Copenhagen to Copenhagen

Effortlessly cool and down to earth, Copenhagen is a contemporary, clean and classy highlight of Scandinavia. A city built to be liveable, Copenhagen has refused to compromise, resulting in a forward-thinking metropolis that’s green and clean. Swim in the waters of Havnebadet Islands during summer, or shelter from winter’s bite by snuggling in beside a roaring open fire during winter. You can even hop on a train to Sweden, traversing the famous span of a Nordic Noir star - the Öresund Bridge. It takes just a touch over half an hour to step off the train in Malmö. There’s only one way to truly explore Copenhagen and that’s on two wheels. Easy bike hire schemes will get you moving across this flat city, designed with bikes at the forefront of the mind. Choose a model with electronic assistance to take the strain out of any journey, giving you the freedom to whizz around and explore the modern angular architecture of the centre, and the pastoral colours of Nyhavn waterfront. Head out to…

The crooked, pastel-coloured warehouses of Bergen’s World Heritage waterfront lean together charmingly, welcoming visitors to this city at the heart of Norway’s most extraordinary cinematic landscapes. It may be the country’s second largest city, but the villagey feel here always provides a warm welcome - even when the weather is living up to its famously damp reputation. Bergen’s colourful waterfront, Bryggen, is a ramshackle line-up of incredible Hanseatic warehouses, built following the devastating fire of 1702, which ransacked the city. These iconic warehouses have stood proudly ever since, with Bergen growing and expanding around the colourful facades. Behind them, a labyrinth of narrow alleyways and wooden decking waits, alive with artisan craft shops and bustling galleries. Fløyen mountain watches over the city, and you can take a short but steep hike up to the panoramic viewpoints, or jump on the funicular, which trundles visitors up and down the incline. At the top, spectacul…

The village of Olden clings to the banks of the Nordfjord, surrounded by steep mountains and lovely valleys. Boating on the fjord, hiking on nearby scenic mountain trails, as well as salmon and sea-trout fishing in the River Olden combine to make this small town an enjoyable holiday destination. The summer season brings visitors to the area who are interested in glacier skiing on the Briksdal Glacier and the Jostedal Glacier, Europe's biggest. Enthusiasts enjoy not only challenging skiing but the ride up to the glacier aboard local horse drawn carriages. These powerful, yet compact, miniature horses are accustomed to climbing up this mountainous terrain. Most of us would consider it a bit too enthusiastic actually swim in the waters found pooled atop these slopes. These chilling pools are a bit more “refreshing” than most of us would like, for they feature tiny icebergs that float along past those brave enough to actually swim here. The scenery along the fjord is varied, featuring wel…

Åndalsnes is located at the mouth of the river Rauma, at the shores of the Romsdalsfjord, one of the fjords protected as a UNESCO world heritage site. Famous in the 19th century for salmon fishing, the Rauma flows through the Romsdalen Valley widely considered some of the most breathtaking scenery in all of Norway. Although the river’s salmon stocks are now being replenished, today Andalsnes is better known as a centre of excellenece for Norwegian alpine sports. Mountaineering, climbing, hiking and even base jumping are all readably accessible. A newly opened Norwegian Mountaineering centre boasts Norway’s highest indoor climbing wall. Some 15 kms out of Andalsnes is the Trollstigen (Troll Road), a mountain road that climbs the pass between the Isterdalen and Valldal valley. It’s one of Norway’s major attractions due to the steep inclines and eleven hairpin bends, only open in the summer months. Equally exciting is a three hour round rail trip from Andalsnes to Dombas on the Rauma Rai…

A colourful, historic capital of Norway, Trondheim's history reaches back to 997 AD, when it was founded by Viking King Olav Tryggvason. It may be Norway's third-biggest city, but there's a welcoming and intimate feel here, with a photogenic waterfront, and glowing wooden warehouses adding old-time charm. The history runs deep, but nowadays Trondheim is also a leading technology centre, and home to 30,000 students, who inject youth and vitality into the city's streets. View less Museums dedicated to Norway's musical heritage will strike a sweet chord, while the endless wilds of central Norway and the Trondheim Fjord unveil themselves close by. A destructive fire laid to rest to old Trondheim's narrow wooden alleyways, but a flavour of the old city survives in the Bakklandet neighbourhood. Traditional timber houses and colourful wharves line up along the waterfront, painting a pretty picture with pistachio-green and turmeric-yellow licks of paint. Vibrating cyclists rattle along the co…

Located halfway up the long Norwegian coast, Kristiansund is spread out across a swathe of rocky islands with its main cove centered on Nordlandet, Gomalandet/Kirklandet and Innlandet, all linked together by bridges. Founded in 1742 as a trading port, Krustiansund retains an old town area around the harbor where a customs house, warehouses, merchants’ dwellings and various museums recall the trades that ensured Kristiansund’s prosperity.

Slap bang in the middle of Norway’s fjords, islands and northern wonders, Narvik, is an ideal base from which to explore this magical region. A city since 1902, it sits on the coast of Ofotfjorden inside the Arctic circle. This northerly latitude means Narvik bathes in the midnight sun during summer's months and is witness to the dazzling displays of the northern lights, which enchant as they spill across the stars. View less Crisp, clear skies make Narvik a prime destination for northern lights viewing, and the natural setting of spiky mountains and soaring fjords generates a truly glorious spectacle amid incredible staging. Gondolas sway up to the slopes of Narvikfjellet ski resort, which can tempt with fantastic skiing, but also provides a prime spot for views of the lights flashing above. Look out over the vast panorama of the town curving along the fjord's banks, the Fagernesfjellet mountain, and - hopefully - the emerald spread of the natural light display. Polar Park Arctic Wil…

Located on the west coast of southern Norway and, with a population of 100,000 the country's fourth largest city, Stavanger is something of a survivor. While other Norwegian coastal towns have experienced serious decline because of the precarious fortunes of fishing, Stavanger has over the years grown into one of the country's most dynamic economic power bases, thanks to the creation of a merchant fleet, fish canning, shipbuilding and, more recently, the oil industry. With more than 3,000 foreign oil business people residing here who have made English virtually the first language, Stavanger is often referred to as the “Oil Capital of Norway.” To support the offshore oilfields, the port serves refineries and is also involved in the construction of oil rigs. Today's Stavanger is a charming blend of fishing village and modern city, sprinkled with parks, gardens and lakes. The elegant old town with its 12th century cathedral deserves a closer look, and the Canning and Maritime Museums are…

Effortlessly cool and down to earth, Copenhagen is a contemporary, clean and classy highlight of Scandinavia. A city built to be liveable, Copenhagen has refused to compromise, resulting in a forward-thinking metropolis that’s green and clean. Swim in the waters of Havnebadet Islands during summer, or shelter from winter’s bite by snuggling in beside a roaring open fire during winter. You can even hop on a train to Sweden, traversing the famous span of a Nordic Noir star - the Öresund Bridge. It takes just a touch over half an hour to step off the train in Malmö. There’s only one way to truly explore Copenhagen and that’s on two wheels. Easy bike hire schemes will get you moving across this flat city, designed with bikes at the forefront of the mind. Choose a model with electronic assistance to take the strain out of any journey, giving you the freedom to whizz around and explore the modern angular architecture of the centre, and the pastoral colours of Nyhavn waterfront. Head out to…