Where to stay in Norway: the best places and hotels

Oslo has reinvented its waterfront with style. The white marble Opera House slopes into the fjord so you can stroll up onto its roof, the striking new Munch Museum stands beside it, and the restaurants and galleries of Aker Brygge line the harbour to the west. In between, Akershus Fortress guards the water, Karl Johans gate runs up to the Royal Palace, and Vigeland Park's sculptures and the forests and ski jump of Holmenkollen are a tram ride away.

The best base is the centre, close to Karl Johans gate. The Grand Hotel is the city's historic landmark, the elegant Hotel Continental is 150 metres from the main street, and the Hotel Bristol is handy for the shops, the Opera House and Aker Brygge. For boutique style, First Hotel Grims Grenka is in the old Kvadraturen quarter near the fortress and the harbour.

Ringed by seven mountains and facing the sea, Bergen is Norway's most beautiful city. The UNESCO-listed Bryggen wharf, a row of leaning, colourful wooden warehouses from the days of the Hanseatic traders, lines one side of the harbour, the fish market buzzes at its head, and the Fløibanen funicular hauls you up Mount Fløyen for the view. It rains a lot. Nobody seems to mind.

Bergen is also the classic springboard for the western fjords, by boat or on the scenic rail and ferry routes through Flåm. Stay right on the harbour at the Radisson Blu Royal, steps from Bryggen, or at the Magic Kløverhuset, a design hotel with a rooftop terrace looking at Bryggen and the mountains. In the centre, Hotel Norge has three floors of bars and restaurants, and Bergen Børs is a stylish hotel with a 24-hour health club.

Tromsø lies well above the Arctic Circle, yet it's a cheerful little city with a university buzz, cosy bars and a striking white Arctic Cathedral across the bridge. From late autumn to early spring it's one of the best places on earth to see the northern lights, with dog-sledding, reindeer and whale-watching trips leaving from the centre. In summer, the midnight sun means endless golden evenings.

Stay in the centre, by the water. The Dock 69°39 is a characterful hotel in the heart of town, the Radisson Blu is steps from the Art Museum of Northern Norway, and Home Hotel Aurora has the quay right outside its door, handy for boat trips. The Quality Hotel Grand is a popular gathering place right in the middle of things.

Nothing quite prepares you for Lofoten. A chain of islands strung out into the Norwegian Sea, it's all saw-toothed mountains, white beaches, turquoise water and fishing villages where cod dries on wooden racks. Svolvær is the main town, with a harbour, a war museum, an aquarium nearby and the Svolværgeita rock pinnacle above it, and it makes a practical base for exploring the islands by car.

The classic stay is a rorbu, a traditional fisherman's cabin: Svinøya Rorbuer has authentic cabins and apartments with kitchens, surrounded by the sea and two centuries of coastal heritage. Thon Hotel Lofoten is the smart choice in town, known for its breakfasts, and in the photogenic fishing village of Henningsvær, a short drive away, the Henningsvær Bryggehotell sits by the harbour. Scandic Svolvær has floor-to-ceiling windows in its restaurant.

After a fire swept through Ålesund in 1904, the town was rebuilt almost entirely in Art Nouveau style, and today its turrets, spires and pastel façades crowd around a narrow harbour channel. Climb the steps up Aksla hill for a magnificent view over the islands. It's also the most convenient base for the spectacular Geirangerfjord.

Hotel Brosundet is a stylish waterfront hotel in a converted warehouse on the channel, with a sauna and bikes to hire. The modern Quality Hotel Ålesund sits by the sea close to the centre, and Scandic Parken is another comfortable central option.

Stavanger made its fortune from North Sea oil, but its heart is still Gamle Stavanger, a hillside of cobbled lanes and white-painted wooden houses above the harbour. The cathedral and the lake of Breiavatnet sit in the middle of town, and the food scene is excellent. Most visitors come for Preikestolen, Pulpit Rock, the flat-topped cliff high above the Lysefjord, one of Norway's great hikes.

Stay central: the Victoria Hotel is a handsome Victorian hotel in the centre, with a terrace and city views; the Clarion is close to Breiavatnet, the old town and the museum; and Comfort Hotel Square is a lively hotel near shops and cafés, seven minutes' walk from the train station. The Radisson Blu Atlantic is another reliable central choice.

Trondheim was Norway's capital in the Viking age, and it still has the country's greatest building: Nidaros Cathedral, a soaring Gothic pile built over the tomb of St Olav and still a place of pilgrimage. Across the old town bridge, the cobbled lanes of Bakklandet are lined with cafés, and the colourful wooden warehouses along the river are one of Norway's most photographed sights.

The Britannia Hotel is the city's grand, traditional luxury hotel, a short walk from the cathedral and the shops. Comfort Hotel Park is a stone's throw from Nidaros Cathedral, Best Western Plus Hotel Bakeriet occupies a former bakery, and Quality Hotel Augustin mixes historic charm with modern comforts in the heart of the city.

Lillehammer hosted the 1994 Winter Olympics, and it's still one of Norway's favourite winter playgrounds, with cross-country trails through snowy forests and downhill skiing at nearby Hafjell. In summer the attractions turn family-friendly: Maihaugen, a huge open-air museum of old farm buildings, the Olympic Park, and the Hunderfossen Family Park up the valley.

In town, Scandic Lillehammer sits in its own park within a short stroll of Maihaugen and the Olympic Park, and Aksjemøllen is a boutique hotel, completely refurbished in 2021. Up at Hafjell, Pellestova Hotell has ski-in, ski-out access, and Scandic Hafjell is another handy base for the slopes.

On the sheltered south coast, Kristiansand is where Norwegians go for summer holidays. It has a sandy town beach, Bystranda, a busy pedestrian shopping street, an old quarter of white wooden houses and a skerry-strewn coastline perfect for boat trips. Children love its big zoo and amusement park just outside town.

Clarion Hotel Ernst is a stylish hotel in the centre, a short walk from the beach and the shops, and Thon Hotel Parken is beside the park, the cathedral and the market, a block from the main shopping street. The Radisson Blu Caledonien has a games room for younger guests.