Published: 2 Dec, 2022 CET.Updated: Fri 5 May 2023 13:37 CET
These are some of Norway's most beautiful buildings in Norway. Pictured is Oslo Opera House. Photo by Nan Wisanmongkol on Unsplash
While many are drawn to the Scandinavian country for its stunning natural scenery, there is plenty of awe-inspiring architecture in Norway to capture the imagination.
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Stunning fjords, jaw-dropping mountains and natural phenomena like the Northern Lights draw tourists in their millions to Norway.
Despite the excellent natural scenery, there are quite a few man-made sights to marvel at. From 17th-century buildings to 12th-century churches and modern architectural marvels, these are some of Norway’s most beautiful buildings.
The Architectural Uprising (Arkitekturupprororet) recently awarded Ramme Fjordhotel its top accolade for 2022. Despite its old-worldy exterior, the hotel actually opened its doors following an extension in 2020.
They said that the quality of the build was rare these days.
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“People appreciate that the new extension is built with pleasant, beautiful architecture which, as far as I can judge, is well executed, and which I think many people appreciate. It is very rare to build something like this in our time. I think it seems very refreshing,” Saher Sourouri from The Architectural Uprising told architectural news outlet Arkitektnytt.
One of the runners-up for 2022 was Håpets Katerdal, or Hope Cathedral. The multi-faith building is a modern take on Norway’s classic stave churches. Interestingly, the church is built on a barge.
2022 marks 15 years of the Oslo Opera House, which hasn’t aged a day since opening. The Opera House won the culture award at the World Architecture Festival in Barcelona in October 2008 and the 2009 European Union Prize for Contemporary Architecture.
If you haven’t seen it already, we've included a picture.
Norway’s most aesthetically pleasing buildings aren’t all marvels of modern architecture. Instead, many date back hundreds of years. Many historic buildings in Norway have even landed themselves on the UNESCO World Heritage List for their beauty and cultural and historical significance.
One such example is Bryggen in Bergen. This one is cheating slightly as it’s a row of different buildings, but we’d be amiss to exclude it from our list. You can see the world-famous harbour below.
Another Norwegian building featured on the UNESCO list is Urnes Stave Church in western Norway. The classic example of a stave church, which dates back to the 12th century, is dotted along Lustrafjord.
And one of the final entries on the UNESCO list is Røros, a mining town dating back to the 16th and 17th centuries. At one point, its church was one of the tallest buildings in Norway.
Finally, while we can’t find these two featured on any lists or the recipient of any awards, we’re big fans of the Royal Palace in Oslo and the Arctic Cathedral in Tromsø, both can be seen in pictures below.
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Photo by Tomas Eidsvold on Unsplash
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