Norway’s Sports and Athletics Culture
Norwegians excel in winter sports. Their performances at the Winter Olympics prove how skillful they are. After all, no one can argue with a gold medal. Partially, their success is due to the wide availability of snowy peaks throughout Norway. But another contributing factor is the culture of athletics.
All Norwegians grow up valuing physical activity. As children, Norwegians enjoy the sport for its playfulness and not for its competition. Surrounded by so much natural beauty, it’s easy to understand why so many adults choose to participate in outdoor sporting events. Anyone visiting Norway can partake in Nordic athletic culture.
From ski slopes to ziplines, there’s an outdoor athletic activity for everyone. Here we’ll review a few of the best opportunities for visitors to take part in Norway’s action sports scene.
Photo: Paul Lockhart
Skiing Outside of Town
When ski season hits, slopes fill with people who want to enjoy the mountain peaks from on high. If you’d like to be one of them, here are some of the best mountain peaks for winter skiing.
In Voss, you can explore one of the best ski resorts in Norway with a unique center for alpinists, jibbers, and snowboard enthusiasts. With downhill as well as cross-country skiing options, you can try it all in Voss. The facility also includes a school if anyone in your group needs to take some lessons in Norway’s national sport. If you like to ski under the light of the moon, Voss Resort offers evening skiing two days a week.
For people who value sustainability, you can travel to Voss in a sustainable way on the Ski Ticket Voss
Whether you like snowboarding, downhill skiing, Telemark skiing, challenging, or easy slopes, you will find something that suits you in Myrkdalen Ski Resort. Travel to one of the snowiest skiing destinations in Norway on Ski Ticket Myrkdalen, only a short distance from Bergen. Myrkdalen is located only 25 kilometers from Voss in one of the snowiest areas in Norway.
Photo: VisitOSLO/Preben Stene Larsen©OsloVinterpark
Urban Ski Options
The closest ski slope to Oslo is the Oslo Winter Park, only twenty minutes by car from downtown. This destination is perfect for visitors who don’t have a car, as it’s accessible via public transportation. The Oslo Winter Park has become a popular site for large competition events like the X-Games and the Arctic Challenge. If you want to possibly catch a glimpse of a famous athlete, this is the place to go.
Photo: Flåm Zipline
Ziplining Over Fjords
There may not be a competition for it yet, but the Flam zipline does hold the record for the longest zipline in Scandinavia. If you’re looking for a warm-weather idea, then a zip line might be just the activity to get your heart pumping. Put on your helmet and buckle into the seat, and you’ll be zooming over the western fjords like an eagle on the hunt. Sport is not only about the competition, but it’s also about what follows. When you visit the Flam zipline, you can enjoy a local meal or hop on the Flam Railway to explore the nearby area.
Overall, the most essential ingredient to Nordic sports culture is inclusion. You can rely on Norwegians to make everyone feel welcome. So no matter your skill level, you can benefit from the Nordic outdoor athletics culture. You may meet a famous athlete on the slopes, or it could just be a native Norwegian who grew up in the powder.