This is a sea-facing land. The mountainous terrain makes travel inland tricky even now, so settlements, villages and towns were linked up by sea. During the winter, some were cut off for months at a time - imagine what it must have been like to eke out an existence in such hostile territory. Norwegians are therefore seafarers to their very core, and arriving by water will give you a true insight into the lives of these welcoming people over hundreds of years.

Conventional cruises bring you to the larger towns, but on a little ship, or indeed the extraordinary Hurtigruten vessels that journey this coastline every single day of the year, you will come face to face with spectacular scenery and amazing wildlife along this rugged coastline, all the way to the North Cape, the northernmost point of the coast.

Many hanker after a Northern Lights experience - there is never a guarantee, as conditions vary from day to day, but a Hurtigruten journey during the winter months gives you a good chance (and they have a guarantee! Ask us for more details, it's what we're here for…).