Norway Holiday - the Best Place in the World?

2005 saw Norway deemed to have the highest standard of living in the world by the United Nations, for the fourth consecutive year.

A small consolation, you may think, for a country that has received an ignominious “nul points” in the Eurovision song contest more times than any other.

But for all their lack of musical appeal to the outside world, Norway is a world beater when it comes to standards of education, income and life-expectancy.

It is also a world-class holiday destination, as more and more Britons are finding – particularly in 2005, as the country celebrates its centenary of independence.

Norway comprises the western side of the Scandinavian peninsula, stretching from the populous and temperate south west region – warmed by the Gulf Stream – north to the Arctic circle and the Barents sea, where Norway shares a short land border with Russia.

Norway has one of the most striking and individual landscapes anywhere in the world. Rugged and mountainous, Norway’s uplands are topped by glaciers and vast pine forests.

The country has an astonishing 83,000 kilometres of coastline, dotted with islands and pierced by rocky inlets known as fjords.

Relatively unspoilt by virtue of Norway’s excellent record of environmental management and their difficulty of access, the fjords regularly feature amongst the world’s top visitor attractions.

Their combination of glassy blue waters, fairytale mountains and waterfalls, lush vegetation and medieval village settlements earned western Norway’s fjords the award of National Geographic Traveler magazine’s favourite place in its 2004 “Index of Destination Stewardship” survey.

If the fjords are not rugged enough for you, however, Norway has more and more Arctic climes the further north you head, culminating in the stark polar wilderness of the Svalbard islands.

The islands, which are Norwegian, but sit off the north coast of Russia, are home to reindeer and large colonies of birds. But most of all they are home to polar bears, as readers of Philip Pullman’s “His Dark Materials” books will surely know.

But Norway is not just all about rock and ice, and there is plenty here to entertain and enthrall every sort of visitor.

Winter sports are prominent everywhere, with Norway playing home to some of Europe’s finest ski resorts, particularly around Lillehammer, which hosted the Winter Olympics in 1994, and Oslo.

The capital city, Oslo, is home to half a million people, spread out over 175 square miles – including large expanses of forest and farmland. It is perhaps Europe’s only city which borders directly only untamed and undeveloped forest.

A city of distinct quarters, with the working class still largely concentrated in the east of the city, and the wealthy in the west, Oslo’s architecture is primarily 17th to 19th century, although in some parts, traces of the medieval city remain.

Oslo is also home to some excellent restaurants and hotels, with Norwegian cuisine gaining a worldwide reputation – whale-meat not included!

Like the other Scandinavian countries, Norway is expensive for visitors, something that reflects their high standard of living. It is also outside the European Union, so prepare yourself for a good old-fashioned customs experience.

So why not give Norway a try? If it’s the best place in the world to live, it can’t be a bad place for a visit!

Another great thing is that you can get cheap flights to Norway from many leading airlines.