Last Updated on 10/24/23 by Rose Palmer
As I cruised through peaceful fjords surrounded by mountain peaks, and visited colorful towns and villages in Norway, I could clearly see the inspiration for a fairy tale movie. As a photographer, I found the scenery to be point-and-shoot beautiful and it didn’t take much artistic license to take Norway photos worthy of a high end magazine spread.
I chose to visit Norway on a Princess cruise because the 12 day itinerary went north past the arctic circle and then back again to Southampton, England. It seemed like this cruise was the best way to get an easy introduction to the diverse sights in Norway, and I was not disappointed.
My cruise left at the end of August, just as the summer midnight sun season was ending. The days were still long, but the sun set by 9 PM which meant that if the weather cooperated, there was a chance to also see the northern lights once we reached the Arctic Circle.
My favorite Norway photos
I have shared a lot of photos already from my cruise in Norway in my two posts: Cruising Sky High – A Complete Sky Princess Review With Photos and Norway Shore Excursions – How to spend a Day in Norway’s Most Popular Cruise Ports . The images in this post though are my favorites and the ones I think are the best from that trip.
The waterfront along the Smedasundet Sound in Haugesund was lined with cafes, restaurants and plenty of photogenic boats. Haugesund is in south western Norway and was the first stop on my Norway cruise.
The historic Restauration masted ship in Haugesund is a replica of the first ship that took 53 Norwegians to America in 1825.
The charming little town of Skjolden sits at the end of Norway’s longest fjord. It certainly looked like it belonged in a storybook.
In Skjolden, this brightly colored sculpture frames the Sky Princess, my cruise ship on my Norway explorations.
Photogenic Eidsvatnet Lake in Skjolden with the Asafossen waterfall in the distance that you can walk to if you are so inclined.
My favorite part of the cruise was the afternoon we spent cruising the Sognefjord, Norway’s longest fjord.
As we cruised this deep glacier cut fjord, we saw lots of small farmsteads along the coastline.
The views along the fjord were truly spectacular. Mountains soared above us and large waterfalls cascaded down steep rocky precipices. This scene was repeated over and over again.
I woke up in Olden Norway to another cute, little town at the end of another stunning fjord. What better way to enjoy the scenery than with breakfast on the balcony of my cabin.
Early morning reflection of the town of Olden and the Invikfjorden. This was the view from my balcony cabin – I could get used to this.
Adorable holiday cottages in Olden. I would definitely be happy to vacation here for a few days.
Oldevatnet Lake, the mountains beyond, and a peek of the Jostedalsbreen ice field in the distance.
In Olden I wanted to see the Briksdal glacier. This was the beautiful scenery I saw while hiking to see the glacier, which is part of the larger Jostedalsbreen ice field.
A stray beam of light shines on the photogenic New Olden Church, which is just down the road from the Old Olden church built in 1759.
The community of Olden is quite small. Most of the activity was centered around the scenic harbor front, not far from the cruise pier.
My cruise ship, the Sky Princess docked in Olden. Yes-it really is this beautiful.
My favorite area in the city of Trondheim was the Bakklandet neighborhood with its colorful houses along the canal.
It was easy to get beautiful photos of the colorful houses in Bakklandet and their reflections. Early morning is the best time for such photos.
Can’t get enough of the reflections in Bakklandet.
Yet more reflections in Trondheim’s harbor.
In northern Norway, way above the arctic circle, I explored the quaint fishing village of Honningsvag. This is the furthest north that the cruise travelled.
King crabs thrive in the cold waters near Honningsvag. King crab legs make for an especially good lunch. This was at the local restaurant, SNOY.
In the village of Kamoyvaer, cod fishing is still done the traditional way – fishermen go out in small boats and cast long lines and nets.
Colorful fishing boats in the Kamoyvaer harbor.
The colorful fishing village of Kamoyvaer. I stopped here on a tour to the North Cape, the northern most spit of land in Europe.
Aalesund sits in western Norway, along the coast of the Norwgian Sea. From the Mount Aksla viewpoint you can see all of the town and over the channels to the islands beyond.
Aalesund is known for its Art Nouveau architecture. This style was adopted when the town was rebuilt after a devastating 1904 fire.
This Viking style boat was for tourist cruises along the canal in Aelesund, but it certainly added atmosphere to the photo.
For the more adventurous, kayaking in the canal in Aelesund is another way to enjoy the beautiful views.
The picturesque houses of the Bryggen wharf in the city of Bergen are a UNESCO World Heritage site. It’s a reminder that in the 14th-16th centuries, Bergen was one of Europe’s most important trading centers.
I hope these images have inspired you to travel to Norway soon because it certainly is a country with exceptionally scenery.
I would definitely like to go back to Norway for a longer visit, taking the road less travelled and driving to see all the beautiful places that I missed on my cruise.
Sadly, as we cruised into arctic Norway, the weather did not cooperate, so no aurora borealis sightings this time – another reason to go back.
If you liked these pictures, you may enjoy some of my other photo essays:
My favorite photos from Grand Teton National Park in the US: 25 Photos to Inspire Your Next Grand Teton Itinerary
Photos from a day in Burano, Italy: 25 Colorful Photos to Inspire a Day in Burano, Italy
Photos from my volunteer citizen science experience in Kenya: 25 Photos to Inspire You to Visit the Enonkishy Conservancy in Kenya
My award winning photo essay of the Moroccan Sahara: 25 Morocco Photos to Inspire Your Next Visit to the Sahara
Thanks for visiting.
Rose
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