The best museums Norway

The town museum is located in the oldest house in Flekkefjord, which dates from 1724. It tells us all about the way of life at that time by organising temporary exhibitions on historical themes. A very interesting museum that promises a nice visit with family or friends. A small shop in the summer and above all, many different workshops, particularly suitable for children, such as the construction of wooden and cardboard houses for birds, the manufacture of small plaster moulds and painting afterwards. Great!

This documentation centre on the beginnings of skiing offers a multimedia exhibition showing the evolution of this sport. The Cinemascope film features Sondre Norheim in the lead role, before entering a reconstructed snowscape where a play of lights and sound effects recreate a winter atmosphere... A great activity to do with the family that is a bit different from the usual. Take the time to stop there if you can! We recommend it.

Close to Mosvann lake and the youth hostel, unfortunately a bit far from the centre (25 minutes walk from the city centre, and 5 minutes by bus), this modern museum has about 1,500 paintings from the 19th and 20th centuries and exhibits about two thirds of Lars Hertervig's total neo-romantic works. The museum also has paintings by Kitty Kielland. Cafeteria in the building. Guided tours. Activities for children and families.

The Musée de la Marine tells the story of the shipyard with the help of ship models. A reconstruction of a shipowner's office of the time can also be seen. There are interactive exhibits for the youngest visitors, such as a reconstruction of a trading platform, where children can dress up as they did in those days and play different roles! In this museum you can see different interiors as they were. Great visit.

A museum about nature conservation. Exhibits tell how man has coexisted with nature, especially in the Norwegian mountains. An exciting visit where you can see reindeer and mammoths, a moment where you enter a fairy tale full of local folklore. A room reproduces some weather conditions such as rain, wind and thunder. Interactive geological explanations with this sandbox where you can model mountains!

Here are about 23 old houses from the Ottadalen valley. The stabbur (a kind of log larder on stilts), dating from the 16th century, is one of the largest and oldest of its kind. It is an opportunity to step back in time and learn about the daily life of the farmers of that time. The museum also offers temporary exhibitions and if you come with children, there are many activities for them, mainly on Wednesdays.

A pretty little house where to find the history of the village, the ancestors, the valiant fishermen and the brave peasants of the current inhabitants.

A beautiful shipowner's house built around 1800. A semi-permanent exhibition is dedicated to Edvard Munch (1863-1944) and his stay in Kragerø in 1909 to rest and recover. Some say that this period in Kragerø was one of the most prolific of the painter. His sublime Sun was for example born there. There is also a small café and many activities throughout the summer. A beautiful place full of history.

Founded in 1996 and inaugurated by King Harald himself, this museum pays tribute to the work of Kjell Aukrust, the Norwegian cartoonist and author born in Alvdal. After working for a major Norwegian daily newspaper, he became a writer. One of his novels, The Pinchcliffe Grand Prix (in Norwegian, Flåklypa Grand Prix), was made into a film in 1975, and went on to become one of the biggest successes of Norwegian cinema. The venue is sometimes open out of season. Solan og Ludvigs Kafé welcomes you!

Located in a beautiful park on the shores of Lake Mjøsa, the Nordic Railway Museum (Norsk Jernbanemuseum, in Norwegian) houses station structures, rails and machinery dating back to 1860. One of the largest locomotives in Norway, known as the Dovregubben, and carriages from the royal train can be seen here. In summer, the steam locomotives Tertitten and Knertitten take visitors on a tour through the park.

The legendary Wagnerian singer Kirsten Flagstad (1895-1962) was born in Strandstuen, the oldest house in Hamar, not far from the cathedral. The exhibition, dedicated to her life and career, includes photos (she was a star singer at the Metropolitan in New York), personal objects and recordings. Kirsten Flagstad made her debut at the age of 18 and began singing Wagner's works in 1928. Her extremely powerful and well timed voice soon made her a star in Oslo, Stockholm, but also in Brussels and New York.

These mines were in operation until the 1970s. The museum was opened in 1989, visitors can go down into the bowels of the earth using the old small railway. The Wormshall, at the very bottom, has amazing acoustics. Back on the surface, in the open air, the Direksjonen is the former residence of the mine manager, transformed into a guest house for 14 people and a restaurant for up to 30 guests.

