Donald Trump might want to be careful about throwing insults at countries with a good sense of humor. Norway, apparently, has decided that if the American president thinks the country is a giant toilet, it might as well show him what a properly designed one looks like.
Following Trump’s description of Norway as a “sh*t house country,” the country’s tourism board, Visit Norway, has responded with an unusually cheeky promotional campaign showcasing some of its most spectacular public toilets.
And these are not the miserable roadside facilities motorists desperately hope to avoid. Some are architectural masterpieces with extraordinary views, environmentally conscious designs, and enough aesthetic appeal to make you reconsider how much thought you have ever given to a bathroom.
The campaign’s central question is wonderfully provocative: “Are these the world’s best sht houses?” Visit Norway even borrowed Trump’s political messaging style with the declaration: “Norway makes shthouses great again!” Apparently, turning an international diplomatic insult into a tourism advertisement requires little more than excellent photography and a healthy appreciation of irony.
Trump Insults Norway, Norway Finds Its Sense of Humor
The unusual exchange followed Trump’s remarks at a campaign rally in Michigan, where he discussed immigration and complained about Norway’s failure to award him the Nobel Peace Prize.
“I don’t want anybody from Norway,” Trump reportedly declared, explaining that he had not received the prestigious honor. He subsequently described the Nordic country as a “sh*t house country.”
The remarks followed the October 9 announcement that the 2026 Nobel Peace Prize had gone to South African jurist Navanethem “Navi” Pillay, rather than Trump.
There is, however, a contextual fact the president appears unwilling to acknowledge: the Nobel Peace Prize is not awarded by the Norwegian government. Selection belongs to the independent Norwegian Nobel Committee, which operates separately from Norway’s parliament and government.
The committee selected Pillay for her contributions to international law and human rights, recognizing a career that includes serving as United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights and presiding over the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda. Its announcement praised her courage and integrity in advancing accountability for war crimes, crimes against humanity, and genocide.
Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre congratulated Pillay, describing the award as particularly relevant when the international legal order faces considerable pressure.
In other words, Norway’s government cannot simply hand Trump a Nobel medal because he would rather have one. Visit Norway, meanwhile, seems perfectly comfortable handing him a toilet-themed tourism brochure.
These Toilets Are Actually Architectural Attractions
The campaign is not entirely built on toilet jokes. The facilities featured on Visit Norway’s website are genuinely impressive examples of architecture, landscape design, and infrastructure.
Take Stegastein, overlooking the magnificent Aurlandsfjord in western Norway. Its public restroom is so unusually positioned that visitors can enjoy spectacular fjord scenery while taking a bathroom break. Visit Norway notes that DesignCurial previously included it among the world’s 10 best public toilets.
Then there is Ureddplassen along the Helgeland coast, whose distinctive wave-shaped design complements the surrounding Norwegian coastline. Its name translates roughly to “the place of the fearless,” referencing a nearby memorial to sailors who died when the Norwegian submarine Uredd sank during the Second World War.
On Senja island, visitors can find a striking golden restroom, while the facility at Ostasteidn in Ryfylke has been designed to accommodate moss growing across its exterior walls. At Utsikten viewpoint along Gaularfjellet, meanwhile, the restroom operates entirely on solar power.
The facilities at Eggum in Lofoten are another architectural curiosity, with a design resembling an amphitheater beneath the remains of a German radar installation. They were designed by internationally acclaimed Norwegian architecture firm Snøhetta.
A Presidential Insult Becomes a Tourism Opportunity
Perhaps the funniest part of this episode is that Visit Norway is getting considerably more mileage out of Trump’s language than he probably intended.
According to tourism industry publication Skift, the tourism board adapted an existing webpage about Norwegian Scenic Route toilets, and the results were extraordinary. By October 30, the page had attracted more than 80,000 views from over 170 countries in five days, representing traffic more than 540 times higher than the previous week.
Visit Norway’s editor-in-chief, Christine Baglo, told Skift that approximately 90% of the traffic was organic, with the organization spending less than $10,000 on sponsored Facebook and Instagram posts. American visitors accounted for roughly a quarter of the audience. A Times Square advertisement featuring the toilet campaign was also planned.
That is a rather impressive return on an insult. While political arguments can generate considerable international attention, Norway has managed to redirect some of that attention towards its landscapes, architecture, and tourism infrastructure.
The strategy also fits a country enjoying substantial tourism growth. Norway recorded 14.2 million foreign guest nights in 2025, up 14% from 2024, according to Skift.
Visit Norway promises more spectacular facilities in the pipeline, suggesting its collection of architectural loos is far from complete.
Ultimately, Norway has managed to turn Trump’s insult into a sales pitch. And judging by the extraordinary views, environmentally conscious engineering, and architectural creativity on display, some of these toilets might genuinely deserve a place on a tourist’s itinerary.
Who knew that one of the more memorable international tourism campaigns of 2026 would involve encouraging people to visit the bathroom?
