Norwegians are very proud of the rich nature found throughout their country, so much so that the government and the people felt it necessary to establish a law allowing for public access to it. It’s called allemannsretten, or the freedom to roam.
Unlike in some countries where camping is limited to certain areas and requires a fee, in Norway, you can camp pretty much anywhere you like.
Norwegians also have great respect for their nature and generally take a ‘leave it as you found it approach’ to experiencing it. As a result, you won’t find litter or other signs of humans as you explore off the beaten path. You also won’t find many fences or safety signs even in areas that many would consider potentially unsafe! To put up such fences or signs even on popular tourist spots would take away from nature itself. Society instead follows a commonsense approach to exercising their rights to allemannsretten. They also follow ‘the mountain weather rules’ that you’ll learn about later in this book.
However, perhaps it should be noted that it’s not recommended to set up a tent on private property, say, your neighbor’s front yard. While they are unlikely to call the cops, they will find you rather strange and probably avoid you.
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Working with Norwegians is the guide to work culture in Norway.
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