Right to roam

In Norway, you can hike nearly anywhere you want. Outdoor recreation is a major part of the national identity, and access to nature is protected by law. You are free to enjoy the great outdoors – as long as you pick up your rubbish and show respect for nature.

A few rules and regulations are in place to protect nature when many people go to the same places.

The main rules are easy: Be considerate and thoughtful. Don't damage nature and the surroundings. Leave the landscape as you would want to find it.

The right to roam applies to open country, sometimes also known as "unfenced land", which is land that is not cultivated. In Norway, the term covers most shores, bogs, forests, and mountains. Small islands of uncultivated land within cultivated land are not regarded as open country.

The right does not apply to “fenced land”, which is private, and includes cultivated land, such as ploughed fields with or without crops, meadows, pastures and gardens, as well as young plantations, building plots and industrial areas.

However, you can access fields and meadows from 15 October to 30 April when the ground is frozen or covered with snow. Note that “fenced land” does not need to actually be fenced.