A string of pearls
Here they lie, the coastal communities and towns of south-western Norway, just as they have done for hundreds of years.
It sometimes seems as though time has stood still and that these small places along the coast have yet to be touched by the frantic development taking place elsewhere in the word.
White wooden houses, colourful boathouses and wharfside warehouses, farms and village centres dot the whole coast. The coast of southern Norway has a distinctive architectural style, and the coastal culture and its centuries-old traditions are still very apparent in many modern coastal communities.
Sixteen selected ports of call form the itinerary for the North Sea Route. And they should fulfil most of your holiday wishes. Shopping in charming speciality shops, narrow pedestrian streets, small cafés and restaurants, distinctive hotels, natural landscapes that extend for miles and miles - along beaches, through old woodland and up to mountain tops - and cultural landscapes, festivals, concerts, theatre and ballet.
Recommended stops along the route
The journey along the sea. On two wheels or four. It does not matter. Imagine the opposite of monotony. Then you will know what the North Sea Route has to offer. A journey along the sea, from Kristiansand in the south to Haugesund in the north.
Recommended eateries along the route
All the small towns - and perhaps one in particular - have friendly cafés and restaurants, and you will also find roadside eateries that will surprise you with excellent food.
