The Western Fjords

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Viewpoint over the Trollstigen mountain road.

Justin Foulkes

Overview

Scoured and gouged by glaciers, ancient and modern, Western Norway's deep, sea-drowned valleys are covered by steep, rugged terrain. It's a landscape that is so utterly unique and so profoundly beautiful that it is one of the most desirable destinations in the world.

Attractions

Must-see attractions

Atlanterhavsveien

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…
Trollstigen

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…
Kinn Island

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…
Borgund Stave Church

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…
Urnes Stave Church

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…
Rauma Railway

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…
Norwegian Glacier Museum

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…
Jugendstil Senteret

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…