Norway

Most folks fly into Oslo, the country’s capital city and home to world class museums ­including the Ski Museum, Viking Ship Museum and Norwegian Maritime Museum. Bergen, the country’s second largest city, could also be your first stop. Colorful wooden houses line the UNESCO-listed trading wharf in this city, home to composer Edvard Grieg.

Then embark into the dramatic waterfalls and forests of the Norwegian Fjordlands. Villa Åmot located near the town of Forde is a private Scandi farmhouse which has been in owner Steiner’s family since 1885. Overlooking Dalsfjorden, this 7-bedroom property is set on a beautiful homestead with a hearty garden, sheep and pigs next door. Expect world-class hospitality and local cuisines from chef Kesia in the open-plan kitchen. There are myriad ways to work up an appetite – horse rides on Irish Cobs or Fjord ponies, ATVs, SUP’s, archery, axe throwing, e-fat tire biking, fjord sauna, kayaking hiking, trout fishing and natural waterfall swims. And plenty of music and culture including a chance to row an authentic Viking ship.

Continue north for more fjord explorations. At Union Øye Hotel, in addition to the classic fjord water sports, take a helicopter to the Sunnmøre Alps where you can hike, snowshoe, cross country ski and e-bike the Norangsdalen valley. Warm up inside the historic salon for afternoon tea and stories from days gone by. Rib boat to the nearby city of Ålesund and stay at the nearby traditional lafta style Storfjord Hotel.

Further north, the quaint village of Solvorn is nestled dramatically between the mountains and the coast. A stay at Norway’s oldest family-run hotel, the quirky Walaker, places you on prime waterways. Tour the nearby fjords on rib boat and cycle your way back through farmland (try the local brown cheese!). Visit the 12th-century Urnes Stave Church, an UNESCO-protected site of traditional Scandinavian wooden architecture, or hike the nearby Nigardsbreen Glacier.

Finally, Northern Svalbard, the archipelago between mainland Norway and the North Pole, is well worth a visit or cruise. The arctic Funken Hotel is home base for biking, snowmobiling, boating, and ice cave trekking. Dog sledding and polar bears anyone?