The Sognefjord, lined with pretty farming villages such as Balestrand, is the country's longest and deepest fjord - and one of the main reasons why western Norway is also commonly known simply as ‘fjord Norway'. It's the second-longest fjord in the world and fjord cruises are an unforgettable way to take in the surrounding tall peaks and waterfalls that cascade off them for hundreds of metres in summer and turn to mighty walls of ice in winter.

Sognefjord and its subsidiary fjords can be visited on guided day trip into the western fjords from Bergen or Oslo, via the adventure sports centre of Voss and the world famous Flam railway - with an 80% gradient on its winding 20 kilometre descent through the Flam valley. However, it's well worth spending longer in each of these places if you can, not least the Songnefjord, whose tranquil waters and towering peaks are some of Norway's most iconic geographical features.