Meet the masters
See the works of Edvard Munch and other Norwegian and international artists in some of Norway’s best (and most stunning) museums and galleries, enjoy cool street art in unusual places, and take a walk through beautiful outdoor sculpture parks.

The world-famous painter Edvard Munch
Edvard Munch earned his place in history with artwork influenced by his restless soul and the Norwegian nature. Meet the creator of the iconic masterpiece The Scream.

Street art
Norway is a big (and free!) outdoor art exhibition. Look up and around and enjoy a dense collection of spray-painted glory. Street art enthusiast and author Martin Berdahl Aamundsen guides you through some of the hot spots.

Hadeland – Norway’s new art destination
Experience dot queen Yayoi Kusama and the sensational new exhibition space The Twist at the Kistefos-Museet, as well as the fabulous glass products at Hadeland Glassverk. The Hadeland area not far from Oslo is an absolute must-go for art lovers.

Sculpture parks – where nature meets art
Every day all throughout the year, and totally free of charge, you can enjoy amazing art outdoors in sculpture parks all over Norway.

Exhibitions
Choose amongst indoor and outdoor exhibitions and find out when and where an exhibition of your interest is taking place.

Museums
Whether you’re into fine art, contemporary works, historical artefacts, or just want to see Edvard Munch’s Scream, this is your guide to some of the best museums in Norway.

LITERATURE – A reading nation
Award-winning libraries, charming book towns, the world’s second-greatest playwright and a bizarre thirst for murders at Easter are just some of the reasons Norwegians read more than any other European nationality.

6 LIBRARIES YOU NEED TO SEE
In Norwegian libraries, you can borrow anything from electric bikes to guitars and hammocks. And did you know that our libraries are considered some of the most beautiful in the world? Check out the brand-new Deichman Bjørvika in Oslo and five other stunning libraries.

Nowadays, a library is so much more than just the books on its shelves. It can be a source for groundbreaking architecture, a social hub, and a venue buzzing with heated discussions and intriguing talks. It can even be a place you go to cook your dinner, play the guitar, or mend various broken household items. More and more, we see how libraries extend their reach over and beyond their traditional use.

The playwright who changed the theatre
HENRIK IBSEN
As one of the founders of modernism in theatre, Henrik Ibsen is often referred to as “the father of realism” and the second most influential playwright of all times – after Shakespeare, that is.

In the late 19th century, the playwright Henrik Ibsen completely rewrote the rules of drama with a realism that we still see in theatres today. He turned the European stage away from what it had become – a plaything and distraction for the bored – and introduced a new order of moral analysis.

VISIT A NORWEGIAN BOOK TOWN
Books on the pier, bookshelves at bus stops, book cafes, and even a book hotel! Not to mention all the second-hand shops full of books in different languages, and the exciting literature events and festivals. Book lovers should head to Fjærland and Tvedestrand this summer.

What does the small fjord village Fjærland, surrounded by dramatic glaciers and steep mountains on the western coast, have in common with the charming southern town Tvedestrand and its white-painted wooden houses and silky-smooth coastal rocks? Their shared attraction might actually be their reading material. On a hot summer day, few things are better than exploring their many cool first and second-hand bookstores looking for hidden treasures.

Crime time: Norwegian Easter equals brutal murders
Every year the Norwegian love for “Easter crime” makes headlines and tops the lists of strange ways to celebrate the holiday around the world.

In Norway, reading crime stories during Easter is as normal as eating chocolate and going skiing. But to the outside world, the “Easter crime” phenomenon is – quite literally – a mystery.

THE FUTURE LIBRARY IN NORDMARKA
Famous authors like Margaret Atwood, David Mitchell, Sjón, and Karl Ove Knausgård are all contributing to a forest of books on the outskirts of Oslo.

ARCHITECTURE – Architectural highlights
There has never been a more exciting time for Norwegian architecture! Bold designs and urban developments are popping up all over the country, and many of the projects reflect the powerful, often brutal contrasts in nature.

An introduction to Norwegian architecture
BETWEEN ANCIENT FAIRY TALES AND THE AVANT-GARDE
Iconic buildings. Unique hotels. Amazing viewing platforms. Tree towers. Even some of the world´s most beautiful toilets! See how the Norwegian contemporary architecture is booming, rooted in both the past and the future. Sometimes the constructions even seem to grow out of nature itself.

Think about Norway, and you’ll probably imagine mountains, forests and fjords, long summer days and even longer cold winter nights. And yes, medieval stave churches, mountain hamlets, and 1,000-year-old cities are a testament to Norway’s agricultural, industrial and historical past. Yet right now, a number of modern architectural gems and urban developments are popping up, and many of the projects reflect the powerful, often violent contrasts of nature.

As the architecture magazine Dwell puts it when summarizing our position between the ancient traditions and the new architectural surge: Norway is pointing the way fjordwards.

Museums in Norway
Whether you’re into fine art, contemporary works, historical artefacts, or just want to see Edvard Munch’s Scream, this is your guide to some of the best museums in Norway.

Fine art museums and museums of contemporary art
Investments in places to explore art are on the rise in Norway, resulting in new landmark architecture housing both public and private collections. Norway also has the world’s largest museum devoted to one single artist, the painter Edvard Munch.

MUNCH MUSEUM
The Munch Museum has the world’s largest collection of Edvard Munch’s works, and provides insight into the artist as a pioneer of expressionism.

LILLEHAMMER ART MUSEUM
Lillehammer Art Museum is located in a unique building designed by Snøhetta, in the centre of Lillehammer. The permanent collection comprises Norwegian visual art from the 1830s up until today, and the museum also presents temporary exhibitions featuring Norwegian and international art.

HENIE ONSTAD ART CENTER
Since 1968, Henie Onstad has been committed to Norwegian and international art, with a broad exhibition, music and performance program, and a central art collection. Located in scenic surroundings, Henie Onstad includes 3500 m2 of exhibition space, Henie Onstad Lab, meeting rooms, a museum shop and a cafe.

ASTRUP FEARNLEY MUSEET
The Astrup Fearnley Collection is a collection of modern and contemporary art counted among the most significant of its kind in Northern Europe. The museum complements works from the permanent collection by rotating exhibitions with internationally renowned artists. The collection focuses on acquiring individual, ground-breaking works. Young American artists used to dominate, but significant voices from Europe, Brazil, Japan, China, and India are now included.

Theatre and shows
The impressive Norwegian Opera and Ballet in Oslo is a must for its high-quality performances and architecture. Theatre lovers and fans of musicals and other shows should find plenty to see, not only in the big cities but also in many smaller towns.

Festivals in Norway
A FEAST OF FLAVOURS, SIGHTS AND SOUNDS
Great art can become even better when experienced together. Festivals of food, music and films are vital to the Norwegian culture scene.

All year round, and especially in the summer months, there is a myriad of music festivals in Norway, covering both popular genres such as jazz, blues and contemporary music, as well as niche genres showcasing more experimental music. The festival scene in Norway holds a high standard and can easily measure up against festivals in Europe.

A festival of festivals
Some of the most talked about festivals in Oslo are The Øya festival, by:Larm and OverOslo. The Øya festival emphasises indie, hip-hop and electronic music. By:Larm in the city centre attracts a huge crowd in early March and OverOslo gives a fantastic view over the capital from the Grefsenkollen plateau. S

lottsfjellfestivalen in Tønsberg, Pstereo in Trondheim and the Bukta festival in Tromsø are just some of other music festivals of a high calibre.