Happy Sunday, you guys! I don’t normally write blog posts on Sundays – I think I tend to take the whole lazy Sunday thing a bit too literally – but it’s blustery outside and I’m all cozied up in front of the fire with a cup of hot chocolate and my book is all the way upstairs while my laptop is right here, plus I have a bunch of photos of autumn in Norway that I’m just dying to share.
Mid October is peak autumn in my mind. It’s after the leaves have changed colors but before they’ve all died, and after I’ve brought out my hat and scarf but before Halloween is done and gone and I’m sitting with a pile of empty candy wrappers wondering if I eat some vegetables they’ll somehow counteract all the sugar and I’ll stop feeling so ill.
So I’m now well into checking items off my list of 17 Things to Experience in Norway in Autumn, though if I’m being honest, autumn this year hasn’t exactly gone as planned. This is my first fall in the Norwegian mountains, and guys, it’s just a little be crazy. Good crazy, for sure, but crazy.
Autumn in the Norwegian mountains starts in mid-August
Like that time I decided to be all summery and go blueberry picking and I stumbled on a red and orange landscape. In August.
But as a girl who loves autumn, I really like that it starts so early here! I hate being all in the autumn spirit with my pumpkin lattes and blanket scarves but it’s still summer, you know? Well in autumn in Telemark you don’t have to worry about that.
It’s sunny all the time
Okay, this probably isn’t true of everywhere in Norway in the autumn, as I’ve heard that on the coast fall can be really rainy, but up here in the mountains it’s been so sunny lately!
I didn’t really know sunny days were a thing here until autumn rolled around, and now we’ve been having perfect weather pretty much every day.
It’s really cold
Early September in most places is usually still summertime, so I was taken a bit by surprise when my September camping trip along the Norwegian coast was so freaking cold.
Fast forward to October and it’s already totally frosty here. I definitely hadn’t expected freezing temperatures already in early October, but hey, at least it makes for a pretty landscape!
It’s both really clear and really foggy – at the same time
Rauland’s town center is in a bit of a valley, and I live up on one of the surrounding mountains. And every morning I’ve been waking up to crystal clear views (like, I almost wonder if something about the fall air has improved my eyesight). But every morning the town center is filled with a thick, dense fog.
It’s really strange going into town and having everything be gray, when as soon as you drive a few minutes out of town there are blue skies. Every single day. What’s going on with you, weather?
When it’s not sunny, it’s snowing
Up here in the mountains we had our first snowfall at the end of September, and it’s now snowed several times since then. Um, welcome to Norway, I guess?
You can see snow and fall colors at the same time
I’m used to autumns were everything turns red and orange for a few weeks, then everything dies and is gray for a few weeks, and then it snows! But here we’ve been having fall colors and snow at the same time.
Autumn is my favorite season ever and I like winter even more, so the two combined has been a lot to take in. These days I’m all let’s bake apple crisp! and go for a hike! and build a snowman! AND BAKE CHRISTMAS COOKIES WITH CANDY CORN WHAT SHOULD I BE FOR HALLOWEEEEEN?
Ugh, I wish that were an exaggeration, but I literally just had a mini meltdown over whether to make hot cider or hot chocolate. You know, serious grown up problems.
Autumn in Norway is empty
A lot of people told me that autumn is the prettiest season in Rauland, and since this is a tourist destination I figured that would mean that it would be really crowded here. But instead it’s been so, so quiet!
I don’t know if people are just over the hiking thing now that summer has passed, or if they’re just waiting impatiently for the snow to come so that they can ditch their roller skis for real skis, or if the locals have just done a really good job of keeping the wonders of autumn up here a guarded secret (in which case, sorry for the post, guys!).
Whatever the case, I’ve been loving having the mountains to myself and enjoying the quiet nature before the ski season starts up. Autumn here just feels so special.
What’s autumn looking like where you are?
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Jordan says
I’m literally obsessed with every single photo. Oh my goodness, that first photo especially is gorgeous! I visited Norway during autumn last year and absolutely loved the colors and coldness!
Emma says
Same here ! Every photo had me like “WOW” ! 🙂
Silvia says
the landscape had me like wow!
Silvia says
It is such a special time in Norway!
Alex | Life Well Wandered says
These photos are absolutely gorgeous!! I’m still waiting for the leaves to change in NYC.
