An aerial view from Mount Aksla of the city of Alesund, Norway. /AP Photo
In a journey full of waterfalls, an impressive cascade is just around the bend in Norway's famous fjords.
Whether it's the popular Seven Sisters, toppling 820 feet (250 meters) down the stone walls of renowned Geiranger fjord, or the huge flow rushing along the nearby village of Hellesylt, melting snow brings a major display of falling water.
A trip on a cruise ship in spring and summer provides a close view of the high cliffs that tower over the narrow inlets. Unlike cruises that spend long periods at sea between ports, a trip through Norway's fjords provides ever-changing scenery, with no need for a strenuous hike.
Ports further north include pleasantly walkable cities like Alesund, rebuilt after a devastating fire in 1904 in the Art Nouveau style of architecture. And there’s Trondheim, home to the northernmost gothic cathedral and the coronation church of kings.
A two-week cruise can even get you up into the Arctic Circle, dubbed the Land of the Midnight Sun this time of year, with 24-hour daylight, and on to Europe’s northernmost point and more scenic cruising by the rocky cliffs of North Cape.