Pale clefts of stone spring from the sea, marking tall, narrow inlets into Norway's coastline, like a heart monitor on a map.  This is Breathtaking Natural Scenery if the words ever deserved capital letters and truly unlike any other vista.  The four main fjords, and the smaller ones which branch off them like the space a tree's roots would leave in the land, equal views unlike any others.

Most fjord cruises begin at Bergen just above the Hardangerfjord, which is made more dramatic by the remaining Folgefonna Glacier, which carves more fjords into the coast as it retreats.  Above Bergen is the Sognefjord, Norway's longest, which extends so far inland a journey along it becomes like that along a great river gorge rather than a coastline, not finishing until it reaches the mountains.  Here thin, impossibly high waterfalls find their way, plummeting, to the sea (eventually.), passing thorough country that looks as the Alps rather than on the coast. Here if you have time there are glaciers, Jostedalsbreen, to hear the ancient, deep blue creaking heart of and some of the most beautiful walking terrain in the world.

Alesund, known for its fairytale art nouveau architecture, rebuilt almost exclusively in the first years of the 20th Century after the wooden town was almost entirely destroyed by fire, is the nearby town to yet another spectacular fjord, the Geirangerfjord.  Local people all seem adamant that their most local fjord is the most exquisitely lovely.  Surprisingly the fjord scenery fails to become repetitively striking even though it is a similar scene of towering snow capped mountains cleaved by the sea and running down with majestic waterfalls. The words to describe the scene aren't potentially varied enough to give a proper sense of the grandeur, yet uniqueness of each view.  That said, the view at Ørnesvingen is surely unparalleled. 

Trondheim, Norway's ancient capital with its buildings which all seem like warehouses and tiny stores at its heart should be the next stop, followed, if you have time by crossing into the Arctic Circle to Bodo and the Lofoten Islands.  Bodo's marina sprawls as you enter, its fullness emphasising the importance of maritime life, and the Lofoten Islands rise suddenly, rocky, from the sea, bright green with quiet life, tiny beaches and coves all that separate the quick rising peaks from the ocean. All the way to the north is Tromso, where the sky lights up with nature's mysterious light show and there is no night for two months. 

Northern Norway is an awe inspiring place to spend a summer watching the long days turn into soft nights, where scenery is king, and nothing but passing pods of whales could possibly distract you from the view, with plenty of light to enjoy it in. 

Written by  Lesley Harris.

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