• Norway is a country located in Northern Europe. The capital and largest city is Oslo.
• Norway occupies the western side of the Scandinavian peninsula, a mountainous forested land, with deep dramatic fjords cutting into the coast. This wild grandeur makes Norway one of the most beautifully scenic countries in the world.
• The country has a population of 5.4 million people and the official language is Norwegian.
• Norway is part of the European Economic Area (EEA) and the Schengen area and the currency is Norwegian crowns (NOK). For specifics, see General Info.
• The timezone in Norway is UTC (+1). Daylight saving time UTC (+2).
• Although the number of cruising boats visiting the northern part of Norway is still relatively small, this area often has warmer and drier summers than further south, with the added advantage of many more hours of daylight. See Weather below for more details. 
• A chain of islands stretches parallel to the western coast and extends almost as far as the North Cape. They provide a huge amount of sheltered water for cruising and many safe anchorages.
• The majestic fjords indenting the mainland coast cannot fail to impress, but as the anchorages in many of the fjords are extremely deep, forward planning is required to find a quay or pontoon to tie up to.
• The south and east coasts of Norway are very active boating areas and have more crowded destinations. The scenery is not so dramatic but still most attractive.
• Popular destinations beyond the Arctic Circle include Spitsbergen (Svalbard) and, if not quite so adventurous, the Lofoten Islands.
• There are relatively few commercial marinas still, but docking or mooring provisions for visiting yachts can be found in nearly all ports, although they are not always available for boats over 13m. Some docks may be privately owned and permission to use it should be obtained first. Anchoring is free everywhere.
• Due to the fishing and oil industries, repair facilities are fairly wide-spread. In particular, centres such as Oslo, Stavanger, Haugesund, Alesund, Stord and Bergen in the south, and Harstad, Bodo and Tromso further north.
• Provisioning is good everywhere, but the price of food and eating out is generally high. Fuel is usually available in all ports. LPG containers may be exchanged (not re-filled) only in the main centres, and it may be necessary to have the right adaptor. Not all vendors stock all sizes.
• Although winter sailing appeals to some hardy souls, it worth noting that most facilities (including water and electricity) are unavailable during that period in many ports. For details of services for cruising boats see Yachting Essentials.
• An essential resource when sailing here is at www.kartverket.no/en/Maps–Nautical-Charts/Nautical-Publications/The-Norwegian-Pilot-Guide.

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