It is the^4th largest ecomuseum in Norway. Valdres Folkemuseum was founded in 1901 and the first buildings of the "collection" were erected in 1906 in Fagernes. In 1917 the museum was moved to the peninsula of Storøya next to Fagernes. Later, in 1950, the museum leased the rest of the island and today comprises a large area. The museum has 95 buildings and about 20 000 objects. Very nice interactive tour. Great for kids. Coffee.

Opened in 1828, the Agder Museum is the only natural history museum in the region. It is also one of the oldest in the country. It includes a botanical garden, permanent exhibitions ("The Ice Age", "Minerals", "From the Sea to the Earth", etc.) and temporary exhibitions. It's always a pleasure to walk around in this kind of place, learning a bit about the local plants and animals. If your steps take you there in spring, don't miss this visit!

In the museum's garden a bronze statue depicts the Viking Egil Skallgrimson challenging the king with a horse's head on a pole. The statue was cast from a plaster cast from the Gustav Vigeland Museum in Oslo. Andorsengården is a former shipowner's house with large masterpieces such as Adolph Tidemand's The Hugenots and paintings by Olaf Isaachsen. It also houses the largest collection of paintings by Amaldus Nielsen and the city's library.

The museum houses one of the largest guns ever created, the Vara Battery. So, firearms, history and big guns lovers beware! It was built by the Germans during the occupation of the country, during the Second World War, and later joined its acolytes Dora and Gustav in the list of the most fearsome weapons of war in the world. It was later used and finally dismantled by the Norwegian army.

Dating from 1827, the main building, in the Empire style, has fully furnished bourgeois apartments of the period. The other buildings include a brewery, small boat building workshops, a sail making workshop, a smithy and a stable. In this museum you can see, among other things, historical tools that give a good idea of what a maritime town was like in the past. There is also a small souvenir shop in an annex with handicrafts.

The museum is housed in a white wooden house, which once belonged to Ibsen. It is the largest collection of memorabilia and personal items belonging to Henrik Ibsen. It was while working as a pharmacist's apprentice (in the adjacent pharmacy that has been reconstructed for the museum) that he wrote his first poems and plays here. A place steeped in history, and this can be felt in the atmosphere of this place, which opened in 1916, only ten years after his death!

Located in the former Naes Jernverks Iron Work, which operated from 1650 to 1959, this life-size eco-museum recreates the working environment of the former industrial site, with buildings, machinery and equipment dating back to the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries. Period films in English show the various stages of iron and steel production as they were carried out. The museum was also a center for other activities, such as the manufacture of horseshoes. A guided tour is organized in and around the museum.

It is the first Norwegian constitutional monument. The room where this historic event took place is still publicly owned and remains in the same condition as it was at the time. The original painting by Oscar Wergeland is in the Parliament in Oslo. The constituent assembly that met there from 10 April to 20 May 1814 consisted of 112 delegates. At that time, it was a private house belonging to a rich industrialist. It is an example of neoclassical architecture, inspired by the lines of antiquity.

Close to Eidsvoll Manor, and in order to better understand why the Constitution was written there, you can also visit the open-air museum, Eidsvoll Bygdetun. It contains 26 old buildings of various sizes, all of which are evidence of local rural activity in the 19th century. All but four of the buildings are from different farms in the area and date from the 18th and 19th centuries. Evocation of the life on the farm in the past years, historical reconstitutions not bad at all which allow to be immersed in a past culture. The houses are fully furnished and many farm tools are on display. Little kids will probably enjoy the visit very much as it is very visual. A museum of the occupation during the Second World War is also located here. Guided tours of both museums are offered during the summer months. The museum is a popular place for picnics and relaxation with its lawns, woods and lake. Barbecues and picnic tables are available, and on Sundays enjoy traditional Norwegian dishes in the cafeteria. Also, the Feiring Ironworks(Feiring jernverk) is located in the forest northwest of Eidsvoll and is a testament to Carsten Anker's iron production in the early 1800s. The interior of the old blast furnace is still intact. Explanatory boards are present.

