Do you feel recharged after being out in nature? Prefer park walks over noisy canteen lunches with colleagues? Or maybe you enjoy going for a run, even if there’s a snowstorm outside. Well, in this case, it looks like Norway is the country for you!

Friluftsliv is a term modern Scandinavian people use to describe their favorite concept of leisure, which has only one rule — Leave your house and go for a walk until a blissful smile appears on your face.

The friluftsliv term was coined by Norwegian writer and poet, Henrik Ibsen, over 150 years ago. However, the approach itself has been practiced by nordic people for centuries. The word is pronounced “free-loofts-liv” and literally means “outdoor life” in Norwegian. Nordic people take Friluftsliv very seriously; just keep in mind that you can get a bachelor’s degree in it in Scandinavian universities!

Our Depositphotos content curators have put together a collection of visuals inspired by friluftsliv aesthetics. We invite you to spend a little time in Norway through our findings.

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Friluftsliv Aesthetics: Exploring the Scandinavian Way of Outdoor Life

*by clicking on images you’ll be redirected to the website where you can purchase them

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Even harsh climates don’t prevent Scandinavians from enjoying their time in nature. Moreover, Norwegians say that it was friluftsliv that helped their country to get into the five happiest countries in the world according to the UN in 2020.

Companies from Norway, Sweden, and Denmark were also the first to introduce friluftsliv into corporate life. Their employees can reserve a few hours during their workday for friluftsliv, or hold meetings in the forest once a week.

Scandinavian governments also encourage a love for nature among their population; companies, whose employees get to work by foot or bike, receive tax incentives. There’s also the concept of allmansrätten (Outdoor Access Rights), which is the freedom to roam and set up a tent wherever you want.

Fortunately, friluftsliv is available to everyone, regardless of age, profession, or place of residence. We suggest that you regularly devote time to enjoyable outdoor activities like Scandinavians do. And, if you’re in the mood to document your adventures, we’d love to see the shots in your Depositphotos portfolio.