Norway tourism agency publishes scenic toilet guide after Trump remarks on Norway and Nobel

Norway’s state tourism agency responded with toilet humour after US President Donald Trump insulted the country. Visit Norway released a guide to scenic public toilets across Norway. The move followed Trump’s comments at a US political rally. The campaign also referenced the Nobel Peace Prize debate around the Norwegian Nobel Committee.

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At a rally on Sunday in Port Huron, Michigan, Trump criticised Norway in crude terms. Trump also repeated complaints about the Nobel Peace Prize. Trump has said Trump wants the prize. Trump also suggested the committee may never award it. The agency’s response spread widely online during the week.

Visit Norway campaign after Trump Norway remarks

Visit Norway posted a campaign called "Norway makes shithouses great again\" and it quickly went viral. The agency also wrote, \"So, we heard some noise about s...house country,\" on social media. It added, \"What can we say, we do have some of the worlds most beautiful and spectacular toilets.\" The posts linked to photos and descriptions.

Trump’s remarks about Norway were not new. Trump previously criticised the Norwegian Nobel Committee as well. That criticism increased after the peace prize went to international jurist Navi Pillay earlier this month. Trump has spoken often about wanting the Nobel. Trump has also questioned whether the committee would select Trump.

Trump Norway Nobel Peace Prize dispute history

In 2018, Trump used vulgar language about Haiti and African nations. The remarks drew condemnation across many countries. At that time, Trump said Trump preferred immigrants from places like Norway. Later, Trump’s tone towards Oslo shifted. The dispute around the peace prize became a key reason for that change.

Evgenia Egorova, the social media lead for Visit Norway, told The Associated Press the team reused earlier material. Egorova said similar content was made for World Toilet Day. World Toilet Day falls on November 19 each year. Egorova said the public response had been strongly supportive.

Egorova also described the team’s approach to the moment. Egorova said, \"When life gives you lemons or quotes like this, you just do the lemonade - and all the viral content,\" and laughed on Friday. Visit Norway said the toilets were part of Norway’s landscape experience. Many sites offered views of fjords, mountains, and the Northern Lights.

Visit Norway toilets list features Aurlandsfjord and Senja Island

One highlighted site was the free toilets at the Stegastein viewpoint. The facility sits near a cliff edge above the Aurlandsfjord. A large window lets users look out while blocking visibility from outside. DesignCurial ranked it No. 1 in its 2015 list of 10 best public toilets worldwide.

The list also included the Gulldassen, known as the Golden Toilet, on Senja Island. Built in 2014, the triangular restroom became a common stop for visitors. Visit Norway described it as part of a route where tourists pause for photos. The campaign presented these toilets as design-led public facilities.

Trump has also been linked to toilet-themed art controversies. Earlier this year, a resistance art group placed a golden toilet on the National Mall. The installation protested Trump’s White House renovations. Separately, a plan to borrow a Van Gogh for the White House ended differently, according to reports.

The Guggenheim Museum’s chief curator offered an alternative work instead. The curator suggested lending an 18-karat solid gold toilet titled America. The piece was by Italian conceptual artist Maurizio Cattelan. The work was later shown at Blenheim Palace in the UK, where Winston Churchill was born.

That gold toilet was stolen in 2019, in what prosecutors called an audacious raid. Two thieves were convicted last year. However, the stolen item has not been recovered. Visit Norway’s campaign continued to circulate online as Trump’s Norway comments drew renewed attention and debate.

With inputs from PTI