When 4.2 million people are spread between a great number of built-up and farming areas, it is easy to understand why Norwegian towns are rather small. They have grown freely with little planning; the streets in the centre of the community are often narrow and winding, but also full of charm, with small, attractive details. Only a few buildings from the Middle Ages have been preserved - wooden houses burn well.

There are a number of towns situated along the coast, often at the mouth of a river, or around a cornerstone industry; a smelting works, a shipyard, maybe one or more fish-processing plants.

The towns act as service centers for their own districts, and some of them have been designated by the government as so-called important centers of growth.

Vacation and Holiday information on Norway