10 essentials: what to see and do in Norwegian Fjords

Personally, I have always known the Norway fjords it's been a journey aspirational which luckily I have been able to carry out on several occasions.

My first big trip as a youth was precisely a trip by car from Spain to the North Cape in which the fjord region was a key stage of it.

When we talk about the fjords, we refer to the region of the Atlantic coast located to the southwestern norway. Well, in reality there are fjords along the entire coast of that country.

This is the area with great tourist attractions and where most of the tourists who travel to Norway are concentrated during the holiday season, many of whom arrive aboard a cruise ship.

What is the Norwegian fjord region like?

Specifically, we are referring to the axis that runs from north to south from the city of Alesund, goes through Bergen, and reaches Stavanger.

With a trip in spring or summer by Norway fjords You find a beautiful combination of beautiful mountain landscapes between which sea tongues extend.

But it also has its appeal visit the Norwegian Fjords in winter, outside of the high tourist season, a time when you will find the most authentic side of this region.

In the mountains that surround the aforementioned tongues of sea you can see how a glacier settles, and on the trip you find small charming coastal cities, and picturesque villages with colorful wooden houses.

You can also see some curious wooden church dating back to the Middle Ages, and, of course, you have the possibility of doing various nature activities, from mountain hiking, trekking across a glacier or sailing kayak through fjords or lakes.

In order to plan your first trip to this region of northern Europe, either on your own or in a cruise, then I am going to give you some useful ones Tips for traveling to the Norwegian Fjords.

Tips for traveling through Norwegian Fjords

For reach the Norwegian fjords from Spain, in summer you have direct flights to Bergen, and flights with a stopover to Alesund y Stavanger.

If you are going to do the complete route of the aforementioned trip through the fjords on your own, the ideal is rent a car and consider the trip in a north-south direction or vice versa, so you should fly to one of the last two cities mentioned.

If you are short on time, you have the option of doing only half of the route, for example, between Bergen y Alesund.

Another very common alternative is to make the trip in a cruise through the fjords, so that for a week you will have the opportunity to visit the most outstanding places.

For your trip, it will also be useful to book your reservation in advance. hotel in the Norwegian fjord region.

Best places to see and things to do in Norwegian Fjords

Below, and based on our experience of traveling to said region, we indicate which are the most notable places to visit in the Norway fjords.

Alesund, art nouveau city in Norwegian fjords

If we start the trip through the north  of the Norway fjords, from the start you will have the opportunity to enjoy one of the most beautiful panoramic views of the fjords.

It is the city of Alesund located next to the coast and surrounded by mountainous islands, where it is essential climb to the viewpoint of Mount Aksla to see this panorama.

Even if you go up by bus to the viewpoint located on said hill, it is worth going down the 418 of a modern staircase where various platforms open up to enjoy the views.

As for the Alesund, it is a city that is characterized by its architecture of art nouveau style, the result of the reconstruction that was carried out after a great fire suffered in 1904.

Now on your walk through this small city you will see various buildings with this architecture as well as beautiful pictures of its canals.

Geiranger Fjord in Norwegian Fjords

Do you remember that well-known image of a cruise ship the end of a fjord?

This fjord is Geiranger, which you access from Alesund, and is considered one of the longest and deepest in the world, so it is on the list of World Heritage for the Unesco.

Its narrowness will take you to navigate between steep rocky slopes that rise up to 1.300 meters, with a depth of 500 meters below sea level, and its end forms one of the most typical images of the fjords of Norway.

If you travel by car, you will have the opportunity to sail on a ferry that will take you to the end of the fjord.

Paragliders and birdmen in Loen (Norwegian fjords)

There is a small town entering the fjords called Loen, which has become famous from a funicular which was installed a few years ago.

It must be recognized that Loen was already known for its impressive location, for its historic Hotel Alexandra with its Hot Tub , and because the entrances to the glaciers are located there, as well as the most important meat industry in the region.

But since this has been installed funicular, a new type of tourism has emerged in the city linked to extreme sports.

Taking advantage of the fact that skilft is located on a vertical wall of more than 700 meters, more and more the bird men by base jump.

There are also paragliders that are launched with skis, which makes it a real spectacle, even for those of us who get scared just thinking about it.

It is really impressive to see how someone can jump into the void with only wings and, yes, also with a safety parachute.

