Norway Fjords

A great way to get a taste of the Norwegian fjords, the “Norway in a Nutshell” tour includes four spectacular train journeys, a magnificent fjord cruise, and a nail-biting bus ride. It’s doable in one long day, or you can break off from the group and rejoin the next day.

Also a UNESCO World Heritage Site, Geirangerfjord is regarded by many as the most beautiful of the Norwegian fjords. Expect green waters, even greener mountains, and stunning waterfalls (including the Seven Sisters, the Suitor, and the aptly named Bridal Veil).

The 62-mile-long Nordfjord is a good option for those wishing to explore the Jostedal Glacier, mainland Europe’s largest. Within the 505-square-mile Jostedalsbreen National Park, the two most accessible arms are Briksdal (www.briksdal-adventure.com) and Kjenndal, where glacier walks can be organized.

Norway's deepest and longest fjord (4,294 feet and 127 miles, respectively) is also one of the most spectacular and dramatic. Along the water’s edge, view rare stave churches (entirely built of wood, only 28 of these once prevalent 12th- and 13th-century churches survive) at Urnes and Vik, the Norwegian Glacier Museum in Fjærlandsfjord (www.climatechannel.no), and the Norwegian Wild Salmon Center by Lærdalselva (www.norsk-villakssenter.no). A trip on the Flåm Railway (www.flaamsbana.no) from Myrdal, which goes down the mountains along the Aurlandsfjord, is a must.

A UNESCO World Heritage site since 2005, the peaceful “narrow fjord,” an 11-mile-long arm of Sognefjord, is only 820 feet at its narrowest point. Kayaking is a fun way to explore the fjord in summer, unless you choose to walk the Royal Post Path. The fjord is covered in ice come winter.

Spring brings an explosion of colors to the Hardangerfjord – the fruit trees in the fjord’s many orchards are in full bloom, and the area is at its most picturesque. Baroniet Rosendal, a renaissance manor with a pretty rose garden and period interior, overlooks the fjord near its entrance to the open ocean.

The 597-foot-high Vøringsfossen (in Eidfjord, a branch of the Hardangerfjord) is Norway’s most famous waterfall, visited by half a million tourists every year. Walk the short distance to the observation platform overlooking the waterfall, or climb the steep trail for a fuller view from below. Nearby Hardangervidda Nature Centre, with interactive displays on glaciology as well as local flora and fauna, is also worth a visit.

Preikestolen (pulpit rock) attracts 100,000 visitors every year. It’s a huge block of granite jutting out from the cliff face nearly 2,000 feet above the fjord. In nearby Kjerag, a boulder hangs between two sides of the mountain, making for a good photo stop. At the head of the fjord, Lysefjordveien, a hairpin road with some 27 sharp bends, offers a great panorama.