Norway

Norway is ranked as “The happiest country” in the world, on criteria such as freedom, honesty, welfare, good health, and generosity. Norway is a once-in-a-lifetime destination and the essence of its appeal is remarkably simple: this is one of the most beautiful countries on earth. Impossibly steep-sided Norwegian fjords of extraordinary beauty cut gashes from a jagged coastline deep into the interior. Glaciers, grand and glorious, cascade down from icefields that rank among Europe's largest. The mountainous terrain of Norway's interior resembles the ramparts of so many natural fortresses and yields to rocky coastal islands that rise improbably from the waters like apparitions. Then, of course, there's the primeval appeal, the spare and staggering beauty of the Arctic. Wherever you find yourself in Norway, these landscapes serve as a backdrop for some of Europe's prettiest villages. When it comes to wildlife, Norway has few peers in Europe. Here you can watch whales – humpback, sperm and orca, depending on the season – off Andenes, Stø or Tromsø, while the interior offers up wild reindeer atop Hardangervidda and elsewhere, prehistoric musk oxen, ponderous elk or beguiling Arctic foxes. Birdwatching, too, is a highlight, from the puffins of Bleik to the migratory seabirds of Runde and Varanger. The real prizes inhabit Norway's High Arctic, in Svalbard, where polar bears and walruses are the poster species for a wilderness of rare and dramatic beauty.