We learn that the glacier is blue because of the spectrum of light it creates, and that the fjord is green because of the particles carried by the meltwater. Also on display is a copy of a pair of skis dating back to 1170, trapped in the glacier. Explanatory text in French. In the cafeteria, you can warm up with soup and rolls while admiring the view through the large windows. The museum also organizes guided hikes on the glacier.

Some 40 houses dating from the 18th and 19th centuries have been preserved and grouped together in this open-air museum created in 1920. The interiors of the houses tend to represent the lifestyle of the Norwegians of the time. A superb boat, called Holvikejekta, is on display 2 kilometres from the town centre. Made by the brothers Jakob and Andreas Apalset in 1881 in Krånafjøra, it is 20 metres long and 8.6 metres wide. Guided tours. Free parking. Nice café and shop.

An exciting museum is located at the foot of the Nigardsbreen glacier in the Jostedalen valley. This centre provides information to visitors about the national parks Jostedalsbreen and Breheimen. Natural history, regional culture, various sports activities on the glacier. There is a pleasant cafeteria, a souvenir shop and a climbing gym for the little ones. Here you will also find all the information you need to book a guided tour of the glacier or a cruise on the lake.

In the city centre, this museum tells the history of the city. The building is a former homestead and, despite the sometimes cramped rooms, it is a very pleasant visit.

There is a model of Ålesund before the great fire of 1904, which destroyed the city during a terrible winter storm, as well as Art Nouveau objects, remains of the German occupation, a former dentist's office and a reconstructed photographic studio under the roof.

This open-air museum presents the daily life of the people of the region, the tools and the environment of the people of the North 1,100 years ago. The open-air part of the museum allows visitors to see traditional Norwegian houses from previous centuries. The site is particularly pleasant, on the edge of a lake, where it is good to walk, and picnic in the summer. Perfect to discover the history of the Sunnmøre region. This museum is built on both sides of an archaeological site.

In an old fish warehouse, typical of the city of Ålesund, the fish museum reconstructs the history of fishing, with a special focus on the export of certain fish. Explanations on the transport of fish, and of course, a lot of information on the production of the famous Klippfisk, the dried and salted fish that made the fame of Alesund since the 1950s. Even today, Alesund's Klippfisk production is exported mainly to Brazil.

Jaermuseet is a joint science centre and museum for seven municipalities in the region. The museum presents the history, culture and industrialisation of Jaeren. It is divided into two main branches: "Vitengarden" ("Science Farm") in Naerbø and "Vitenfabrikken" ("Science Factory") in Sandnes. A number of other museums in the region are also dependent on it. The central administrative office is located at Vitengarden. Voted Museum of the Year 2009 by the Norwegian Ministry of Culture, it also received the European Micheletti Award in the same year as the best technical museum in Europe. And for good reason, the visit is really exciting and beware, time flies without you realizing it! Both sites offer interactive animations about food, architecture and building methods and materials. The Naerbo Museum is located in an old wooden and stone farmhouse in the heart of the countryside. It tells the story of the history and development of industrialisation and offers interesting exhibits on the daily life of the farmers of the time, and on the evolution of industrial techniques and methods. Extremely educational for young and old. Almost every week there are special events on offer, so check out their website or phone directly to book an event. There is a nice café serving hot and cold food. Wifi. Parking.

This open-air folk museum offers an insight into the traditions and daily life of Norwegians from 1000 years ago to the present day. During the summer, the traditional houses are open to visitors but there are no fixed times, so it is best to check before you visit. You can see houses, boats, textiles, fishing nets and tools. Please note that it is located 13 km from Bergen city centre, so you have to go by car or bus.

The city museum consists of two museums: the Museum of History and the Museum of Natural History. The History Museum tells the story of Norwegian art and cultural heritage and has important archaeological and anthropological collections. The Natural History Museum has many exhibitions and important zoological, botanical and geological collections. A very nice botanical garden and arboretum, if you are there in spring and summer of course.

