The Northern Fjords
This twisting, sky-topping corkscrew of a road is the most famous stretch of tarmac in Norway. Completed in 1936 after eight years of labour, the Troll's…
Must-see attractions in The Western Fjords
The Northern Fjords
The eight storm-lashed bridges of the Atlantic Ocean Road buck and twist like sea serpents, connecting 17 islets between Vevang and the island of Averøya…
The Western Fjords
If you're on limited time, a visit to this little island is a great way of getting a flavour of the coastline around Florø. After a quick boat ride from…
The Western Fjords
Some 30km southeast of Lærdalsøyri along the E16, this 12th-century stave church was raised beside one of the major trade routes between eastern and…
Aurland
This 45km road is one of Norway's most fabulous, climbing from sea level to the desolate, boulder-strewn high plateau that separates Aurland and…
The Western Fjords
If you only have time on your itinerary to visit one stave church, the one at Urnes has to figure at the top of the list (along with Borgund). Dating from…
The Northern Fjords
A classic Norwegian train ride that railway buffs definitely won't want to miss, the 114km-long Rauma Railway clatters from Åndalsnes and Dombås, high in…
Aurland
Projecting out high above the fjord at an altitude of 630m, this marvel of modern engineering is one of Norway's great viewing points. Clad in pine and…
The Western Fjords
You can't miss this striking museum: it's a concrete wedge marooned among a sea of grass on the way into Fjærland, and even has a couple of model woolly…
Ålesund
The city's unique architectural heritage is documented in a former pharmacy, the first listed Jugendstil monument in Ålesund. Apart from the building's…
The Western Fjords
The haunting ruins of Selja monastery and the church of St Sunniva on Selja Island date from the 11th and 12th centuries respectively: this has been a…
The Western Fjords
It's a picturesque run of 21km or so up the Lodalen valley to reach this offshoot of the glacier, perhaps the least visited of the four main tongues. The…
The Northern Fjords
You'll have seen that classic photo somewhere, beloved of brochures, of the overhanging rock Flydalsjuvet, usually with a figure gazing down at a cruise…
Ålesund
For the best view over Ålesund and its fishhook-shaped peninsula, as well as the mountains and islands beyond, head up the 418 steps to the summit of…
The Northern Fjords
Petter Aune set up this operation, where freshly caught Aukra salmon are smoked with pure local wood and herbs, after tiring of the poor quality…
The Western Fjords
The main target for most visitors on the northern side of the park is this impressive glacier, which can be reached along a scenic 23km road from Olden…
The Northern Fjords
Fourteen kilometres out to sea from Kristiansund, the island of Grip has a long tradition of cod-fishing stretching back centuries, but was abandoned by…
The Northern Fjords
For the highest and perhaps most stunning of the many stunning views of the Geiranger valley and fjord, take the 5km toll road (130kr per car) that climbs…
Ålesund
Ålesund's celebrated Sunnmøre Museum is 4km east of the centre. Here, at the site of the old Borgundkaupangen trading centre, active from the 11th to 16th…
Norwegian Museum of Travel & Tourism
The Western Fjords
A museum examining the history of tourism might not immediately sound like the biggest must-see, but bear with us: the story of how people travelled…
The Western Fjords
The River Lærdalselvi is one of the top spots for wild salmon fishing in Norway. Salmon fishing has been part of the culture here since time immemorial,…
The Northern Fjords
The beautiful islet of Ona, with its bare rocky landscapes and picturesque lighthouse, is still home to an offshore fishing community of about 25 people…
The Western Fjords
Spectacular wooden stave churches get all the attention around here, but this little gem of a medieval parish church built of stone shouldn’t be…
Ålesund
At the peninsula's western extreme, 3km from the town centre, this aquarium can consume a whole day. Be introduced to the North Atlantic's teeming…
The Northern Fjords
Kristiansund's old town lives on in a part of the island of Innlandet, with clapboard buildings that date back to the 17th century. The grandiose…
Aurland
This restored hamlet perches high above the fjord, between Flåm and Aurland. The 27 scattered buildings, the oldest dating from the early 17th century,…
The Western Fjords
A catch-all museum covering the whole of Sogn og Fjordane county, this museum explores the coast in all its varied forms. It's spread over several…
The Northern Fjords
From Dombås, the E136 and rail line drop in parallel northwest down to Romsdalen (you might have a sense of déjà vu if you’ve seen Harry Potter and the…
The Western Fjords
On the southern outskirts of the village stands this splendid stave church, Built in 1130, and Norway’s second oldest, it escaped demolition by a whisker…
The Western Fjords
Reached via a turn-off from the main road north from Fjærland, this small glacier creeps down the mountainside into an isolated valley. Trails lead from…
The Western Fjords
Running for more than 1.5km, this wonderful white-sand beach is one of the best places for a wild sea swim on the west coast – assuming you can handle the…
Ålesund
The furthest offshore island from Ålesund, Godøy has a real off-the-map feeling, especially in the depths of winter. There are some great walks here, and…
The Northern Fjords
Twenty-five kilometres northwest of Valldal on the Rv650 towards Ålesund, this stave church was built in 1789 on the site of an earlier chapel, elements…
Ålesund
The 1861 Holmbua warehouse (one of the very few buildings to survive the 1904 fire) has exhibits on the development of fishing across the centuries and…
The Northern Fjords
Something of a nautical junkyard, Mellemværftet, free and accessible any time, is best approached on foot along the quayside from the Smia Fiskerestaurant…
Ålesund
This picturesque 1853 lighthouse is in the fishing station of Alnes. For that end-of-the-world feeling, climb to the circular balcony via the five floors…
The Western Fjords
Often known locally as 'the English Church', this charming wooden chapel was built in 1897 in the style of a traditional stave church. It gets its…
The Northern Fjords
Fifteen kilometres up the valley from Valldal, this popular viewpoint overlooks a maelstrom of foaming, crashing water, where the river sluices and…
The Western Fjords
The more spectacular of the two glacial tongues accessible from Fjærland, Bøyabreen looms majestically at the end of the wooded valley. There's a car park…
The Western Fjords
Kjelsfossen tumbles from the southern wall of Nærøydalen valley, above Gudvangen village. Notice, too, the avalanche protection scheme above Gudvangen…
