10 Best Sights in The Western Fjords, Norway

For a splendid view of the city, one that absolutely glitters at night, take this scenic drive up the city's mountain. Most photos you've seen of Ålesund have been taken from this vantage point.

This cable car whisks you to the top of Hoven Mountain, offering spectacular views of the fjord. Some people prefer to take the cable car up and walk back down the mountain. At the top there is a viewpoint and a restaurant.

For thousands of years, this 600-foot waterfall has cut like a knife through the Hardangervidda Plateau, every year adding another fraction of an inch to the Måbødalen Valley. There are a number of ways to take in the waterfall and the valley beneath it, the most accessible being the cliff-top lookout points along Route 7 between Eidfjord and Fossli. For a dazzling and damp view from beneath the waterfall, take a half-hour hike from the road to the bottom of the waterfall. The trail is slippery, even in dry weather, but is well worth it. Visit Eidfjord can help plan your trip.

Europe's highest roadside viewpoint, Geiranger Skywalk – Dalsnibba, lets you look straight down at the village of Geiranger, as well as the famous Geirangerfjord.

From Stalheim it's not a long drive to Tvinde, a name derived from the Norwegian word for two. En route, you'll pass the villages of Oppheim and Vinje, as well as Oppheim Lake. But the best waterfall of this area is Tvindefossen, which has a 152-meter (500-feet) drop down steep stone cliffs. Nearby is the town of Voss, the bottling source of one of the world's most expensive waters.

At the end of a dramatic route with 11 hairpin turns called the Ørnevegen, or Eagle Road, Ørnesvingen viewpoint and rest area gives you breathtaking views of Geiranger. One of the first viewpoints in the area, it's still one of the most impressive.