Mølstertunet is an old farmhouse with 16 buildings and the original furniture. Finneloftet is a Viking banquet hall from 1250, one of the oldest wooden buildings in Norway, which can only be visited in groups. The museum has about 20,000 instruments and everyday tools from previous centuries. There is also a shop (hand-blown glass, organically grown textiles) and a café with good carrot cakes.

Located about 40 kilometers north of Bodø, this charming little mountainous peninsula is home to a fishermen's hamlet, a former trading post that has now been transformed into an open-air museum. It was the last port for seasonal fishermen before the Lofoten archipelago, at the time of Victor Hugo's Workers of the Sea. At the end of the last century, hundreds of small boats gathered here to wait for favorable winds to cross the dangerous waters of the Vestfjord. The most famous local figure was Erasmus Zahl, owner of the whole hamlet, and the first person to help Knut Hamsun (Nobel Prize for Literature in 1920) in his difficult beginnings.

The house in Sirilund is indeed the same as the one described in his novel Benoni and Rosa. Their television version as well as the film, taken from his work Pan, were shot on this island. Since then, many film shoots have taken place there (including the film Dina, starring Gérard Depardieu), the place benefiting from a magnificent light, which allows today a beautiful exhibition on the films shot on the island. With a bit of humor and a lot of willpower, the inhabitants of the island define themselves as living in the Hollywood of Norway. There is a café and souvenir store in the new stable (Nyfjøsen). A recommended visit to get a closer look at the atmosphere of deepest Norway and to take in the sights!

Located 8 km from the center of Bodø, this old farmhouse, managed by the Nordland Museum, has been completely restored. The wooden furniture and buildings are a perfect illustration of the buildings of the time. Some parts of the building are hundreds of years old. The farmhouse has been occupied on several occasions by members of the government, as well as skippers from ships calling at Bodø. A guided tour in English is available, by reservation only. We advise you to check the timetable before you go.

The museum building, shaped like a helix, covers more than 10,000 m². Two large exhibition areas are devoted to the civilian and military collections. On the program: the history of aeronautics, the discovery of many aircraft (Junkers, Ju-52, Mosquito) and flight simulators to put yourself in the shoes of pilots. An interesting and complete visit to enter the Norwegian history through aviation.

Just a few minutes from Reine is the only museum of its kind in Norway. It opened in 1992 on a personal initiative. The museum exhibits a collection of over 1,500 dolls and toys dating from 1860 to 1965. It's a museum that brings back many memories for older visitors, and often astonishes even the youngest. The second floor features an antique and souvenir store. Coffee and Norwegian-style waffles for sale.

Welcome to one of Norway's best-preserved fishing villages! The Fiskevaersmuseum tells the story of daily life in a fishing village between 1840 and 1960, and the evolution of fishing in Lofoten over the last 250 years. A number of exhibits explain, among other things, how cod liver oil is made and how delicious Norwegian pastries are made. In the village store, stock up on local products!

The Musée des Arts et Métiers, in addition to its craft and furniture collections, boasts tapestries based on cartoons by Gerhard Munthe. These motifs tell the story of the Viking epic and perfectly illustrate the Norwegian Olympus. Three other sites are associated with the museum, taking over from the main building: the jewel of Trondheim royal residence, Austrått manor house, one of the country's oldest, and the Hannah Ryggen Centre. Reopening date unknown.

Visit an underground gallery 50 m below ground and discover a life and techniques developed 300 years ago. Bring good walking shoes and warm clothes, as the temperature does not exceed 5°C all year round. The Olav Mine, built at the instigation of Christian IV (King of Denmark and Norway from 1588 to 1648), is located in Storwartz, where several mines were in operation from 1644 to 1977. The Olav mine was the last one to be closed and was then 90 metres deep.

Smelthytta (copper smelters) in Malmplassen was a central point of the Røros community. From 1646 to 1953, copper was melted here. The factory was closed 1953. In 1975, the building burned. Today's foundry was built on the ruins of the old foundry.

The museum presents two permanent exhibitions: «Copper mines», which explains part of the history of Røros, and «Ti finpussa», which displays costumes worn by the lords in 1800. The foundry also offers temporary exhibitions.

