The Easter crime wave sweeping Norway

Visitors to Norway during Easter might find the streets emptier than usual, thanks to the nation's cherished Eastertime obsession: retreating to isolated cabins to binge crime fiction.

It all began on a dark March night, long ago. Affluent tourists on the Oslo-Bergen railway chatted on their way to the ski slopes. Lights twinkled in mountainside huts as the train sped on through the night. Hidden among them, robbers chose their marks. Their escape plan: to jump off the train and ski away with the loot.

Read more about the Bergen Railway that inspired påskekrim here. The route between Oslo and Bergen takes 6.5-7.5 hours and passes glaciers, mountains, valleys and ski resorts en route.

So begins the plot of the 1923 Norwegian crime novel Bergenstoget plyndret i nat (The Bergen Train Was Looted Last Night), that kickstarted Påskekrim ("Easter crime").

Inspired by American Westerns, the book became a sensation thanks to canny marketing: its title was printed directly below the masthead of Norway's national newspaper in the days leading up to Easter. Readers mistook the book's title for a headline and the confusion generated enormous publicity – and sales. Ever since, the Easter period has become associated with crime fiction, and eventually Norwegians began celebrating by reading suspenseful stories, from murder mysteries and heists to detective tales and true crime. 

And if you are in Norway in the two weeks surrounding Easter, this lust for crime is hard to miss.

"You'll see påskekrim everywhere across publishing houses, bookshops and libraries," said Merete Lie, director of the Deichman Library in Oslo. "In fact, I don’t think you'll find a single library or bookshop in Norway that does not make crime fiction easily discoverable for its customers at this time of year. We see a tremendous peak in borrowing of crime books around Easter."

The Deichman Library displays murder-themed decorations and stacks of crime fiction from around the world, as do bookshops across the nation. Shoppers will find crime novels front and centre on entry tables, and sometimes even grisly decorations like chalk body drawings on pavements and cute baby chicks holding bloody knives.

The weeks before Easter also sees Norway’s largest crime fiction festival, Krimifestivalen, a free three-day event in Oslo. Attendees and bookish travellers leave with armloads of books to read over Easter break.

But by far, the most popular way to celebrate påskekrim is by decamping to mountainside cabins over Easter break (which in Norway typically lasts up to 10 days) to read and stream crime fiction. Agatha Christie’s Poirot and Miss Marple are traditional favourites, but Norwegian and Nordic Noir shows are most popular. This year’s påskekrim hit is likely to be homegrown: on 26 March, Netflix launched Jo Nesbø's Detective Hole, a nine-part series starring Tobias Santelmann as the brilliant but troubled Oslo-based detective. The release date is no mistake.

While outside of Norway, crime fiction is generally aimed at adults, påskekrim is enjoyed by all ages. Children devour mystery series, while teen romances may feature a murderous protagonist. "We have a lot of crime fiction writers in Norway," said Lie. "It’s a tradition that reaches out to everyone."

Immersive events are increasingly on the rise, like this year's whodunnit experience at the historic Utne Hotel beside the Hardangerfjord. But Torunn Tronsvang, CEO of luxury travel firm Up Norway, believes that påskekrim is most defined by a general mood.

"It's less about a single place and more about atmosphere: cosy cabins or remote hotels, snowy landscapes, and a good crime story, often paired with oranges, chocolate and time outdoors," she said. "It’s a uniquely Norwegian blend of crime, culture and Easter tradition."

Capturing the Påskekrim mood

While most immersive Påskekrim events are in Norwegian, visitors can still tap into the tradition by renting a cabin in the countryside, packing a suitcase of crime novels and settling in with a Kvikk Lunsj, the classic milk chocolate-covered wafer bar. Visit Norway has useful information on cabin rentals.

She recommends starting a crime fiction-inspired trip in Oslo with a guided walk inspired by Jo Nesbø’s obsessive but brilliant detective Harry Hole, including a stop at Restaurant Schrøder which features in his books, before taking a train ride to Finse and beyond to the historic Dalen Hotel; a theatrical, possibly haunted, setting.

But for Lie, taking the Oslo-to-Bergen train ride is the best way to understand the moody landscapes that inspire Norway’s love for crime. 

"Our stories are rooted in a sense of place, with cities like Oslo and Bergen becoming almost like characters in the books," she said. "Norway’s scenery has dramatic mountains, deep fjords and scenery that fuels your imagination. If you start on the train from Oslo, you’ll travel from the east to the west of Norway and see all the changes in the landscape." 

Bestselling crime writer Gunnar Staalesen will be spending his Easter in a cabin solving a crime with his family. Staalesen is this year's TINE mystery author, heir to a 30-year-old tradition. Each Easter, a Norwegian crime writer is tapped, along with an illustrator, to create a cartoon detective mystery that plays across Norway's milk cartons over the period. Nine to ten million crime cartoon milk cartons are printed, making it the nation's most read crime story.

"I know who did it, of course," said Staalesen. "My whole family will be sitting around the table ready to solve my story, and I will be watching them. It’s not too hard to solve, and the children will probably get it first."

Does noir imitate life?

While Norway has one of the globe's highest percentages of crime fiction readers, Statista deems it one of the safest countries in the world. Is it this very lack of crime that has fuelled a criminal fascination?

Lie believes the country’s love of crime fiction has more to do with its national character and distinctive landscape.

"Maybe it's about what we are like as people in Norway: we are not that open, not too positive or optimistic, a little introspective, perhaps," she said. "Maybe another reason is because we are in the north of Europe in a [lonely] dark landscape – with plenty of drama."

The long dark winter nights experienced in this part of Northern Europe may be another aspect that fuels an interest in reading and watching TV. While Norway regularly features on 'happiest country in the world' indexes, Norwegians themselves are often reserved; the national sense of humour tends to be dry.

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And despite being now more than 100 years old, påskekrim still flourishes. Amazon Prime-Scanbox’s new adaptation of the original påskekrim book was recently announced, and will open in Norway’s cinemas in time for Easter 2027.

But who says you can't celebrate påskekrim – wherever you are? Alex Minnis, the UK-based founder of Nordic Watchlist, will celebrate by eating Easter eggs and watching the newest crime series from his cottage in West Sussex. 

"After Detective Hole, I’d recommend watching Monster, which is an old-school but good Norwegian detective thriller that has been overlooked," he said. "If you’re looking for a book, our expert recommends Orjan Karlsson's Into The Dark, which just came out this year. It’s great if you’re interested in travel as it features the Lofoten Islands, which become a character in themselves.” 

Minnis' website offers plenty of inspiration for anyone wanting to indulge in their own Nordic crime spree. It's no mystery; this is one Norwegian tradition that knows no borders.

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