Bergen – Norway | Historical city once plundered by pirates

Bergen is Norway’s second-largest city and one of the country’s oldest urban locations. The first post-viking king, Olav Kyrre, gave it market-town-status around AD 1070.

Are Santa Claus’s reindeer all female?

Santa’s reindeer have a full set of antlers at Christmas and may all be female. The bull normally loses his after the mating season in late autumn.

Norwegian ski history | Hunting in deep snow

The word ski comes from the Old Norse language and means cleft wood. The old Norwegians were hunters, and have used skis to their advantage for over 5000 years.

Remembering schoolteacher Eilert Wulff | Norway AD 1904

After a brief illness, schoolteacher Eilert Wulff of Hammerfest died on 22 October 1904. He was survived by his wife Dorothea Sæther, 28, and son Aksel, 2.

The Kingdom of Norway

The Kingdom of Norway – as we know it today – was born on 17 May 1814. That was when the Norwegians created their very own constitution. But Norway, as a distinct rural culture, has been around for 12,000 years.

The royal palace in Oslo | Built by a French general

As far as palaces go, the official royal residence in Oslo is a modestly sized building. Did you know that it was built by a French general?

Night fishing using a spear and a torch | Lystring

An ancient fishing method was to catch the fish in the dark, using a multi-pronged spear and a torch. The Norwegians call it lystring – the English leistering.

The global seed vault | An Arctic Noah’s ark

On an island in the Arctic Ocean, deep inside a mountain, we find the Svalbard Global Seed Vault – a treasure trove of food-plant seeds from all over the world.

Hytte | The ancestral call from the Norwegian mountain cabin

The traditional Norwegians are drawn to their cabins, whether it is in the mountains, in a forest, or by the sea. Some might argue that they are a people obsessed.

A man died after being bitten by a wolf | Norway AD 1720