The right to roam

Allemannsretten, the right to roam, means you may walk, camp and forage on uncultivated land regardless of who owns it, provided you behave decently.

Practically this means you can pitch a tent almost anywhere for a night, at a reasonable distance from houses, and you can pick berries and mushrooms freely.

It is not a loophole. It is a right that Norwegians take seriously in both directions, meaning access is genuine and so is the expectation that you leave no trace whatsoever.

For a family this changes what a walk is. You are not confined to marked paths and designated sites. You can stop where it is beautiful.

The DNT hut system

The Norwegian Trekking Association maintains an extensive network of huts across the country, ranging from staffed lodges with meals to simple self-service cabins where you let yourself in with a key and settle up afterwards.

This is the single best thing about hiking in Norway with children. You can walk hut to hut without carrying a tent, food or bedding for the whole route.

Membership makes it much cheaper and is worth buying for a single trip. Family membership exists.

Book the staffed lodges in advance in summer. Self-service huts generally cannot be reserved and operate on the principle that nobody is turned away, which requires bringing a sleeping mat as a fallback in busy periods.

Where to walk with children

The fjord country around Bergen and the western fjords is the classic. Steep, dramatic, and the trails frequently start at sea level and climb hard, so pick carefully with children.

The forests around Oslo, the Nordmarka, are gentle, extensive, accessible by metro from the city, and full of lakes you can swim in. This is where I would start a family that has not walked much.

Southern Norway and the Telemark region, including areas like Fyresdal, offer forest and lake walking with far less elevation and far fewer people than the famous fjord routes.

The far north and Lofoten are spectacular and more committing. Wonderful with older children, hard work with small ones.

The famous hikes, and honesty about them

Preikestolen, Trolltunga and Kjeragbolten are the photographs everybody has seen. They are also long, exposed, extremely crowded in summer, and genuinely dangerous in poor conditions.

Preikestolen is the most manageable of the three and is still a serious walk with a substantial climb and an unfenced cliff edge at the top. I would want confident children of a decent age and I would hold hands at the top, and I say that as somebody comfortable in mountains.

Trolltunga is a very long day and not a family hike in my view unless your teenagers are experienced walkers.

There are hundreds of less famous walks with comparable views and a fraction of the people. Ask locally.

Weather and gear

It rains. Plan for it rather than hoping. Norwegians have a saying about there being no bad weather only bad clothing, and they are insufferable about it and they are right.

Proper waterproofs for everybody, not a light shower jacket. Wool layers rather than cotton. Waterproof footwear with grip, because the rock is polished and slick when wet.

Summer daylight is extremely long in the north, which gives enormous flexibility on timing. It also makes it hard for children to sleep, so bring an eye mask.

Mosquitoes in the forests and marshland in summer are real. Bring repellent.

Rope courses and the family stuff

There are high rope and climbing parks throughout the country, often in forest near towns, and they are excellent. Well maintained, properly supervised, and a good day for a child who finds a long walk dull.

Many ski areas run summer operations with lifts, trails and activity parks, which lets you get high up without the climb.

Combining a proper walk one day with a rope course the next is how I would structure a week with mixed ages and mixed enthusiasm.

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