3 Best things to see & do in Bergen (& Fjordland)

Endless skies, snow-capped mountains, sheer-sided fjords, ribbon-like waterfalls and emerald green meadows ablaze with wildflowers – all combine to make Norway’s Fjordland one of the world’s most beautiful and serene cruising routes. And the water is one of the best vantage points from which to admire the view from.

Dozens of ships sail here in summer, visiting a selection of fjords, each one different. On a typical cruise, you might visit the Sognefjord, which twists and turns deep into the mountains, dotted with tiny villages, while the narrow Geirangerfjord is one of the most dramatic. At each stop, there’s an enticing menu of bucket list adventures on offer (see recommendations below) – like the long hike from Stavanger to the high granite block of Pulpit Rock, soaring nearly 2,000 feet over Lysefjord. In the autumn and spring, you may get to see the Northern Lights.

Any lover of the outdoors would appreciate the beauty and serenity of a Norwegian fjords voyage. The joy is that you can be as active as you like – or simply enjoy the scenery from the ship.

Norway’s immense, wedge-shaped gorges were carved out of the landscape by glaciers during the last Ice Age. Rugged, wild and decorated with ribbon-like waterfalls and emerald green meadows ablaze with wildflowers, they’re one of nature’s finest achievements. See them on a cruise, by helicopter or even by kayak.

This 50-minute journey from Flåm in Norway to the mountain-top village of Myrdal is one of the world’s most scenic – and dramatic – train rides.

Ascending half a mile from the edge of the fjord, the 1:18 gradient is one of the steepest ascents of any train line in the world. The cog railway meanders through two dozen twisting tunnels as it climbs up to an altitude of 867m. Unmissable.