What's open and what's closed in Norway over the Easter weekend?
Norwegians enjoy one of the longest Easter holiday weekends with three extra public holidays. But how are shops, restaurants, museums, and medical services affected?
For what seems on the surface like a fairly secular country, Norway takes its religious holidays seriously, and is one of the few countries outside the Spanish and Portuguese speaking world where Maundy Thursday, the first day of Easter, is a public holiday.
Schools in Norway are off from Monday 25th to Monday April 1st, with pupils returning (hopefully refreshed) on the Tuesday April 2nd.
Norwa is also strict with shop opening times, meaning most shops are required by law to remain closed over most of the Easter period, with the exception of Easter Saturday.
Restaurants, hotels and the like, however, often remain open throughout the Easter period, although it is worth checking as some don't.
And if you are planning to do some sightseeing in Norway over Easter, you'll find a surprising number of museums also remain open as normal, including on Easter Sunday itself.
READ ALSO: Everything you need to know about Easter in Norway
In Oslo, the Fram museum, Kon-Tiki museum, MUNCH museum, Museum of Cultural History and many others are open every day of the Easter holiday, including Easter Sunday itself.
In Bergen, the Bryggens Museum is open every day of the Easter holiday, while the home of the composer Edvard Grieg and the popular KODE art gallery are both open from Maundy Thursday to Easter Sunday, but closed on Easter Monday.
Visit Olso has a full list of opening times here, and Visit Bergen has one here.
Here's a detailed breakdown of opening times day by day:
Wednesday
While March 27th is not a public holiday or "red day", that doesn't mean things are open as normal.
Perhaps most importantly, Vinmonopolet, Norway's alcohol monopoly, shuts early at 4pm, making Wednesday afternoon the last time you can stock up on drinks containing more than 4.75 percent alcohol before setting off to your summer cabin or a far-flung relative.
(Mercifully, Vinmonopolet reopens briefly on Påskeaften, or Easter Saturday, so if you miss it all is not lost.)
A lot of other public services also close at midday on Wednesday, including primary care or GP's clinics, public libraries, municipal swimming pools, and sports centres.
Maundy Thursday and Good Friday
Norwegians are unusual in getting the day off on Skjærtorsdag, or Maundy Thursday, and most shops are legally required to close. The exceptions are kiosks, small grocery shops with a total sales area of less than 100 square metres, and petrol stations.
This means the big supermarkets like Menu, Kiwi, and Rema 1000 (with the exception of convenience stores normally open on Sundays), will all be shut on Maundy Thursday and will then remain closed on Good Friday.
Most primary care clinics and GP's offices also close from Maundy Thursday to Easter Monday, but if you have an illness or injury that can't wait, you can contact the legevakten, or emergency room at your local hospital.
Easter Saturday
Shops are allowed to reopen on Easter Saturday, although they must close early at 4pm. This gives anyone who missed Vinmonopolet on Wednesday, a chance to stock up between 10am and 3pm, and also allows families to rush to supermarkets to buy any missing ingredients for the big meal on Easter Sunday.
Easter Sunday
Almost all shops are closed on Easter Sunday or 1 Påskedag, even some of the kiosks and small grocery stores that are otherwise open during the holiday.
Easter Monday
Almost all shops and supermarkets remain closed on 2 Påskedag, or Easter Monday, although the Meny supermarket will make home deliveries on Easter Monday.
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For what seems on the surface like a fairly secular country, Norway takes its religious holidays seriously, and is one of the few countries outside the Spanish and Portuguese speaking world where Maundy Thursday, the first day of Easter, is a public holiday.
Schools in Norway are off from Monday 25th to Monday April 1st, with pupils returning (hopefully refreshed) on the Tuesday April 2nd.
Norwa is also strict with shop opening times, meaning most shops are required by law to remain closed over most of the Easter period, with the exception of Easter Saturday.
Restaurants, hotels and the like, however, often remain open throughout the Easter period, although it is worth checking as some don't.
And if you are planning to do some sightseeing in Norway over Easter, you'll find a surprising number of museums also remain open as normal, including on Easter Sunday itself.
READ ALSO: Everything you need to know about Easter in Norway
In Oslo, the Fram museum, Kon-Tiki museum, MUNCH museum, Museum of Cultural History and many others are open every day of the Easter holiday, including Easter Sunday itself.
In Bergen, the Bryggens Museum is open every day of the Easter holiday, while the home of the composer Edvard Grieg and the popular KODE art gallery are both open from Maundy Thursday to Easter Sunday, but closed on Easter Monday.
Visit Olso has a full list of opening times here, and Visit Bergen has one here.
Here's a detailed breakdown of opening times day by day:
Wednesday
While March 27th is not a public holiday or "red day", that doesn't mean things are open as normal.
Perhaps most importantly, Vinmonopolet, Norway's alcohol monopoly, shuts early at 4pm, making Wednesday afternoon the last time you can stock up on drinks containing more than 4.75 percent alcohol before setting off to your summer cabin or a far-flung relative.
(Mercifully, Vinmonopolet reopens briefly on Påskeaften, or Easter Saturday, so if you miss it all is not lost.)
A lot of other public services also close at midday on Wednesday, including primary care or GP's clinics, public libraries, municipal swimming pools, and sports centres.
Maundy Thursday and Good Friday
Norwegians are unusual in getting the day off on Skjærtorsdag, or Maundy Thursday, and most shops are legally required to close. The exceptions are kiosks, small grocery shops with a total sales area of less than 100 square metres, and petrol stations.
This means the big supermarkets like Menu, Kiwi, and Rema 1000 (with the exception of convenience stores normally open on Sundays), will all be shut on Maundy Thursday and will then remain closed on Good Friday.
Most primary care clinics and GP's offices also close from Maundy Thursday to Easter Monday, but if you have an illness or injury that can't wait, you can contact the legevakten, or emergency room at your local hospital.
Easter Saturday
Shops are allowed to reopen on Easter Saturday, although they must close early at 4pm. This gives anyone who missed Vinmonopolet on Wednesday, a chance to stock up between 10am and 3pm, and also allows families to rush to supermarkets to buy any missing ingredients for the big meal on Easter Sunday.
Easter Sunday
Almost all shops are closed on Easter Sunday or 1 Påskedag, even some of the kiosks and small grocery stores that are otherwise open during the holiday.
Easter Monday
Almost all shops and supermarkets remain closed on 2 Påskedag, or Easter Monday, although the Meny supermarket will make home deliveries on Easter Monday.
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