10 Best Islands in Stockholm

Holmenkollen is not known as an alpine center as such, but more as a ski jumping and cross-country skiing center - if not in the whole country, then at least in Eastern Norway.

Although this is a facility you'll see on many TV broadcasts with all the most famous and well-trained ski stars of the world, it's free for everyone to use. This certainly doesn't apply to the ski jumps, but who wants to risk life and limb anyway? Holmenkollen is a perfect starting point for cross-country skiing across the local terrain.

Hovde Gård is located in Brekstad, a short boat trip from Trondheim, and has all you need for a deeply relaxing experience. The hotel's idyllic location at the far end of the Trondheim Fjord also makes it a great place for a romantic spa weekend for two.

The hotel offers both massages and spa treatments performed by experienced therapists, and the modern wellness area offers relaxation rooms, a hot tub and a sauna. If you want to enjoy a glass of wine in the spa, there's nothing to stand in the way of that either. This is the place to just relax and forget about the hustle and bustle of life for a while.

KOK Oslo's floating sauna was opened by some of Oslo's well-known nightlife founders. And it has only benefited from having the right people and energy behind it.

Because it's all about energy when you want to visit one of the city's more modern saunas. Wellbeing is an all-encompassing concept, which is all about feeling good about yourself. Nothing feels quite as refreshing and relaxing as a dip in cold salt water followed by a warm and cozy sauna with friends.

Katten is the bathing place everyone has heard of thanks to Lillebjørn Nilsen's song "Bysommer", where he guarantees at least eighteen degrees in the water on a lovely summer's day. Other than that, Katten may not have a lot to offer beyond what is expected from a bathing place by the Oslo Fjord, but it does have a nice sandy beach, fairly new toilets and showers plus a kiosk and a couple of diving boards. The easiest way to get to this slightly cramped area between Mosseveien and the fjord is probably by bus, which stops a stone's throw from the beach. Parking facilities are poor, and cycling is only for the traffic savvy.

RIB safari in Bergen means waves, salty seawater in your hair and close contact with the coastal landscape, but first and foremost you can expect a real speed experience. RIB boats are inflatable boats with powerful engines, built for great speed and excitement, and RIB safaris are something quite different from a normal fjord cruise.

Participants wear buoyancy vests, so they can sit safely in the open air and almost level with the water's surface as the boat whizzes around the fjord, under bridges and through narrow straits. The trip usually starts with a leisurely cruise in central neighborhoods in the city fjord, but then heads out into the open fjords. When the opportunity arises, the captain puts the engine on full force, so the seawater cascades around the bow and adrenalin pumps round your body.

In a cozy old building by the Nidelven in the center of Trondheim lies Trondheim's Maritime Museum. Anyone interested in shipping and local maritime history will enjoy exploring the exhibits here.

This is a museum that will delight both young and old, while Sivert the ship rat hopes the children can help him with his seasickness. Adults will be fascinated by the movies, pictures, paintings, ship models, navigation equipment, charts and much more. You can even use the museum's database to perform searches on specific seafarers and ships.

Løvstien is a relatively new hiking trail along the city side of Løvstakken in Bergen. It is almost directly opposite Fjellveien, but on the other side of Bergen city centre. It stretches all the way from Melkeplassen in the north to Langegården in the south, and so helps facilitate access to a large hiking area.

The road is wide and gravelled, making it easy to walk with a pushchair or baby carriage. And children will love the six so-called "nature rooms" that are laid out along the hiking trail, mainly in the northern part. This place benefits from several play neighborhoods with everything from ball games to play involving water and sand, climbing and sculptures.

Gamlehaugen is the king's official residence in Bergen, and is surrounded by a beautiful park area with a beach zone. The royals have largely been absent since the Crown Prince used the castle as a dormitory when he studied in Bergen in the 1990s, and the park and beach are therefore open to the public.

The bathing area is located in the innermost part of Nordåsvannet, which is actually a fjord arm, but has little water exchange and therefore quickly gets a nice bathing temperature in good weather. Gamlehaugen has a small area with a pebble beach and otherwise flat boulders that make it easy to get out and on land again. The very best thing about the Gamlehaugen is the lawn on the slope between the castle and the water's edge, with plenty of space, lovely views and magnificent vegetation.

Solsiden Spa and Wellness Center at Solsiden shopping mall was the first day spa to arrive in Trondheim, and it offers 500 m2 of wellness for the whole body.

The menu offers a wide range of treatments from skin care, manicures and pedicures to spa and wellness treatments, salt peels, clay treatments, different types of massage, a spa and much more. In the wet area, you can try out a steam bath, infrared sauna, cold pool and more, so if you want to take a break from everyday life and enjoy a day of wellbeing, this is definitely the place to come.

Kalvtrevika is a small bathing area by Arnavågen that benefits from all the facilities you need in peaceful surroundings. The grassy slopes opposite the beach have plenty of space, and lush vegetation and tall trees shield the bay from noise from the main road that passes right by.

The location deep in Arnavågen ensures a pleasant bathing temperature, but visitors should be aware that the water quality may be lower than desirable a few days after heavy rain. The central location in Arna makes this a very popular bathing spot with locals in summer.