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Springfulness in Fjord Norway – the ultimate sense of happiness
It’s time to explore your senses again this spring after a long and challenging pandemic. A world of smells, sounds and signs of spring will open up over the course of just a few short weeks in Fjord Norway, creating the ultimate sense of happiness. We call it Springfulness.
Everything happens in the space of just a few short weeks. Nature explodes into colour, smells and tastes when the snow melts, the waterfalls swell, the trees flower and the hillsides are covered by a green veil. This is also the season when our senses are reawakened. Bjarne Kristian Aaslie, who researches the brain, has a scientific explanation for what happens in the brain when we move from dark winter to bright spring.
- Our brain reacts by producing more neurotransmitters like serotonin and dopamine. To put it simply, the intense changes in nature trigger the brain’s feel good hormones. It makes us happier. We become more social. We sleep less and get out more, says Aaslie.
Need more and bigger experiences
The pandemic has naturally affected us. Suddenly, we no longer had the opportunity to see new places. Experiences were put on hold, but now things are starting to loosen up again. The Coronavirus Barometer Norway, developed by Gyger and Epinion on assignment for Innovation Norway, shows that many people now expect to travel again in the coming 12 months. And most people are keen to experience a great deal!
‘The barometer indicates that there has been a strong increase in people’s need for experiences following two years during which they haven’t been able to experience very much, and, for most people, nature experiences top the list. People want to see, taste, smell and hear more when they travel, and preferably combine nature experiences with food, art, culture and history,’ says Margrethe Helgebostad, analytics manager in Innovation Norway.
The barometer measures the status of and provides an insight into people’s desire to travel, expectations, trends and barriers in the Norwegian market – as well as in the UK, Germany, France, the Netherlands, Denmark and Sweden during the pandemic. The findings in November/December 2021 show that more than 40% want to visit Norway within the next three years and that interest is on the rise.
Seven reasons to visit Fjord Norway during Springfulness
Springfulness is how Fjord Norway reawakens the senses after a long period of hibernation. But the timing is crucial, you only have a few weeks to take full advantage of it. Springfulness can best be experienced from mid-April to early June.
We have made it easier for you by drawing up a list of seven good reasons to visit Fjord Norway this spring:
1. The fruit trees are in bloom
Hundreds of thousands of trees and billions of flowers. The trees normally blossom in May, a time which is particularly beautiful by the Hardangerfjord and the Sognefjord.
2. The waterfalls have their biggest flow
Many of Norway's most impressive waterfalls are found in Fjord Norway. The melting snow makes them even more impressive in spring.
3 You can relax besides solveggen
Nothing is better than relaxing in a sheltered spot with your favourite drink as the sun caresses your face.
In Norway, every cabin has a wall for lounging in the sun, called solveggen (the "sun wall").
Just follow the locals. Spring is also when the gateway cities to the fjords, like Bergen, Ålesund and Stavanger, come alive again.
4. Snowcapped mountains
Be sure to charge your phone, so you can snap pictures of the view of the snowcapped mountains, towering over the fjords. Hike, bike, or kayak, or catch a ride to the top of a mountain with the Loen Skylift (pictured) or Romsdal Gondola.
5. Spring skiing
Spring offers the most enjoyable skiing, and early spring is the main season for ski touring. Experience some delightful late-season runs at popular ski resorts like Strandafjellet, Myrkdalen, Voss or Folgefonna.
6. Springtime swimming
Rejuvenate your senses with the first refreshing dip of the year! Hot tip: try swimming by a steaming fjord sauna, such as Heit.
7. Less tourists
Escape the crowds. In spring, the fjords are all yours. It's the perfect time to ride the famous Flåm Railway down to the fjord village of Flåm for a fjord cruise, and experience Norway in a nutshell. Visit popular sites such as Geiranger, Preikestolen, and explore the Northwest.
Spring in Fjord Norway can best be experienced from mid-April to early June.
