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• Map of Eastern Norway

Norway's eastern region, known as Østlandet, takes in the national capital Oslo and six additional counties: Akershus, Østfold, Vestfold, Buskerud, Telemark, Hedmark and Oppland. Unsurprisingly, Østlandet is the country's most populous region.

Although relatively small in area, the three non-metropolitan counties on the Oslofjord – Akershus, Østfold and Vestfold – make up one of Norway's larger agricultural districts and account for a fifth of the country's population. In addition to agriculture and forestry, these counties support a wide variety of industrial, business and service activities. Many of Oslo's most populous suburbs are located in Akershus county, as is Gardermoen, Norway's architecturally acclaimed international airport.

In this part of the country the landscapes vary wildly, from bucolic valleys to the highest mountains in northern Europe (in Jotunheimen National Park) to deep inland forest harbouring wolves, bear and elk as you near the Swedish border... a perfect environment for hiking, skiing, extreme sports, or just relaxing.

Situated at the northern tip of the fjord which also bears its name, the city (and county) of Oslo is surrounded by green hills and a vast forested area known as Oslomarka. In winter and summer alike, the people of Oslo spend as much time as they can enjoying this splendid natural environment: little wonder that some scholars believe the word "Oslo" originally meant "the meadow of the gods".

In addition to its functions as the capital city and seat of government, Oslo is also the business and cultural centre of Norway, and one of the world's foremost shipping cities. Culturally, Oslo offers residents and visitors a rich and diverse selection of concerts, theatre and opera, museums and galleries. With its sidewalk cafés, restaurants and well-appointed shops, the city is one of the most relaxing of the European capitals. It is also one of the easiest to escape from: interspersed among the cities and towns around the Oslofjord and further south along the coast are any number of idyllic locations, often the sites of weekend and holiday homes.

Tønsberg, in Vestfold county, is Norway's oldest city; founded in 871 AD, today it is a bustling administrative, trade and shipping centre. One of Norway's three Hanseatic cities in the late Middle Ages, Tønsberg boasted the country's largest fortress, one of the king's royal residences, and a Franciscan cloister. The county of Vestfold has been famous for shipping since Viking times: it is here that the Viking ships Oseberg and Gokstad were found buried. Østfold has the greatest concentration of historical monuments in eastern Norway.

Telemark county, rich in traditions and folk art, is one of Norway's favourite tourist districts, with vast forest and mountain areas and many small farms. Morgedal, a mountain village known as "the cradle of skiing", is home to the Norwegian Ski Adventure Park. The Bandak Canal, reaching inland from the coast, is a recipient of the highest Europa Nostra award for restoration and preservation. A trip through the canal on the old "Victoria" is a true adventure.

Highlights of the region might start with the Olympic city of Lillehammer in Gudbrandsdalen valley, Oppland county, a vast district famous for winter sports and for producing one of Norway's greatest writers, Nobel Prize winner Sigrid Undset, author of Kristin Lavransdatter.

Valdres, another district much frequented by tourists, is noted for its folk art and old buildings, its numerous working mountain farms, and not least as the gateway to the spectacular Jotunheimen region. A breath-taking wilderness of glaciers, lakes and the highest mountains in Scandinavia, Jotunheimen (the name means "Home of the Giants") is popular at all times of year. Valdres is also one of Norway'smost attractive winter destinations, boasting more than 1000 kilometres of prepared ski trails, numerous downhill slopes and snowboard parks.

Telemark county, rich in traditions and folk art, is one of Norway's favourite tourist districts, with vast forest and mountain areas and many small farms. Morgedal, a mountain village known as "the cradle of skiing", is home to the Norwegian Ski Adventure Park. The Bandak Canal, reaching inland from the coast, is a recipient of the highest Europa Nostra award for restoration and preservation. A trip through the canal on the old "Victoria" is a true adventure.

Mjøsa, Norway's largest lake - comparable in size to Italy's Lake Garda - extends into both Oppland and Hedmark counties. The latter is very much a farming county, with a vast forest area, best experienced on the drive via Highway 3 out of Oslo or the train north towards Trondheim via the Østerdalen valley. (Forestry is of course an important industry here, well documented in the Forestry Museum at Elverum.)

The lakeside town of Hamar, site of the unique "Viking ship" athletic stadium, also offers the ruins of one of the country's loveliest churches, a symbol of the Christianization of Norway nearly 1000 years ago. The stadium, Olympia Hall, was built for the 1994 Winter Olympics. Another popular attraction in Hamar is the Jernbanemuseum, one of the oldest railway museums in the world.

Norway's longest river, the Glomma or Glåma, begins a little north of the county border with South-Trøndelag, running through Østerdalen valley and feeding into the Oslofjord at Fredrikstad.