Silvia says
Hope you’re at least enjoying the warm weather then!
Kaelene @ Unlocking Kiki says
This pictures are gorgeous! I love fall and the beautiful colors it brings. We have had some crazy wind storms the past few days which took with it too many of the pretty leaves and colors, but it was beautiful while it lasted!
Silvia says
I’ve been crossing my fingers that we don’t have too many windy days, because our colors will soon be gone then too! I guess we at least have winter to look forward to now 🙂
Maria says
Absolutely loving the photos! I giggled at your meltdown 😀 totally relatable, even without snow and red/yellow colors at the same time.
Silvia says
Haha glad to hear that it’s not just me then!
Arielle says
Wow, it looks so pretty! It’s too bad I hate the cold, or I would definitely move to Norway. I’ll be there this week, so I guess I’ll get to experience it anyway!
Silvia says
Oh I hope you have an amazing time! And dress warmly, haha.
Hayley says
I can’t get over how beautiful these photos are. Seriously. But autumn sounds like a great time to come to Norway!
Silvia says
It’s funny because I had never really thought of autumn as a special time in Norway, but I now feel like it might actually be the best time for people to visit!
Our Wanders says
Looking at your pics no wonder you like autumn so much. 🙂 Here in Hungary there’s still no autumn colors just dark clouds. But we started heating last week so we feel it’s autumn, haha. But still waiting for the red and yellow colors because photographing autumn colors is the best thing about autumn. 😀
Silvia says
Photographing autumn seriously is the best! It’s so easy to take pretty photos, haha. Here’s hoping it comes to you soon!
Melanie Fontaine says
Fall in Rauland looks so extremely gorgeous! I don’t think I have ever seen anything like it before and there is something just so, so enchanting about seeing the frost AND the colors of fall, right at the same time! Please keep these Norway posts coming, they are always such a treat to read! 🙂
Silvia says
That’s so great to hear! Sometimes I wonder if people are sick of my gushing about Norway, haha.
Kara says
Your photos are so beautiful! When I can’t get enough of your instagram I come here to binge more. Thanks for the Sunday post!
Silvia says
That’s so nice to hear, Kara!
Catia @ A Pulgarita says
The pictures are fantastic! Next time I go to Norway I have to visit this area too, I’m obsessed with the country! =)
Silvia says
It is a really special part of Norway.
Victoria says
Hi there! Love you blog! I was curious, as an American, how are you able to live and work legally in Norway?
I’ve already used up my Australian & NZ working/holiday visas and just trying to find other options on traveling!
Thanks
Victoria
Silvia says
I actually have Norwegian citizenship through my mother.
Valerie says
My daughter will be traveling to Norway with 4-H in June. They suggest she pack small packages of candies to give out to people she meets. We were thinking candy corn though we aren’t sure we can get it in May. We want something popular in the States, gluten free and nut free and not chocolate (so it doesn’t melt), something that Norwegians don’t already import and something that they’re not already known for doing better. Do you think Norwegians would find trying candy corn a positive experience?
Silvia says
I brought candy corn back for Halloween and none of my Norwegian friends liked it, but they also had never tried it before so it’s at least interesting!
Wilbur says
Hello Slivia. My wife and I Visited Norway a couple of years ago. Your website was very helpful in planning our trip. Thanks for all that you have put into it.
We really enjoyed the two weeks we were there. Although we enjoyed every part of the country we visited, our favorite part was telemark. However we were not able to go to Hardangervidda because of the snow. For that reason we were also not able to visit the glaciers. We would like to return to see the fall color and the northern lights as well as do some other things that we were not able to do during our first trip.
Our idea is to visit during september and October. I understand that it is possible to see the northern lights in September, so I was thinking to visit the northern part of the country during the last week of Septembre and then make our way to telemark stopping to see marmorslottet, see the musk o en, and the glaciers and the fjords, ending in telemark around October 15.
Would that schedule allow us to see a good amount of fall color? I have not been able to find anything on the internet as too when peak color is for each area of the country. Would we still be able to do everything mentioned, including hike Hardangervidda in mid October and see color or is that too late? We really like snow, however we want to make sure that there will not be so much that miss out on anything if posible. Would it be better to start in telemark and work our way to the north, possible arriving earlier in September?
Any suggstions you may have or if you could dirrect me to any website that would be helpful it would be greatly appreciated.