1. Northern lights
It goes without saying that you need to visit in Winter in order to have a chance of catching a glimpse of the elusive Northern Lights. You will also need to travel far enough North to be within the Arctic Circle for the best chance to see them. They are truly a bucket list moment and we were lucky enough to see some really good Auroras during our trip to Norway.
2. Snow
There's something so magical about snow. Especially when you're from the UK and it snows so rarely here. When it does the whole country shuts down and it makes life quite difficult. The Norwegians don't get stressed about it because they are totally prepared and can just enjoy how beautiful it makes everything look.
3. Snowmobiling
With all the snow there are unique activities on offer that you just cannot do back home. If you love all things outdoors and adventure then you have to try snowmobiling. Its so much fun and so long as you are properly kitted out you won't feel the cold.
4. Dog sledding
If there was one thing I dreamed of doing when I visited Norway it was going Dog sledding. There is no better way to experience the landscape then racing through with a pack of happy dogs. Again, you need snow to do this properly so no good visiting in June!
5. You feel like the only visitors there
Not only was every Norwegian we came across exceptionally welcoming and friendly but during the winter there are a lot fewer tourists. Considering the population is only 5 million and only 2% of those live in Northern Norway I can imagine it feeling quite crowded. Go in the winter and you practically have the place to yourself.
6. Ice hotel
Visit during the winter months and you can visit (or even stay!) in one of the Ice hotels that are built entirely out of snow and ice. We went to have a look round one and they really are incredible. The owner told me that rooms start at around £230 a night which includes dinner and breakfast which was a lot more reasonable than I was expecting. If I ever get the chance to go back I definitely want to spend the night in one.
7. Its not actually that cold
Thanks to the Gulf stream the west coast of Norway is far milder than other places of a similar latitude (such as Finland). The further inland you travel the colder it gets but along the coast the coldest temperatures we experienced were around -10⁰C. It can get colder than that of course but as long as you have the proper clothes you will be fine. It can easily get that cold if you live in a rural area of the UK so its nothing most people can't handle. In some of the more southern places we visited it was no different to the temperatures we had back home.
8. Nor is it that dark
Almost everyone who found out that we were going to Norway in winter asked me if it would be dark all the time. Norway does experience the Polar Night but if you go when we did in mid February the sunrise/sunset times are similar to what we experience in the UK during November/December. The sun rises at around 8am and sets at around 4pm. If you are further south then you obviously get more daylight. There's plenty of daylight hours to see and do everything.
9. People sled everywhere
They have special sleds to carry your shopping in and ones that have a seat for children to sit on. Absolutely awesome.
10. It feels like Christmas all the time
Even though we visited in February with all the snow, and the cold you really get the cosy feeling that I always associate with Christmas. After a long day out in the cold soaking up the magical landscape and all the mountain views you can come back into the warm and get all snuggly again.
You can read all about my trip to Norway here
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