Norway is Too Pretty for Words

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Norway is a dream come true for nature lovers.  For me, the draw was the fjords — there are more than a thousand in the country.  But there are also mountains, glaciers, lakes, scenic drives, colorful wooden houses, well-preserved old towns, and so many waterfalls.  Everywhere I went, I was snapping Norway pictures because the view got even prettier just around the bend.

And so, with only in a week there, I still managed to come home with a thousand Norway photos.  These are my favorite, surely enough to convince you to add it to your own bucket list.  After all, the reality is even more beautiful than what you can capture on camera.

You can't go wrong with visiting Norway! This is photography heaven, full of scenic landscape, fjords, waterfalls and so much more. Use these 45 pictures for inspiration on where to go on your trip. Hint: my favorite was Stavanger, but you just might like other cities like Oslo, Bergen, Flam, or Alesund.
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Oslo

Like a lot of tourists, my first stop in Norway was Oslo.  I didn’t expect much, and ended up enjoying it tremendously.  This is one of those places you want to linger and can’t wait to go back to.  Just pack accordingly: the weather is fickle and you’ll be adding and removing layers of clothing every 10 minutes.






Stavanger

Out of all of Norway, this was the city I liked the most.  When you’re in the center of Gamle Stavanger, you’d never know this is the third largest city in the country.  It’s the largest surviving wood settlement in Northern Europe and the winding streets filled with flower boxes transport you back to the nineteenth century.



Related –> Check out my 9 highlights of Norway.

Preikestolen (Pulpit Rock)

At under 4 hours, this just might be Norway’s best half-day hike.  You get stunning views out to the coast, the Lysefjord in the other direction, plus forests, lakes, and incredible rock formations.

>>>>> Related Post: Ultimate Cheat Sheet to Hiking Pulpit Rock

Steep walls rising over the Lysefjord at pulpit rock
Steep walls rising over the Lysefjord


Bergen

I didn’t like Bergen: with five cruise ships in town, plus hundreds of independent travelers, the city was overrun and over-developed.  But I have to admit, it was still beautiful.





Flam

We barely passed through Flåm: I had intentions of hiking Brekkefossen Waterfall, but the trail was closed for repairs. And so, this became just a pitstop on our way to other parts of Norway, but beautiful just the same.

A quiet moment in Flam Norway
A quiet moment in Flam Norway
Flåm chuch, built 1667
Flåm chuch, built 1667

Gudvangen

The tiny town of Gudvangen is known for one thing: being the end of the world’s narrowest fjord.  The Nærøyfjord is part of the famous “Norway in a Nutshell” trip, with ferries running between Flam and Gudvangen to take in the view.

Geiranger

Geiranger is the most famous of Norway fjords — and I have to admit, if you’re only going to visit one, this is the one to choose.

A view of the famous Eagle Bend Road in Geiranger
Seven Sisters Waterfall (Geiranger, Norway)
Seven Sisters Waterfall
Hellesylt (Geiranger fjord, Norway pictures)
At the other end of the Geiranger fjord is a small town named Hellesylt. Picture-perfect, I’d say.

A Scenic Drive between Geiranger and Åndalsnes (including Trollstigen)

There are spectacular mountain passes on Road 63, which I drove between Geiranger and Åndalsnes.  Most travelers know this road for the Trollstigen portion specifically — but I thought the area near Geiranger was absolutely stunning.





Alesund

You know what?  Norway is beautiful even in the rain.  Ålesund was a town I was excited about for the Art Noveau architecture, but it ended up being picturesque in the harbor, too.

Trondheim

Trondheim is the farthest north I went in Norway, which means there’s an extraordinary amount of the country left to explore.  True to its stereotype, Trondheim was cold, wet, and dreary — but I still managed to enjoy some cozy spots and snap a few more Norway pictures.

Yes, Norway Pictures are Gorgeous but the Country Itself is Stunning

As you can probably tell from these Norway pictures, this part of the world is jaw-dropping.  More surprisingly, every area I visited looked and felt completely different which made it worth visiting so many locations.  Which one draws you in the most?

6 thoughts on “Norway is Too Pretty for Words”

  1. Becky,
    Stunningly beautiful – they all look wonderful. My friends did an Azamara cruise and raved about it – but it sells out 2 years in advance and is so expensive. So interesting to see that you did this on your own by car. More details please!!!
    Did you move around a lot or base yourself in a couple of places and go out from there? Did you go to the top of Pulpit Rock? I don’t think I could handle that myself – I get chills just looking at pictures of people sitting on the edge with their legs dangling over.
    Since you only had a week, what would you suggest would be the optimal amount of time? We’re significantly older than you (68 & 69) but in good shape – not super hikers, but can do moderate hiking.
    Looking forward to hearing more about your trip.
    Thanks.

    1. @Marilyn, I actually went by cruise (Pullmantur cruiseline, booked about 6 weeks in advance). In retrospect, I think I should’ve done it by car/train…but that’s actually the subject of my next post. In general, my recommendation would be this route over the course of a week: Oslo -> Alesund -> Geiranger -> Voss -> Stavanger. That’s definitely moving around and packing/unpacking which is of course a major downside compared to a cruise.

      I did go to the top of Pulpit Rock and very much enjoyed it but there was NO WAY I would dangle my feet over the edge! There’s a difference between being daring and stupid and that just seems way too dangerous for me! My proof is on Facebook 🙂 https://www.facebook.com/sightdoing/posts/1895527070503686

      1. @Becky, Looking forward to your posts. I’m bookmarking this. Have 4 cruises (Baltics, So.Spain & Canaries, British Isles, and Australia/NZ booked for 2018 & 2019, but then I think it’s back to independent land tours for us.
        So, I wait in anticipation for your updates. BTW, even looking at your FB pictures gave me weak knees!

        Marilyn

  2. Hi Becky –

    Thank you for sharing. Beautiful scenery and great information!

    I have a question: I really would like to visit Pulpit Rock during our family trip in mid July. Hiking itself is no problem because we are in great shape. My concern is the narrow ledge right before the end point of reaching the Rock. I get weak knees if I am at the edge of a cliff/path with a big drop. Heights are not a problem as long as I can look out and I am not on the edge of a place, so standing on Pulpit Rock isn’t a problem either. The issue is that short distance right before the end. How narrow do you think that path is? We did the narrow trail on Machu Picchu that goes to the Inca Point which was only a couple of meters wide and I had a hard time. Don’t know if you have been there and can compare or can just give me a general feel of this narrowest point of Pulpit Rock.
    Thank you so much!
    Aslihan

    1. @Aslihan, I don’t remember an exact measurement, but it does get quite narrow. People wait so that you can travel single file (it’s wider than that, but no one wants to be on the edge!). I double-checked my old article (https://sightdoing.net/pulpit-rock-hike-norway/) but didn’t see any measurements in my notes there, either.

      What I will say, is that Pulpit Rock had lovely views even before the end, so if at any point it gets too narrow for you, you could just stop. It’s still quite lovely, even if you don’t make it the last 150 meters.

      1. Hi Becky –

        thank you so much for your super fast and thorough response 🙂

        Your note confirms my hope that it might be spectacular enough to stop just short of the rock before the narrow passage. Thank you for the suggestion.

        Warmly,
        Aslihan

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