Island-Sity

Per Anders Langerod, 26, the former deputy leader of Oslo Labour Youth, agreed. "It's much better to be back than I had imagined," he said. "I have so many images running through my head from that day, so in a way it was nice to get other impressions."

Mr Langerod was inside the main house on the island when Breivik began shooting. He crept down to the lake shore, and hid on a rocky ledge before slipping into the chilly waters to conceal himself. On Saturday he returned to that rocky ledge, and also saw the spot from where Breivik stood shooting. "It was especially important for me to see the spot where my friends died," Mr Langerod said. "Here we lit candles and laid flowers.

"Of course there was grief. We comforted each other. For some it is terrible to get back on the island, with all the memories. But there is also a cheerful mood in that we came back and saw that it was not dangerous anymore."

With the group gathered in front of the main house, Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg delivered a rousing speech, promising that he would stay on the island for next year's summer camp. The applause was so loud that it could be heard from the farm on the other side of Tyrifjord lake. "Obviously it's very hard for people to return, but it's also an important part of the grieving process – to process all the impressions you remember, and to sit back and take stock," said Martin Henriksen, a former youth leader, who had been at another camp and was heading back to Utoya when the shooting began.

"I was on the other side of the strait, paralysed by shock and concern over those who were on the island," he recalled. "After the shooting there was a double reaction – relief over meeting people there, and then sorrow over those who never came back. "Returning is different for each person, and we all had different expectations about what the experience would be.

"But I think it's an important part of coming to terms with what happened. Although it is heavy, people say that it is good to have been there."Norway will on Sunday hold a national day of remembrance with a concert by the country's top performers, which will be attended by the royal family, heads of government of other Nordic countries as well as survivors and their families.

Saturday's emotional visit followed a trip on Friday for the families of those who died on the island. Per Brekke, logistics chief of the operation, said planning the visits had been a big challenge. Police had sealed off the island since the massacre, mapping out Breivik's murderous path and then cleaning up what had become a grim crime scene. The Norwegian government also marshalled a large team of psychiatrists, helpers and volunteers to guide the survivors and their families as they returned to the site. Police on the scene wore a different uniform to the fake one that Breivik donned in order to lull his victims into a false sense of security. Adrian Pracon, 21, came face-to-face with the killer several times, and at one point lay still on the ground, pretending to be already dead.

"I was shaking terribly, I was also breathing very fast but it all stopped at that moment because the body understands that it must be still," he said. "Suddenly I could hear him place his boots right in front of my face. I could feel the warmth of the gun barrel he was pointing at me. I thought: 'Now it is over. Now he's got me'." The killer aimed at Mr Pracon's head and fired a shot, but somehow missed and the bullet entered the left shoulder.

Mr Pracon added, who spent a week in hospital, added of yesterday's trip: "We sang 'we are all members of AUF (the Workers' Youth League)'. People were crying and hugging each other. It was beautiful.
"I feel an unbreakable bond towards my friends. We have been through hell together. We have pushed ourselves to survive." He said he planned to return for next year's summer camp, and that people were already talking about preparations for it. "After all this pain and misery, it was also good to see joy. Now I have a hope for the future. It will get better."