Sailing into the Norwegian fjords, you find yourself in a landscape that very few places can offer. You sit on deck and glide through the majestic scenery, with steep cliffs towering over you on both sides. High above you, water and glaciers form beautiful waterfalls that dance down the almost vertical mountainsides.

Beneath you swims what could be dinner. You cast your line into the fjord and seabirds flap around the boat as you reel in the freshest of mackerel. On narrow rock ledges stand small, abandoned crofts, testament to the tough and lonely life lived here until recently.

There are small villages spread throughout this area, and the people here make the fjords easily accessible. When you jump off the boat at the end of a fjord, you are free to go on a guided glacier walk or mountain tour, or find your own way to restaurants serving local food. It might be the season for lamb.

Stretches of the fjord and mountain areas of the west coast of Norway are on UNESCO’s list of World Heritage Sites. Bold colours and fresh air lead many to declare these areas among the most beautiful anywhere in the world.