• Telemark
• Buskerud
• Oppland
• Hedmark
• Østfold
• Vestfold
• Akershus
• Oslo

Gamle Strynefjellsvegen is a piece of cultural heritage more than 100 years old. Between the mountain village of Skjåk and the fjord village of Stryn there were several ancient routes for the transport of people and essential goods. It was a strenuous and slow journey. In 1881 the decision to build a road between Grotli and Hjelle was made. Swedish navvies and local people from both sides of the mountains took part in the hard work of construction. In 1894 the road was ready for use, a masterpiece of road building and engineering.

In 1978 the old Strynefjellsvegen was replaced by a new 12-kilometre long road with three tunnels that remained open all year. However, it is still the old road that provides a view and perspective. Nature displays its contrasts along this stretch of road, with the rounded, glacier-scoured forms to the east and a steeper, more precipitous topography to the west.

Gamle Strynefjellsvegen is closed during winter and opens in June. Right up until the 1950s, snowploughing the road was manual labour. Two hundred men with spades dug their way through miles of several metre high snow banks, but that is history now. These days the snowploughs clear the road in a matter of days.

At Tystigen it is still possible to ski far into the summer. Otherwise, high summer and autumn is the time for walking in the mountains. The road is also excellent for cycling. 

The road makes its way between fjord and valley, over a high mountain pass between blue ice, jagged peaks and emerald green mountain lakes. At Fantesteinen, 1,434 metres above sea level, the road marks the highest mountain pass in northern Europe.

This mountain pass has long been an important trading route. From the coast and fjords in the west, salt and fish were carried across the mountains. Leather, butter and tar made their way in the opposite direction from the valleys to the east. In former times, travelling over these mountains was far from safe. The law didn’t reach up here and tradesmen and farmers would travel in groups as protection against robbers.

The road over the high mountains between the Sognefjord and Bøverdalen opened to motor vehicles in 1938. The pass is closed in winter, but is snowploughed ready for opening around 1 May. Driving the newly opened road, between banks of snow up to ten metres high, is a wonderful experience.

The rest area at Mefjellet is in the form of an amphitheatre of natural stone, with a panoramic view across mountain and moorland where Knut Wold’s stone sculpture stands commandingly. The glass map at Nedre Oscarshaug helps identify the Hurrungane, Skagastølstindane and other mountains.

Sognefjell provides access to the Jotunheimen National Park, which contains 27 of Norway’s highest peaks, with Galdhøpiggen the highest. A detour from Gaupne will take you into Jostedalsbreen National Park and Norway’s largest glacier, at almost 500 square kilometres.

The road across Valdresflye provides endless vistas as it hovers free and light above the mountain plateau, with excellent views towards Jotunheimen National Park. The road’s highest point is 1,389 metres above sea level. The journey also passes through an old cultivated landscape with summer farms in the mountain pastures and traditional tourist attractions.

The area around Gjende is an important gateway to Jotunheimen. The lodge at Gjendesheim is the point of departure for the Norwegian Trekking Association’s largest network of paths. Outdoor enthusiasts young and old can put in their walking boots and enjoy the clear lakes, stony screes and pleasant paths, with challenging peaks offering a tempting goal. Balancing along Besseggen ridge and Bukkelegeret, you follow in the footsteps of Peer Gynt.

The areas on the way to Valdresflye - Heidal, Sjodalen and Valdres - offer a traditional and well-kept cultural landscape. Rafting on the Sjoa waterway really gets your adrenaline going.

The Rondane National Tourist Route follows the border between the Rondane massif and a well-preserved cultural landscape. Rondane’s mighty mountain massif lies as a backdrop along the route, changing with the weather and seasons, but always rewarding us when we stop and wonder.

From the lookout point at Sohlbergplassen, you can see Rondane as the painter Harald Sohlberg portrayed it in "Winter Night in the Mountains". What these mountains meant to the artist cannot be understated. "This one painting would have been enough to make me satisfied with my entire lifes work" wrote Sohlberg in his diary in 1914. The original hangs in the National Gallery in Oslo.

Rondane National Park was established in 1962 as Norway’s first national park. Rondane displays unmistakeable and characteristic traces from the ice age. A dry climate and firm terrain make the area well suited for mountain hiking and summit tours, with many marked paths and tourist cabins. One of Norway’s last remaining wild reindeer herds inhabits Rondane.

The area has a rich cultural history. The old buildings at Folldal mines, dating from the mid 18th century, show the life and the class distinctions of the old time mining community. At Strømbu, Henrik Ibsen’s Peer Gynt met the invisible serpent. Today Strømbu is a rest area of modern architecture and a popular starting point for mountain walks in Rondane.