ABSTRACT
Most Norwegians like to believe that Norway's scenery is the most extraordinary, beautiful and scenic in the world. This belief has its roots in the strong nationalisation process, which began around 1800 and culminated with national independence in 1905. Norway had been under Danish and Swedish rule for 400 years, and the ideological foundation and central symbols of the Norwegian separatist movement were nature, the countryside and the farmer. Authors, painters and composers also spread romanticism and a national idyll, leaving deep impressions on Norwegian national identity. In addition, the Nordic countries experienced late industrialisation and urbanisation, mostly during late 19th and 20th centuries (Nedrelid, 1991; Sandell, 1991). This partly explains why Norwegians have kept strong emotional bonds to pre-industrial and rural communities. The ancestral, spatial and cultural relationships to the countryside and the natural environment are said to be reflected in their leisure activities (Kaltenborn, 1993).
