Let’s start with the basics: fjords are narrow and elongated bodies of water framed by cliffs on three sides and created by glaciers a long time ago. Besides that, usually fjords are really deep. Thus, it must look very dramatic – and it does so indeed!

Fjords are a vital part of Norway, one of my favorite countries (the word itself is Norwegian), as there are over a thousand of them here! Picturesque Norwegian fjords are even included on the World Heritage List by UNESCO.

The longest fjords in Norway are the Sognefjord (203 km), so called ‘the king of the fjords’, and the Hardangerfjord (179 km). Side arms of fjords rise to fame too and attracts tourists and locals as well.

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I can barely name myself a fjord expert as I only had a short ride but it was more than enough to fall in love and want to attend a longer tour!

Seeing all these tidy colorful houses opposed to the indifferent but beautiful scenery makes my heart skip a beat. Imagine my joy when I saw the very first waterfall – with many and many more to come in the next hours!

As for the itinerary, we took a 3 hour round trip cruise from Bergen. It started from the Zachariasbryggen (near the Fish market – see more in my blog about Bergen) rewarding us with the best views over the old city. Then our sail proceeded through Nordhordaland Bridge and 27-kilometer long Osterfjord with the most far away point being Mostraumen.

Weather changed quickly, and we were very lucky to turn from the foggy mysterious views to the sunny and bright scenery.

A true highlight of the trip was water tasting: we got closer to the cliff, and fresh mountain water was collected with the help of a bucket right from the waterfall – and it was absolutely delicious!

Interesting: Although fjords are usually associated with Norway, it doesn’t monopolise fjords only for itself: actually you can find them in Greenland (where the longest fjord in the world  – the 350 km long Scoresby Sund – is located), New Zealand, USA and a few other countries.