Fjord Norway in 3 days

Local historian Anne Kristin Moe gives a starter guide to the dramatic surroundings of Nordfjord. She knows this part of Fjord Norway well, having spent a happy childhood in the city of Ålesund.

Now she works and lives in Sandane, a village situated by the Gloppefjord, a branch of the Nordfjord. The head of Nordfjord folk museum recently moved back to her cherished fjord landscape from Oslo, where she worked as conservator at the Norwegian Folk Museum.

These are the destinations she would take family and friends to when they come to visit.

Start your adventure by hanging out with the locals in the historic wooden village of Nordfjordeid in Nordfjord. See art exhibitions in the cultural centre Gamlebanken and take a stroll down the main street Eidsgata with its quirky shops and pleasant cafés. If you feel like getting closer to nature, Nordfjord offers wonderful hiking opportunities as well.

Jump on the ferry from Nordfjordeid and enjoy the scenery along the way to Sandane, located at the end of the Gloppefjord.

Continue your holiday on ice. Only a one hour and twenty minute drive from Sandane, you’ll reach the Briksdalsbreen glacier, an adventure for the whole family. It is beautifully located north of the Jostadalsbreen glacier at the very inner end of the Oldedalen valley in Stryn.

The walk from the parking lot to the glacier is suitable for most people.

After the wonderfully surreal glacier hiking the day before, go for something completely different with a visit to Ålesund and the underestimated Hjørundfjord. Many locals consider this fjord to be as beautiful as the Geirangerfjord, but with fewer tourists.

The city of Ålesund is known for its historic centre with art nouveau buildings and numerous detailed decorations.