What is Friluftsliv? Norwegian Love of Nature

10 min readUpdated January 2025

Friluftsliv [pronounced free-loofts-liv]

Loosely translates to “open-air living” is a big part of Norwegian culture and country heritage. It means a commitment to celebrate the outdoors and spending time outdoors. Even if the weather is not so great.

The famous Norwegian playwright Henrik Ibsen coined the term in 1859 but even today friluftsliv is still very much a part of Norwegian culture. In Norwegian society, it is encouraged to spend some of your free time outdoors. To enjoy nature is to be Norwegian.

And there might be something to this way of thinking. Many experts believe that spending time in nature boosts well-being and happiness. Perhaps this is why Norway is consistently ranked as one of the happiest countries.

So if you’re wondering why Norwegians have a borderline fetish over nature now you know why. It’s because of friluftsliv.

About the Author

Sean Percival is an American venture capitalist and author living in Norway. After failing spectacularly to expand a Silicon Valley venture fund into the Norwegian market, he collected his lessons learned into this guide to help others succeed where he initially stumbled.