When a world leader insults your country, you have a few options. You can fire off a stern diplomatic note, you can ignore it, or you can do what Norway did. You turn the insult into a tourism campaign.

It started when Donald Trump, at a rally in Michigan, said he didn't want immigrants from Norway because he didn't get the Nobel Prize. Then he added that Norway had become a shithouse country. The comment was aimed at the Nobel committee, which is Norwegian but independent of the government. But instead of a formal rebuttal, Visit Norway updated an old webpage and gave it a new title: "Are these the world's best shithouses?"

The page showcases the public toilets along the Norwegian Scenic Routes, a network of 18 roads where architecture is designed to blend with the landscape. These aren't your average rest stops. The most famous one sits at the Stegastein viewpoint, high above the Aurlandsfjord, and has been ranked among the top ten public toilets in the world by DesignCurial. On the island of Senja, a golden loo has become a popular photo stop. At Ureddplassen, on the Helgeland coast, the toilets stand next to a memorial to a submarine crew that sank nearby during World War II. Others are more subtle, like the solar-powered one at Utsikten or the one at Ostasteidn designed to let moss grow over its walls.

The campaign's tone was deliberate. "The world needs a little laugh," said Evgenia Egorova, a senior consultant at Visit Norway, to public broadcaster NRK. Jens Kjeldsen, a professor of rhetoric at the University of Bergen, told NRK that the approach was smart. "It's like the bully in kindergarten," he said. "If you get too serious, the bully wins."

And it worked. The toilet page drew more than 80,000 views from over 170 countries in just five days, roughly 540 times its traffic the previous week. About one in four visitors was American, and Visit Norway spent less than $10,000 promoting the campaign. Not bad for a joke.

This isn't the first time Trump has used that language about a country. He's said similar things about Haiti, Libya, Somalia, and Yemen. But for Norway, the timing was especially ironic. During his first presidency, he said he'd prefer immigrants from Norway over those from African nations. Now he's called the country a shithouse. The tourism board's response has been a masterclass in turning a negative into a positive.

If you're planning a road trip in Norway, these toilets are worth seeking out. They're part of the Norwegian Scenic Routes, which are designed to showcase the country's dramatic landscapes. The routes are open year-round, though some facilities close in winter. And the Norwegian Public Roads Administration, which develops these routes, already has its next project in the works. A forest-inspired restroom built from 60 to 70 trees, shaped like an upside-down trunk with roots holding up the roof. It's set to be another architectural wonder.

For travelers who love quirky roadside attractions, this is a must-see. And if you're wondering about the broader state of tourism, check out how the Trump slump is affecting US tourism. Or if you're planning a European trip, you might want to read about Europe's visa maze. And for more on Norway's unique travel culture, see Norway's move to ban smart glasses.

So next time someone calls your country a shithouse, remember Norway's example. Sometimes the best response is a well-placed joke and a stunning view of a fjord. The world could use more of that.