The museum is the only one in Norway that specializes in musical instruments and consists of white houses in a small square courtyard. The museum's collection consists of about 2000 instruments from all over the world. Among the instruments on display are the hardangerfele violin, whose distinctive sound inspired Edvard Grieg, and the nuckelharpe, a Swedish variant of violins with under-strings. A pleasant café, a souvenir shop, a botanical garden and temporary exhibitions complete this place perfectly.

The small museum exhibits naturalized Arctic animals, including a huge polar bear. On the second floor are some typical northern fishing boats. The hourly slide show of Norway's landscapes and seasons is the same as the free one at the Oslo tourist office. There's also a mailbox for postcards from the Arctic Circle. Souvenir store, cafeteria serving hot dishes and a few northern specialties. The children's menu is half-price, and includes an ice cream.

The Musée de la Marine is housed in a former prison built in 1725. In use until 1835, it was once known as the slave prison. The legendary Gjest Baardson, the Norwegian Robin Hood, was put in irons here. The museum houses a small collection of sailing ships, some beautiful figureheads and navigational instruments. The museum shop offers beautiful illustrated books, games and small items.

Tomba Emanuele is the name that Emanuel Vigeland, brother of the sculptor Gustav, gave to the building. He had decided to build a museum and then wanted to make it his mausoleum. When he died, the windows were walled up and his ashes were placed inside. The vaulted room without light that contains the Vita fresco is amazing. No daylight filters through this remarkable odyssey of existence, from birth to death, where erotic scenes and naked bodies follow one another to compose a piece that shocked contemporaries. This work of a lifetime, which covers more than 800 square meters, is impressive.

The former apartments of the great playwright Henrik Ibsen, where he lived from 1895 until his death in 1906, have been transformed into a museum in recent years. The original furniture was salvaged from the Bygdøy open-air museum to bring it back to its original setting. The museum has been restored and recently reopened. It features an interactive exhibition dedicated to the artist's life and work, and now boasts its own theater stage!

The Trondheim Tramway Museum opened its doors to the public in 1995. What makes this collection so special, beyond its sheer number and diversity, is its completeness. The museum brings together almost all the models that have paraded the city's streets! The trains are fully restored, and some are even functional. The vast majority are open to the public. All in all, a wonderful journey back in time!

Located on the heights of the city, Ekeberg Park is a harmonious blend of nature, art and history. Only a few minutes from downtown, the park is vast and ideal for strolls. Venture into the park to discover the many sculptures scattered along the paths and take a detour to the place that inspired Le Cri, Edvard Munch's famous painting. Ekebergparken is also known for its breathtaking views of Oslo and its fjord. It's the perfect place to enjoy a sunset with hot chocolate in hand!

This museum offers you to explore the history of popular music in Norway from 1904 to today through all kinds of media, audio, video and interactive. The museum is very playful, you can sing, play an instrument, and you can even record your own song! Explanations in English as well. Guided tours in English by reservation only. Room dedicated to children. Disabled access. Instructive and fun, a good time.

Namdalsmuseet was founded in 1914 and is considered one of Norway's oldest museums. It is dedicated to the preservation and presentation of the region's history, culture and nature. The museum houses a vast collection of objects and artifacts that trace the history of Namdalen. The collections include archaeological objects, traditional costumes, tools and handicrafts, photographs... This open-air museum is also a great place to take a walk and regularly organizes events.

Welcome to the national museum dedicated to pop/rock music. This ultra-modern museum was opened in 2010. Built on several floors, the Rockheim is both educational and interactive. You can learn about the history of music in Norway, the birth of pop music in the country and around the world. The Rockheim invites its visitors to be part of the visit. There is also a gallery that hosts many exhibitions throughout the year, and a media library with a very nice documentation. Superb view from the^5th floor.

A museum on the theme of the Vikings, with the oldest so-called "long house" in the world as its central attraction, nothing less! Inside this house, activities to help you discover the daily life of the Vikings. But it's outdoors that most of the action takes place between the farm, the blacksmith's shop, the Viking boats, among others. In the summer, a good number of workshops are offered so that you can reveal the Viking in you: archery, axe-throwing, horseback riding, sailing a Viking boat!