5 Best Sights in Gudvangen, The Western Fjords

You can completely immerse yourself in Viking culture at this village named for the northern god, Njord. You won't be speaking with costumed performers here---the international community here is living as the Vikings did 1,000 years ago. Try your hand at axe throwing or archery, then chow down on authentic Viking grub.

In the spectacular Nærøyfjorden, a UNESCO World Heritage Site of steep mountains and waterfalls that forms a beautiful valley, drivers must navigate 13 hairpin turns on Stalheimskleiva, a section of road not quite a mile in length, to reach this hotel. An inspiration to painters and other artists, Stalheim Hotel is furnished with a spectacular collection of Scandinavian furniture and antiques, and it also has a large collection of buildings dating back from the 16th and 17th centuries.

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.

The village of Undredal, home to 80 humans and 500 goats, also has Norway's smallest stave church, which has probably built in 1147.

These impressive caves are composed of anorthosite, a type of marble that contains both gold and aluminum. A stone bar and restaurant serve refreshments. The caves are just off the E16 to Voss, about 6 km from Gudvangen. Only prebooked groups can visit.