The best specialized museums Norway

There are only 3 boats in this very sober museum, but what wonders! They were found in Tune, Gokstad and Oseberg in the excavations of Tune, Gokstad and Oseberg. They transported Vikings banned in Iceland and Greenland, crossed the North Sea to America for a failed settlement attempt, entering the Mediterranean to Istanbul to trade or to carry out bloody raids. The Bateau boat, the largest and best preserved, was the tomb of a Viking queen. The objects exhumed are entirely unique, such as these terrifying heads of stylised dragon dragon, this astonishing seal adorned by a Buddha attesting to trade with Asian peoples and this richly carved trolley with a Gunnar representation in the snake pit, which is no other than Wagner's «Günther du Ring» (inspired by ancient Nordic legends).

The Fram is the polar ship built in 1892 and which continues the main part of the museum. It's the strongest ship in the world, and the one that has gone the furthest north and the furthest south! It was used on the three great polar expeditions of Fridtjof Nansen in 1893-1896, Otto Sverdrup in 1898-1902 and Roald Amundsen in 1910-1912. The ship is surrounded by a number of exhibits on polar history, revealing a fascinating part of the country's history.

In this open-air museum, one of the largest in Europe, you will find information on all aspects of Norwegian and Saami folklore. We discover their very colorful costumes, their language, which is not at all related to Norwegian but to Finnish, and their shamanic sorcerers who remind us of the Amerindians. In the vast park, 140 old houses originating from different regions of Norway and rebuilt here. A museum to discover absolutely.

The small, enchanted villa of the great Norwegian composer and pianist of classical music (Romantic period) is situated high up on a point of greenery overlooking Lake Nordås. Built in 1885 for Bergen-born Edvard Grieg, the house has been preserved in its original state since his death. This museum, which houses all Grieg's period furniture and personal objects, is a house that lives on thanks to the intimate concerts that are still held on the master's old piano. Grieg lived here for over twenty years at the end of his life. Today, there are concerts every day during the International Music Festival, as well as summer concerts on Wednesdays, Saturdays and Sundays. Tickets are on sale at the tourist office. The new, larger concert hall is fortunately hidden under the bridge just before the house. A little further down the road, Grieg's very basic little working hut is practically at the water's edge. His coat, hat and violin still hang on the wall. From the only window, you can see the lake through the branches of the large weeping birches. Another historic building nearby, the Fantoft Stavkirke, a wooden church dating back to 1150, sadly went up in smoke in June 1992, in the wave of arson and Satanism that swept the country. It has since been rebuilt to its original appearance.

In a listed customs house, there are exhibitions on hunting and scientific research in the polar regions, as well as photos of Amundsen's expeditions. In the summer many activities for children are organized. Go to their website to plan your visit and book places. Permanent exhibition on what Svalbard was like in the 17th and 18th centuries. The museum also organizes temporary exhibitions.

This open-air museum features 50 wooden houses from an old district of Bergen dating back to the ^17th century. In the old bakery, you can watch the making of Skillingsboller, Bergen's buns. There's also the old barber's shop, the photographer's, the tooth puller's... The rich bourgeois interior could have been the perfect setting for Ibsen's play Doll' s House. An attractive restaurant serves dishes that can be enjoyed on the terrace.

During the renovation of the city's iconic museum, the tour is in Schøtstuene and provides an opportunity to learn more about the wealthy Hanse traders who had a monopoly on trade in the north (dried cod, grain, salt). Bergen and Novogorod were among their most important trading posts. These great merchants lived separated from the rest of the population of Bergen in high houses lined up a few meters from the harbour. A nice visit.

The Kon-Tiki is the balsa raft used in 1947 by Thor Heyerdahl on one of his scientific expeditions to Easter Island in the Pacific. An expedition that made him famous the world over. The Ra II is also on display. This is a papyrus raft that enabled the explorer to cross the Atlantic from Morocco to Barbados in 1970. This small but interesting museum retraces the explorer's travels through photos, texts and films.

This Museum of Perspective aims to be provocative and full of humanism, respect and open-mindedness through its collections and exhibitions. It offers temporary photo exhibitions on the history of the city of Tromsø, as well as exhibitions of contemporary art, with the aim of presenting history from different angles. Anyone who loves photography will be satisfied. A beautiful black and white exhibition takes you back to Tromsø and Norway in the 1960s. A good introduction to the city, its region and its people, quick and free.

