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I’ve been lucky enough to travel to some truly stunning places, but nothing compares to the moment you sail into Norway’s fjords. It’s the kind of experience that makes you feel small in the best possible way. Imagine glassy waters stretching out for miles, dramatic cliffs shooting skyward, and waterfalls tumbling down rock faces so steep you wonder how anything manages to grow there at all.
Photographs can only ever capture a fraction of it. Being there, standing on deck of a Norwegian Fjords Cruise, with the cold air brushing against your cheeks and the echo of silence all around, feels almost otherworldly. It’s as if you’ve stumbled into a landscape that belongs in a fantasy novel, not on our very real planet.
That first approach
You’ll never forget your first glimpse of the fjords. Picture this: the ship has been cruising overnight, and as you wander out onto the deck with a coffee in hand, you find that the world outside has completely transformed. Gone is the endless open sea. Instead, you’re gliding between sheer rock faces that seem impossibly tall.
There’s a low mist hanging over the water, softening the edges of everything, while the sound of trickling waterfalls echoes faintly across the fjord. Every now and then, a brightly painted house will appear on the shoreline, its windows glowing warmly even in daylight. It’s like looking at a toy village dropped into a giant’s playground.
Nature at its most majestic
Norway’s fjords are nature showing off at its absolute finest. Carved by glaciers over thousands of years, they are deep, narrow, and utterly mesmerising. One of the highlights is Geirangerfjord, a UNESCO World Heritage site, where the famous Seven Sisters waterfall tumbles gracefully from the cliffs. Standing there, it’s easy to understand why myths and legends cling to these landscapes. They feel alive with stories.
Sognefjord, the so-called “King of the Fjords,” stretches for more than 200 kilometres inland, and sailing along it feels endless in the best way. The further you go, the quieter and more untouched it becomes, with tiny farms clinging to impossible slopes and little red barns that seem to be holding their own against the elements.
Tiny villages with big character
As impressive as the landscapes are, it’s the small human touches that make the fjords even more magical. Villages like Flam, Alesund, and Olden sit tucked away at the bases of towering cliffs. Life moves slowly here, and it’s impossible not to be drawn into that pace.
In Flam, you may find yourself wandering into a little bakery where the smell of cinnamon buns is impossible to resist. Locals greet each other by name, children cycle down the harbour, and the whole place feels like something from another era. Olden, meanwhile, is surrounded by emerald-green meadows and distant glaciers, a perfect mix of raw nature and cosy village life.
It’s these contrasts, immense wilderness paired with the intimacy of small communities, that make Norway’s fjords so unforgettable.
Wild encounters
Then there’s the wildlife. As the ship glides quietly along, you might look up and see a sea eagle circling high above. Seals bob their heads curiously above the water, as though checking you out. Some travellers have been lucky enough to see whales breaching in the distance, their spray catching the light in the crisp air.
Every turn brings something new, and it’s this unpredictability that keeps you glued to the railing, camera in hand but eyes always searching.
The sky’s ever-changing magic
If the fjords themselves feel magical, the skies above them only add to the spectacle. In summer, you can experience the midnight sun, when daylight lingers late into the night and the whole world is bathed in golden light.
Standing on deck at 11pm with the sun still hovering on the horizon is something I’ll never forget. It bends your sense of time and makes the days stretch on endlessly.
In winter, the promise of the Northern Lights draws people in. Imagine those emerald-green and violet ribbons dancing across the sky above the fjords, reflecting in the still waters below. It’s a sight that feels almost too perfect, like nature has conspired to put on a show just for you.
The feeling you take away
More than anything, travelling through Norway’s fjords changes the way you see the world. It’s humbling to stand before cliffs that have existed for millennia, shaped slowly by ice and water, and realise how small we really are. Yet at the same time, it’s uplifting, because how lucky are we to witness it?
There are holidays you enjoy and then move on from, and there are journeys that stay etched in your memory forever. A Bolsover Cruise allows you to discover the fjords and how they belong firmly in the second category. They’re wild, they’re serene, and they’re utterly unforgettable.
So yes, I’ve been to many beautiful places. But the fjords? They feel like another planet altogether, and one I’ll always want to return to.
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