NorwayExplained

Ulvik is a small village on the inner arm of the Hardangerfjord, where fruit orchards meet blue water and steep mountains. If you picture Norway as postcards of blossom-lined roads, glassy fjords, and red boathouses, Ulvik is exactly that scene. I grew up visiting this corner of Hardanger for summer swims and autumn cider tastings, … Read more

Steinsdalsfossen is one of Norway’s most beloved waterfalls, famous for the rare chance to walk safely behind the curtain of water and feel the roar in your chest. Set just outside the fjord village of Norheimsund in Hardanger, it is an easy stop along Route 7 and a rewarding detour from Bergen. It is also … Read more

Norheimsund is a small waterfront town that sits right on the Hardangerfjord, one of Norway’s most storied fjords. It is the kind of place where you can finish your breakfast and be at a famous waterfall ten minutes later, kayak under apple orchards by lunch, then sip local cider as the evening light slips over … Read more

Flåm is one of those rare places where everything you have seen in photos is actually real. Tiny wooden houses, deep blue fjords, and mountains that feel close enough to touch. Tucked at the inner end of Aurlandsfjord, a branch of the mighty Sognefjord, this small village has grown into a world-famous base for scenic … Read more

Nærøyfjord is one of those places that makes even Norwegians stop and stare. Carved by ice and lined with near-vertical cliffs, this UNESCO-listed branch of Sognefjord narrows to just a few hundred meters at its slimmest point. Waterfalls tumble down the rock faces, tiny farms cling to green ledges, and you drift past it all … Read more

The Mostraumen fjord cruise is one of the easiest ways to get deep into western Norway’s landscape without leaving Bergen for long. In just a few hours you glide from the historic Bryggen wharf, past fishing villages and steep rock walls, and into the narrow passage at Mostraumen where waterfalls tumble so close that crews … Read more

A cruise on Osterfjorden is one of the easiest ways to feel the drama of Norway’s fjords without a long travel day. Leaving central Bergen, boats skim along sheltered waters past boathouses, steep farm hillsides, and waterfalls before squeezing through the celebrated Mostraumen strait. For many visitors, this is the moment Norway clicks into place: … Read more

Rosendal is the kind of Norwegian village that sneaks up on you. One minute you are on a quiet quay watching seabirds skim the Hardangerfjord, the next you are standing beneath snow-patched peaks with a 17th-century manor and rose gardens at your back. It is small, walkable, and full of texture: waterfalls right in town, … Read more

Voss is where Norway’s big landscapes meet small-town warmth. Tucked between fjords and mountains about 75 minutes by train from Bergen, this valley town (Norwegians call it “Voss” or “Vangen” for the center) has built a reputation for high-adrenaline adventure, winter skiing, farm-to-table food, and lakeside lounging that suits families just as well as thrill-seekers. … Read more