HI Norway exchange 2026

Two youth exchanges, two countries, and a summer full of new encounters

It has been an eventful summer of 2026 for HI Norway.

Through Future of Europe 2026 and Erasmus+ Youth Exchange, young people have been able to meet across borders, share experiences, learn from one another, and experience both Norway and Germany together.

The days were filled with workshops and presentations, but also with forest hikes, canoeing, camping, beach activities, conversations, and quiet moments by the water.

Common to both exchanges was the desire to create meeting places where young people can get to know each other across languages, cultures, and backgrounds.

Future of Europe 2026 – Norway as host country

From July 1st to 7th, 2026, Norway hosted Future of Europe 2026.

The participants spent the week in Oslo and at Skogsro, where the program combined organized activities with time to socialize and get to know one another.

Through workshops, presentations, and various group activities, participants were invited to reflect on Europe as a community, local society, the environment, and how we can better take care of the nature around us.

But much of what makes a youth exchange valuable also happens between the activities.

It happens when someone sits down by the water and starts a conversation. When a group walks through the forest together. When you play on the beach, go canoeing, set up camp, or just joke and laugh after a long day.

It is in these moments that people go from being participants in the same program to getting to know each other as individuals.

Erasmus+ between Norway and Germany

The summer continued with a new Erasmus+ Youth Exchange between Norway and Germany.

In Norway, Oslo and Skogsro were once again among the places the participants visited, while the German part of the exchange took them on to Plön and Lübeck.

Here, too; community, learning, and activity were central.

The participants took part in workshops and presentations, but the program also left plenty of room for outdoor experiences. There was time for forest hikes, canoeing, camping, beach activities, and long periods where the group could simply spend time together.

An important theme throughout the work was the relationship between people, local communities, and the environment.

How can we think greener?

How can young people contribute where they live?

And what does it actually mean to be part of a larger European community?

Such questions take on a different meaning when discussed with people from other countries and different everyday lives than one's own.

More than a journey

International youth exchanges are, of course, about traveling.

But they are just as much about what happens when you arrive.

Meeting people you would otherwise never have met. Challenging your own perspectives. Collaborating across languages and cultures. Becoming more confident in yourself while also becoming a little more curious about the world around you.

For HI Norway, this fits naturally into the idea that travel can create understanding between people.

Hostels and meeting places can be the starting point, but the most important things are the relationships, experiences, and memories that participants take with them.

A broader European network

Future of Europe and this year's Erasmus+ exchange are also part of something we want to build upon.

HI Norway is currently working with a broader network of partners in Europe, with the goal of making more youth exchanges, courses, projects, and international opportunities available to our members as relevant spots become available.

This means that this summer's two exchanges are not necessarily the end of the story.

They could be the start of many more.

We will therefore share new opportunities through our newsletter, website, and social media channels as they become available.

For some, the next adventure might just begin there.

Keep an eye on hihostels.no and HI Norway's channels for upcoming opportunities.