Norway

Travelers come to the Land of the Midnight Sun to see The Northern and Southern lights, a spectacle that draws thousands of visitors. But Norway has much to offer.

The trip to Oslo, perhaps via a luxury cruise, is exciting in itself. Fjord-Sightseeing is a major pastime in Norway, where tourists cruise the same waters Vikings sailed eons ago. A Viking Ship, preserved and displayed in Oslo, has history buffs gazing in awe at its astounding oak hull and towering mast.

Marine enthusiasts must visit Kon-Tiki, where writer, Thor Heyerdahl's raft is preserved. Heyerdahl sailed the Pacific Ocean from South America to Polynesia. Inspecting the rafts rickety construction, it's hard to imagine it seaworthy at all.

A short northwest drive from Oslo is the Vigeland Sculpture Park. There, explorers walk among over two-hundred bronze and granite sculptures. Children love the Children's Park and Fountains in Vigeland Sculpture Park, but art lovers appreciate the beauty and serenity of not only the park, but Vigeland's handiwork itself.

More rugged individuals won't want to miss the ski jump at Holmenkollen, where Crown Prince Olaf participated in a ski competition in the early twenties. Those competitions are still held annually and draw over 10,000 spectators.

Bordering on Sweden, Akershus County is home to the infamous 1299 Akershus Fortress, standing today as a cultural heritage site everyone who has seen it agrees is a "must-see." This medieval castle and fortress has been preserved for centuries as the Norwegians consider it a National Symbol of Norway.