UiA Bibliotek Blog

✨What are your plans for winter holidays? ✨

Here’s a handy list of winter activities popular around Christmas time in Norway, with a short note for each so you can pick what sounds best:

• Christmas markets (julemarked) — browse stalls for crafts, local food, and julegløgg (hot spiced wine or juice).🥐
• Cross-country skiing (langrenn) — Norway’s national pastime; groomed trails are common even near towns.⛷
• Downhill skiing and snowboarding — Alpine resorts like Trysil, Hemsedal, and Geilo are lively over the holidays.🏂
• Dog sledding (hundesledetur) — guided tours through snowy forests and frozen valleys.🐶
• Reindeer sledding and Sami cultural experiences — typically offered in Northern Norway; great for families and learning local traditions.🦌
• Northern Lights (Aurora Borealis) chases — guided evening trips from Tromsø, Alta, and Lofoten when conditions are right.🌌
• Horse-drawn sleigh rides (hesteslede) — a cozy, romantic way to enjoy snowy landscapes.🐕
• Sledding/tubing (akebrett/sledeturer) — fun, easy activity for kids and adults on local hills.🛷
• Christmas concerts and church services — attend concerts of carols or midnight mass for a traditional atmosphere.⛪️
• Baking and candlelit cozy evenings — make pepperkaker (gingerbread), krumkake, and enjoy long hyggelige (cozy) nights indoors.🥨
• Julebord (Christmas buffet) — join a festive meal with traditional dishes like lutefisk, pinnekjøtt, and rakfisk (regional).🍖
• Snowshoeing and winter hiking — explore quieter trails and frozen lakes under crisp skies.❄️
• Ice fishing — try fishing through a hole in the ice on a guided trip or with locals.🐟
• Sauna and winter swimming / ice dipping — Scandinavian contrast therapy: warm up in a sauna, then a quick dip in icy water (do it safely!). 😶‍🌫️
• Stay in unique winter accommodations — book a rorbu, a snow hotel/igloo (e.g., Sorrisniva or Snowhotel Kirkenes), or a cozy cabin in the mountains. ⛺️

Quick tips:

• Dress in layers, bring waterproof outerwear, and wear good winter boots.
• Book popular activities (ski passes, dog sledding, Northern Lights tours, julebord) early for the holiday period.
• Check daylight hours in northern Norway—in some places the sun doesn’t rise for part of winter—so plan evening activities like Northern Lights trips accordingly.