Trekking through the Jostedal Glacier (Norwegian fjords)

In this area of ​​the fjords you find one of the largest glaciers in northern Europe, Jostedal. which is relatively young since it only dates back to about 2.500 years ago.

In your trip through the fjords Not only can you visit some of the enclaves where you can see the languages ​​of the Jostedal, but also trekking through the ice of the glacier.

If you are traveling on a cruise, the excursion will take you to gazebo of the language of Briksdal.

But if you go on your own and it catches your attention to live the glacier walking experience, you should go to Jostedalbreen where in an excursion of about five hours you will have that opportunity.

Sognefjord, Fjord of Dreams (Norwegian Fjords)

On the route south through the fjord region you will reach the sognefjord, which is known as the Fjord of Dreams.

Specifically his arm Naeroyfjord configure the longest fjord in Norway, and share with the aforementioned Geiranger its protection as World Heritage.

As a curiosity, you should know that the sognefjord is deepest fjord in Norway It sinks up to 1.300 meters below sea level.

At sognefjord you find corners as beautiful as the town of Balestrand, where you will love their wood houses, as well as the wooden church that emulates the traditional ones of the Middle Ages.

By highlighting a traditional hotel with great charm where you can stay.

Flam train in Norwegian fjords

El Flam Train is one of most beautiful railway routes in the world.

This railway line covers a difference in altitude of more than 800 meters from the town of Flame, in the middle of the fjord, until Myrdal in the high mountains.

In this old train which was built to transport goods by joining the Aurland fjord with the train line Bergen y Oslo., and which is currently a tourist train that offers a 100% recommendable trip.

Here we leave you a specific article about the experience of traveling on the famous Flam Train.

Vik Stave Church in Norwegian Fjords

Already on the first trip I made to Norway, I was impressed by the charm of its historic wooden churches, and one of the most notable is found in this area.

This is the Vik church, located on the banks of the sognefjord.

Known as the viking churches, in reality it is a sample of the wooden Christian churches that were built during the Middle Ages throughout Europe, but of which the Norwegian ones are barely preserved.

Specifically, this church was built in 1130, and it seems that during the Middle Ages In Norway he saw up to 2.000 of these churches, which due to the type of construction are called stavekirke.

Bergen, Hanseatic city in Norwegian fjords

If there is an iconic image of a city in the Norway fjords, that is the port of the city of Bergen.

This beautiful and secluded city has its great attraction in its historic Bryggen neighborhood with its colorful wooden houses on the shores of the port.

Its origin is in the great commercial boom that it had Bergen between the 14th and 16th centuries for being part of what is known as Henseatic League, a commercial agreement between various cities in Europe.

Therefore Bergen It is also part of the list of World Heritage.

In your Bergen city tour It is also worth taking a rack railway to the gazebo which rises above them, from where you will have the best panoramic views.

Stavanger, fishermen's houses in Norwegian fjords

The city of Stavanger, located in the most southerly area south of the fjords, is another of the essential visits on a complete route through this Nordic region, which in recent times has become the large oil extraction enclave in Norway.

Its main attraction is its historic city from the 18th and 19th centuries known as Old Stavanger, a neighborhood with old fishermen's houses.

Now it shows a beautiful scene with more than 170 white wooden houses, always freshly painted, and which is the best preserved set of wooden houses in Europe.

During your stay in Stavanger you also have the possibility of visiting an interesting oil museum dedicated to showing how this extractive activity is carried out in Norway.

Climb Preikestolen in Norwegian Fjords

And of course we can't end this route through the Norwegian Fjords without mentioning one of its most iconic corners, the Pulpit Rock, a place that I recognize you I have yet to visit.

Al Pulpit Rock, an enclave also known as The Pulpit, is one of the most visited corners of Norway that is accessed from Stavanger.

It is a large rocky promontory that rises 600 meters above the fjord, and is a place where visitors try to take the most spectacular photo.

In short, one of those essential places where you can't stop going... and a good excuse to return to the fjords if you don't know it yet (as happens to me...).

Tours and excursions in the Norwegian fjords

Finally we will tell you that there are many and varied tours and excursions that are offered to visit the different enclaves that you are going to visit in your trip through the Norwegian fjords.

That is the case of Bergen tour for cruise passengers, with guide in spanish and three hours long, which you can also sign up for even if you don't arrive by cruise ship.

Here you have up 50 tours and excursions in the Norwegian fjords, which you can sign up for in advance of your trip.