Given how safe Norway is as a country and how most places are close to stunning scenery, very few areas are bad places to live.
After all, what makes a place a good or bad place to live depends on a person's situation—do they need to be close to work, good schools, and transport links? Do they want vibrant nightlife or something quieter?
Still, some places in Norway tend to attract the derision of visitors or receive jokes and insults from those living in other parts of the country. The Local has put together a list of the places most frequently mentioned when the topic of ugly towns or depressing cities comes up.
Feel free to leave your own suggestions below or make a case for why a city included doesn't deserve its reputation, and at the end of the article, we'll have a survey where you can share your experiences on the worst places you've lived or visited in Oslo.
READ ALSO: The pros and cons of living in Norway
Drammen
The city of Drammen is around 30-40 minutes from Oslo. It was one of Norway's most important maritime towns in the 18th century due to its lumber trade. It's also home to Norway's oldest brewery.
These days, the city is as famous for exporting the athletes Martin Ødegaard and Ole Einar Bjørndalen as it is for lumber.
Its industrial and maritime history means the city was designed with practicality rather than aesthetics in mind. It also meant that a few decades ago the river running through the city centre was incredibly polluted.
The city is typically a popular target for jokes on social media, so much so that the term "en dram i timen er bedre enn en time i Drammen" was coined. The play on the words with dram (a shot or drink) and Drammen roughly translates to "it's better to take a shot every hour than spend an hour in Drammen".
Still, plenty who actually do live in the city like it and disagree with the derision the town receives on social media and from out-of-towners.
Steinkjer
Located in Trøndaleg in central Norway and, much like the rest of the region, Steinkjer is home to stunning surroundings.
However, the town centre itself is often considered among the worst in Norway when it comes to debates over the ugliest place in Norway.
It certainly has its charms, but a rebuilding effort after the war meant buildings were erected with haste at the expense of looks.
The town planning is considered strange. While it's fantastic that the city has a beach, it is next to a main road, and the scenery, which includes a petrol station, means it is unlikely to be mistaken for the Maldives anytime soon.
View this post on Instagram
View this post on Instagram
One of the more notable buildings in the city is the church. It is characterised by its white boxy façade and the tall tower next to it. Still, the town is home to other sights, such as Norway's geographical centre, petroglyphs, and a nearby church dating back to the 1100s.
Mo i Rana
Located in Nordland County in the north, Mo i Rana is in the Helgeland region of Norway. The Helgeland coast itself is home to plenty of stunning scenery and beautiful nature spots—which is just as well as the town centre leaves much to be desired.
Owing to its mining and construction roots, it should be no surprise that the city is home to the country's largest industrial park.
Unfortunately, industrial parks don't go hand in hand with picturesque cityscapes. As a result, the city has previously been named among the ugliest in Norway.
Many towns and cities in northern Norway are derided for lacking personality and looks. When it comes to what Norwegians think, it's often a toss-up between Mo i Rana and Alta for the dubious honour of the north's ugliest city.
Førde
While the west of Norway is typically associated with charming villages and breathtaking natural landscapes, the city of Førde is widely considered to be the ugliest and most poorly thought-out in Norway.
Home to just 13,000 residents, Førde is the administrative capital of the Sunnfjord region. The beautiful nature surrounding the city isn't enough to help it shine in a positive light.
Førde has been planned with cars in mind, which means the main settlement is surprisingly sparse for its small population. Parking for commuters has been prioritised over making the centre a pleasant place to be.
This means the town centre feels like a ghost town when shops close, as most locals live in the surrounding valleys.
The city's reputation has endured despite measures taken by local authorities to densify the centre and improve its quality of life.
Sandvika
More strange than ugly or depressing is, Sandvika, located in Bærum. It can be considered a sort of "nothing place".
The city is home to plenty of commuters working in either Oslo or Drammen.
Unfortunately, most only know the town for the shopping centre, train station and roads in and out of Oslo. Given that many see the town as something to travel through, in or out of, rather than live in, doesn't do the area's reputation any favours.
Still, the town is home to plenty of quaint nature spots.
Have your say
Please take a couple of minutes to fill out our survey on the ugliest, dullest, or most depressing towns and cities you've visited in Norway.
We'll try to include some of the best answers in a future article. Click here if the survey doesn't appear below.
Comments