Why This Norwegian Meeting Site Is More Important Than Tinder

Sure, Norwegians are on Tinder. But if you browse enough profiles, after a while you realize two things: a) a lot of them really just want a friend to hang out with and, b) most of them are crazy about hiking. This is where Turvenn comes in. The meeting service that launched in 2015 is helping Norwegians find a ‘venn’ (friend) for ‘tur’ (outdoor adventures). We spoke with Turvenn’s founder, Øyvind Isaksen, to get more insight on the app that’s making Norwegians less lonely, one hiking trip at a time.

How does Turvenn work, exactly?

“The idea behind Turvenn was to make a community where people who like hiking can hook up,” Isaksen tells us. He continues on to clarify that, “this app is just more relevant to Norwegians than Tinder: it’s not just about dating, but it’s also a site where you can find friends who share the same passion for exploring.”

Turvenn works primarily as an app (free to download, both for iOS and Android), but it also has a website version. On the website, there’s also a chat function and a public forum where you can post messages for all to see.

© Kjersti Waskaas (Studio Virvelvind), Courtesy of Turvenn

Is Turvenn for you?

One thing you need to keep in mind is that the app and website are, for now, in Norwegian (Isaksen tells us that they’re planning to expand to other countries in the future, so that could mean more languages as well). There are many heartwarming success stories on the website, about people finding their tribe, exploring beautiful places in Norway and, of course, finding a relationship that’s based on having the same interests and values. So if you’re looking for a slower, more human approach (in contrast to Tinder’s more focused approach) and you see friendship as an important first step to potentially something more, then you should probably create a profile today. See you on ‘tur’, friend!

Since you are here, we would like to share our vision for the future of travel - and the direction Culture Trip is moving in.

Culture Trip launched in 2011 with a simple yet passionate mission: to inspire people to go beyond their boundaries and experience what makes a place, its people and its culture special and meaningful — and this is still in our DNA today. We are proud that, for more than a decade, millions like you have trusted our award-winning recommendations by people who deeply understand what makes certain places and communities so special.

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