20 Photos of Norway That Will Leave You Breathless

Norway is a country for the nature lovers. It’s for those who are excited to strap on their hiking boots, zip up their windbreaker and will happily lug a tent up a sheer rock face. This part of Scandinavia is for the adventurers who revel in the great outdoors and don’t mind a bit of mud and rain. Norway is a landscape photographer’s dream. This ex-viking territory is renowned for its jaw-dropping fjords, undulating mountain scapes and rustic fishing villages. There are enough hiking options here to keep the Bear Grylls wanna-bes occupied and then some.

With so many breathtaking backdrops, it was difficult for us to narrow our itinerary down to select options. We chose two key locations during our one week stay. We travelled to Norway in our campervan, entering via Sweden near the border town of Riksgränsen. Our first stop was Lofoten. The Lofoten Islands was a must-see for us. Having seen images pop up on our Instagram feed, we knew we simply HAD to go and see these dramatic landscapes for ourselves. Who knows if we’ll be able to venture to this part of the world again in our lifetime? Despite a full day of sleet rain and 80 km/h winds which restricted us to the confines of our campervan, the jagged archipelago did not disappoint. Having the campervan was certainly advantageous. We looked on in awe at the old red fishermen’s cabins (“rorbu”) perching precariously on shorelines, wondering how these matchbox houses bear the brunt of the Arctic winds. We drove past rows and rows of “skrei” (Norwegian Arctic cod) hanging in many villages including Hamnøy and Henningsvær. It was not difficult to catch a whiff of the intense smell of dried fish, which the locals refer to as the “smell of money”.

From Lofoten, we made our way south to our other destination, Trolltunga. Having read many blogs and reviews online, we were a little concerned how our weary bodies would hold up. An early start and upbeat spirit meant that we managed to complete the hike in 7 hours. Starting from the upper car park, we saved a couple of hours and also dodged the incoming rain. And so, we were ecstatic to tick off another of our European bucket list items.

We travelled through Norway in mid-June. As we were above 66° 33′ 39″ N during this time (above the Arctic Circle), we were privileged to witness the midnight sun. To experience almost 24 hours of continuous daylight was truly a remarkable and bizarre experience! Although we were mostly exposed to moody grey skies and heavy rainfall, this weather further dramatised the striking landscapes, helping to curate a spine-tingling experience that we are unlikely to forget in a heartbeat.