Powwow in Norway
We were recently fortunate enough to attend a workshop in Norway. We started in Bodø, a fishing port in the region of Salten, just north of the Arctic Circle. We had some really informative meetings with amazing suppliers and hoteliers, and discovered Bodø is a gateway into Northern Norway. It enjoys spectacular views of the Northern Lights (although not whilst we were there ☹) and, in the summer, the Midnight Sun. With incredible scenery, beautiful rooftop bars and restaurants, there are several light, bright conference hotels and a fabulous Aviation Museum – all excellent for an incentive, meeting, a reception or gala dinner.
Bodø is in fact gearing up to be the European City of Culture in 2024 and to celebrate that we visited a Stone Age settlement in Saltstraumrn where we ate reindeer cooked in an earth fire pit - delicious - and drank wine from scallop shells!
Take a rib or a kayak, go for a mountain hike/climb, enjoy some dog sledding or go fishing – all directly enjoyed from Bodø. Flights are via Oslo.
Next on to the capital, Oslo, a city which is not often on our radar. After a 19-min train journey with Flytoget, we checked in to the incredible 810 bed Clarion Hotel The Hub, with it’s magnificent meeting space and chic bedrooms. The hotel even has a field on its roof which grows veg and microgreens! We had lunch at the stunning Opera House, home of the Norwegian National Opera and Ballet (and available to hire privately) at the head of the Oslofjord. We visited the new National Museum, took an exhilarating rib ride where we surfed on the waves of a ferry, cavorted with some sealions and listened to the history of the area during WW2. We relaxed in a sauna boat and swam in the freezing Oslofjord! We ziplined down the 361m Holmenkollen skip jump, walked through the incredible Vigeland Park and had dinner at the newly built Sommerro Hotel – a 5* repurposed historical building which was buzzing with Oslo’s coolest crowd!
There is honestly so much to do in Norway – the gastronomy, culture and scenery has to be tasted, felt and seen to be believed! It is also one of the most sustainable countries on earth. Do let us know if you would like to consider an event in this incredible country.
Thank you to all the amazing suppliers who hosted us including Visit Norway, Visit Oslo, Visit Bodø and Innovation Norway.