This open-air museum is 4 km from the town centre and can be reached on foot or by bus. It comprises some 60 buildings, including the remains of King Sverre's castle. There is a wildlife park, a standing wooden church, farm buildings, an old shoemaker's workshop and old houses that were once in the centre. In the museum, an 18th-century inn keeps the traditions alive with a restaurant that continues to serve authentic cuisine in a 1739 home.

IDDIS is a new museum, which will be opened in November 2021. It is located in the old town and combines the Cannery Museum and the Printing Museum. The name IDDIS is a nod to the Stavanger dialect: a label is called etikett in Norwegian, but iddikett in the local dialect, which later became iddis. A great idea to bring together these two museums that share a common history related to images, graphics and printing. Super café + nice shop.

The Nobel Center boasts an exceptional location on Aker Brygge, facing the fjord on City Hall Square. The façade of this handsome building features the portrait of the current year's laureate(s). It presents the history of the Nobel Prize, its creator, Alfred Nobel, as well as current events and the winners of the title since 1901!

Alfred Nobel was a Swedish chemist, industrialist and arms manufacturer, who held over 350 scientific patents during his lifetime, including that for dynamite, the invention that made his name. On his death, he left a colossal inheritance to finance the creation of an institution responsible for awarding prizes each year to people who had rendered great services to humanity, enabling considerable improvement or progress in the field of knowledge and culture in five different disciplines: peace or diplomacy, literature, chemistry, physiology or medicine and physics. The Nobel Prize for Economics was later introduced. The first award ceremony took place in 1901.

The Nobel Peace Prize was appointed by the Norwegian Parliament, at Alfred Nobel's request, unlike the other prizes, which were selected by the Swedish Academic Institution. In 1901, Sweden and Norway were under the same crown. When the two crowns separated in 1905, Norway inherited the Nobel Peace Prize, awarded annually on December 10 in Oslo (the anniversary of Alfred Nobel's death).

This charming little museum explains the harsh living conditions in these regions where one man in four dies at sea. How, by the way, have we been living at the 71st parallel for 10,000 years? That's what this museum explains. Eiderdown mining on the island of Store Tamsøy ceased after the war, as all the houses in Northern Norway were razed to the ground by the Nazis. From an already fragile economic equilibrium, the situation of the islanders never recovered.

A concept that's part museum, part study center and part theme park, opened in 1998. The architecture is appealing, in the shape of a block of ice, and the attractions - mainly adorable seals - are well designed to bring visitors closer to the wildlife of extreme cold. Seal feeding at 3 p.m. in summer and at 12.30 p.m. from September¹. A great place for the whole family to discover the underwater fauna and flora of the waters of the Far North. You can sponsor the seals to improve their daily lives...

In this museum, which complements the other major museums on the island, there are some beautiful figureheads, numerous models of sailing ships, a beautiful view of the fjord and the Najaden restaurant on the first floor. A perfect activity to do with the family, with a space dedicated to children and many fun and instructive proposals. It is located on the Bygdøy peninsula, next to the Fram and Kon-Tiki museums. Very nice fjord café and nice shop.

Sheltered in a large glass building is the MS Finnmarkent, the former home of the region's coastal shipping company. At the initiative of a former captain, Sten Magne Engen, this historic ship dating from 1956 has been converted into a museum, enabling visitors to discover the company's history through documents and archive images, as well as tours of completely restored rooms (engine room, bridge, saloon).

Established in 2004 in a former transformer station, the DOGA Museum is entirely dedicated to design and architecture. Debates, conferences, workshops, the program is vast. Each room is designed in a different style, where the modern Scandinavian touch can be recognized. Located on the river bank, next to the church, the building houses a café and a restaurant (Funky Fresh Food, organic & vegan!), perfect for taking the time to appreciate the banks of the Akerselva.

This museum of children's art offers a kaleidoscope of artistic works seen through the prism of children's eyes. The works come from all over the world (180 countries are represented!) and provide an opportunity to explore the sensibilities, perspectives and opinions of these seldom-seen beings. Internships and workshops are also available for children. Temporary and permanent exhibitions. A wonderful discovery.

For film lovers, it's THE Norwegian film museum, and also a cultural center for the country's cinematography. there are 5 screenings a week, all of which can be viewed on the website, plus a children's room. This is where you can buy DVDs of films not available in France. Themed festivals are organized on a regular basis, and you can find out more on their website or by phoning them directly.