Visit Norway has turned a crude insult into a bright tourism pitch. Its stars are scenic toilets, wild coasts and some of the best roadside views in Europe.

An insult from the US president has given Norway a chance to show off its sights. The stars of its latest tourism push are not hotels, fjords or even the northern lights. They are public toilets.

At a rally in Michigan on 25 October, US President Donald Trump called Norway a “shithouse country”. His remarks were tied to the Nobel Peace Prize. An independent Norwegian committee, not the government, picks the winner. On 29 October, Visit Norway replied with pictures of some very fine loos.

The slogan said it all: “Norway makes shithouses great again”. Sleek glass walls, bold rooflines, and views that would make a hotel suite feel rather plain.

Visit Norway says its post took off online and drew worldwide news coverage. That much is clear from the range of media reports. How many people saw it, or booked a trip as a result, is not known.

But the campaign has a key strength. None of the sites was made up for a joke. They are part of a real plan to make Norway’s roads worth the drive.

A road trip with a difference

Norway has 18 Scenic Routes. They wind past sea cliffs, fjords, lakes and peaks. The Norwegian Public Roads Administration has spent years adding rest stops, lookouts and works of art. Some of the toilets are works of art in their own right.

This is not a country that sees a loo as a dull box by the road. At many stops, the design gives guests a reason to get out of the car, take a photo and stay awhile.

For the travel trade, that is the real story. Good roads and clean rest stops help make self-drive trips work. When a stop is also a sight worth seeing, it can draw guests to smaller towns and less-visited coasts.

Visit Norway puts it plainly: “We always welcome attention to Norway, wherever it comes from.”

Here are seven places that show what it means.

Seven scenic toilet stops in Norway

Ureddplassen: a view and a moment to reflect

On the Helgeland coast, the loo at Ureddplassen has a curved roof and glass walls. Next to it sits a nine-metre-wide terrace. The view takes in a fjord, the island of Fugløya and the far-off Lofoten Wall.

Haugen/Zohar Arkitekter designed the building. Inge Dahlman of Asplan Viak shaped the grounds. The site also has a grave purpose. It honours the crew of the submarine Uredd, lost to a mine in the Second World War.

Even a light-hearted tourism tale can pause for respect.

Tungeneset: take the timber path

At Tungeneset on Senja, a path made from Siberian larch leads over bare rock. It opens up a fine view of the sea and the sharp peaks of Oksen.

Code arkitektur designed this rest stop between Steinfjorden and Ersfjorden. It is a place to stretch your legs. You may find it hard to leave once you see the view.

Eggum: a seat for the midnight sun

In Lofoten, Eggum’s rest stop looks like an open-air theatre. Snøhetta set the space to face the ocean, where summer brings the midnight sun.

Wartime history is here as well. The site sits near the ruins of a German radar station. The setting gives visitors far more to think about than a quick toilet stop.

Espenes: steel on a grand scale

Beside Sørfjorden, between Kinsarvik and Odda, the stop at Espenes makes a bold mark. Its steel roof runs for 64 metres, with 12 sections set at different heights.

Code arkitektur placed seats and toilets under that long roof. It gives people a place to rest and look up at the fjord. For once, the pit stop may be the best part of the drive.

Ostasteidn: a loo that blends in

At Ostasteidn in Ryfylke, the toilet building is made to fade into the land. KAP’s design lets moss grow on its walls over time.

The site looks over Sandsfjorden. Seats, paths, and views are built in. Here, good design knows when to keep quiet.

Madland harbour: a light by the sea

The weather can be fierce on Jæren’s coast. At Madland harbour, the toilet block shines like a lantern after dark.

Haugen/Zohar Arkitekter gave it a special outer skin that catches the eye. A nearby storm-watching hut lets guests watch waves crash on the coast while staying out of the worst of the wind. That seems a wise deal.

Ersfjordstranda: Norway goes for gold

The most famous of the lot may be Gulldassen, the Golden Toilet, on Senja. Tupelo Arkitektur designed the sharp, gold-coloured structure, which opened in 2014.

Now it has company. On 27 August 2026, the roads authority and Senja Municipality opened a new silver-coloured service building nearby. Designed by Nordic Office of Architecture, it has three toilets, one designed for wheelchair users, plus room for guest services.

A gold-and-silver set of roadside loos may sound like a tall tale. In Norway, it is simply good planning with a sense of fun.

Why it matters for tourism

A sound business case lies beneath the laughs. Norway’s Scenic Routes give people more reasons to take a slow road trip. They also show how a clean, safe rest stop can be part of the appeal, not just a basic need.

The new building at Ersfjordstranda shows the point. The roads authority says more guests have raised demand for better services. Fine design may draw the photos, but good upkeep has to cope with the crowd.

There is one note for travellers. Not every loo is open all year. Toilets at Tungeneset, Eggum and Espenes have set seasons. Those at Ureddplassen, Ostasteidn and Madland harbour are listed as open year-round. Check road and weather alerts before you set off, as snow and ice can limit access.

For trip plans, see Visit Norway’s guide to scenic toilets and the official Norwegian Scenic Routes website. Australian visitors should also talk to their travel adviser about the best routes and times to go.

Norway has not tried to win a shouting match. It has used an ugly remark to tell an appealing story about its land, its people and its taste for good design.

The result? An insult flushed away, and a tourism pitch that may be hard to forget.

 

By: Bridget Gomez – © 2026.

Read Time: 5 minutes.

 

Author Bio:

Bridget has never been built for stillness. Of Portuguese heritage, she began as a nurse, tending veterans at the Repatriation Hospital, listening to stories as colourful as the life she was yet to live. It was worthy, steady work, but wanderlust, as always, proved louder than routine.

So, she traded starch for a backpack and disappeared for a year, chasing trains, sunsets and the occasional regrettable glass of wine. She wrote everything down: the dust, the laughter, the missteps, the magic. Those notebooks became a travel blog, then a habit, then a calling.

Eventually she found Stephen’s EGT Media, or perhaps it found her.

Today Bridget writes with heart, humour and a dash of mischief, still travelling, just now with words.

 

====================================