Norway recreates winter wonderlands to let people enjoy skiing

Children on excursions with their daycare groups, cross-country skiing on trails made of artificial snow in Oslo. Photos: AFP

Norwegians, the saying goes, are born with skis on their feet. But with a lack of snow and the pandemic this year leaving many in despair, authorities are bringing snow and ski trails to downtown Oslo.

For the past few weeks, big trucks have been dumping hundreds of cubic metres of fluffy white stuff, made by snow cannons perched on the hills outside the capital, in the city's still-green parks.