With a new Harry Hole series premiering on Netflix this March, there’s no better time to explore the real-life settings behind Norway’s most iconic crime fiction – and follow in the footsteps of some of the country’s most internationally bestselling authors.
Nordic Noir in Norway
A literary travel guide
Come for the scenery, stay for the crime stories ...
Step inside the world of Nordic noir in Norway.
Norwegian crime novelist Jo Nesbø
Writers like Jo Nesbø, Gunnar Staalesen, Anne Holt and Jørn Lier Horst have sold tens of millions of books worldwide, turning Norway into a global Nordic noir destination. Join us on a tour of the real-life settings behind their stories.
Oslo: Inside the world of Harry Hole
The series based on Harry Hole, starring Tobias Santelmann, premieres in March 2026. With more than 60 million books sold worldwide and translations in 50 languages, Jo Nesbø has made Oslo one of the most recognisable settings in Nordic noir.
For fans, this is where it all begins.
Oslo is the city Harry knows like the back of his hand and that authenticity was key during production.
"I can’t wait for audiences to see how the city is portrayed on screen. I don’t think any production has ever used Oslo as extensively as this one."
For the cast and crew, filming in the actual city made a difference.
"For me as an actor, inhabiting Harry, it’s been incredibly valuable that we’ve actually shot in Oslo and not in some stand-in foreign city. Shooting in Oslo was a dream. With so many people in Norway having such a strong connection to the books, we really felt an incredible warmth and positivity from locals and fans throughout the production. We closed down many of the main streets in the city to shoot, but we received so much goodwill from the people."
Stroll around Harry Hole’s Oslo
Unlike many fictional crime worlds, Harry Hole’s Oslo is easy to explore on foot, and many of the locations are real.
Start in the Bislett area, where Hole’s fictional address on Sofies gate places him right in the middle of the city. From here, head towards St. Hanshaugen, a neighbourhood that captures the slightly worn, residential feel that runs through the books.
No visit is complete without a stop at Restaurant Schrøder, Hole’s regular haunt.
From there, continue into central Oslo, where many of the novels unfold in numerous bars, backstreets, police stations, and more.
Oslo and Finse: A different side of Nordic noir
If Jo Nesbø’s Oslo is restless and unpredictable, Anne Holt's version is more controlled, but just as tense.
Her Hanne Wilhelmsen series shifts the focus from bars and backstreets to institutions, power and politics. This is Oslo seen through its courts, police and government – a quieter, sharper kind of noir.
But let's leave the city behind for a minute.
In Finse, Holt’s novel 1222 unfolds in a remote mountain hotel, cut off by snow and extreme weather. Surrounded by vast open landscapes and silence, the tension feels closer – and harder to escape.
Oslo was just the beginning.
Now, let's head west, to Bergen.
“Some claim – including a few from Oslo – that Bergen is the only truly continental city in Norway”
Gunnar Staalesen
Author
Bergen: Inside the world of Varg Veum
Rain splashes the streets, wooden houses lean into narrow alleyways, and the past feels closer somehow. It’s this atmosphere that defines Gunnar Staalesen’s Bergen, and the world of private investigator Varg Veum.
Whether or not that’s true, Bergen is undoubtedly one of Norway’s most distinctive cities and one of its most naturally noir settings.
Staalesen's books are deeply rooted here. The streets, neighbourhoods and harbour aren’t just backdrops, but part of the storytelling itself, giving readers a city that feels both real and cinematic at the same time.
Stroll through Varg Veum’s Bergen
Bergen is a city best explored on foot, and Varg Veum’s world is easy to step inside.
Start around the harbour and historic Bryggen, where colourful wooden buildings and narrow lanes set the tone. From here, move into the smaller streets and neighbourhoods that define Staalesen's universe.
Key stops include:
- Nordnes – intimate streets and Staalesen's childhood neighbourhood
- Skottegaten & Trangesmauet – narrow alleys with pure noir atmosphere
- Fisketorget & the harbour area – where Veum’s office is located in the novels
- Bryggen – historic and atmospheric
For a deeper dive, follow Staalesen's own guide to the city:
From the rain and narrow streets of Bergen, the journey continues south, to a quieter kind of noir.
“The sea, the light, the weather and the seasons all contribute to a sense of both calm and unease, giving the stories a slightly melancholic tone”
Jørn Lier Horst
Author
Crime novelist Jørn Lier Horst
Larvik & Stavern: Inside the world of William Wisting
"This is the place I know, the place I care about. It felt natural to make it the setting of my stories" says Jørn Lier Horst.
He is one of Norway’s bestselling crime writers, and his detective William Wisting has become a defining figure in Nordic noir.
His stories unfold in Larvik and Stavern, where the contrast between safe, small-town life and serious crime gives his narratives a distinct tension.
"These are safe, small coastal communities – and that’s exactly what makes it so powerful when serious crime happens there. It gives the stories a particular nerve," says Jørn Lier Horst.
At first glance, it all feels calm. Stavern and Larvik are idyllic coastal towns, known as 'Norway’s little smile' for their reputation for sunshine.
"But there are dark clouds too. That’s where Wisting operates – on the shadow side. That’s what he illustrates: how short the distance can be from good to evil, from life to death," says the author.
The landscape is never just a backdrop:
Experience Wisting’s universe
Larvik and Stavern are best experienced at a slower pace and Wisting’s world is easy to explored.
Start in Larvik’s town centre, where everyday streets and civic buildings set the tone. From here, move towards the coastline and nearby Stavern, where open landscapes and small-town life define the atmosphere.
Key stops include:
Brannvaktsgate 7, Larvik – the police station where Wisting has his office
Bøkeskogen – a rare beech forest with a calm surface and subtle sense of unease
Fredriksvern verft, Stavern – historic naval base and Horst’s writing location
Hotel Wassilioff, Stavern – a recurring setting in the novels
