in Northern Europe, where the mountains meet the sea - it's the best of Western Norway.

Thanks for joining us.

Rugged is putting it mildly when it comes to 80 percent of Norway. Historically, it

was a challenging place in which to live. That's why Vikings ventured south and that's

why so many people here chose to leave and settle in America. But today, when you explore

the west of Norway - with its majestic mountains and fjords - you'll find plenty of reason

not to leave...but to visit.

We start in what's called Giant's Country - Jotunheimen. High in the mountains, we'll

hike on Europe's biggest glacier, then descend into fjord beauty. We'll take scenic cruises,

see how medieval peasants lived...and where they worshipped, before enjoying Norway's

historic capital with its Hanseatic heritage, a little high Norwegian culture, and its rugged

love of life.

Norway is long and skinny. It stretches nearly the length of America's west coast. We'll

zero in on the scenic west - along the biggest of the fjords, Sognefjord, with stops in Jotunheimem,

the Jostedal Glacier, Solvorn, Flam, Balestrand, and Bergen.

This is Jotunheim or home of the giants - a high plateau that feels like the top of the

world. These are northern Europe's highest peaks and they're steeped in Norse legends

and folk lore.

This is the land of Thor and Odin whose spirits still inhabit the misty peaks.

For centuries villagers trekked across this pass to reach the coast. It was an arduous

journey. But, today crossing it's a pleasure. At 4,600 feet, the Sognefjell road is Norway's

highest pass. At this latitude, even these modest altitudes take us high above the tree

line with snow through the summer.

Norway's lunar-like mountain-scapes and deep fjords were shaped by glaciers that covered

most of the Continent 10,000 years ago. Europe's largest surviving glacier, Jostedal is still

hard at work. It covers 180 square miles and - though shrinking - is still mighty.

Of the many tongues of the glacier, this one - called Nigardsbreen - offers the best visit.

The valley comes with a quintessential glacier view. The approach includes a cruise across

the glacial lake. The scale is enormous and blue cliffs of ancient ice dwarf awestruck

visitors. Park guides lash on crampons and rope up adventurous travelers in preparation

for an icy hike.

While there are more demanding Nigardsbreen routes, I'm joining a family hike - just an

hour, but offering a unforgettable experience and bringing you face to face with the power

and majesty of nature.

While tentative at first, hikers soon gain confidence in their crampons as they climb

high onto the glacier.

75 years ago, this glacier filled most of this valley. Guides teach a respect for nature

and any visit heightens one's awareness of the impact of climate change.

Rivers of ice like this carved huge valleys creating the defining feature of Norway's

landscape - the fjords.

Those glaciers - as much as a mile thick - spent eons carving up western Norway as they worked

their way to the sea. Slowly, they gouged u-shaped valleys that later filled with water.

The distance from seabed to mountaintop around here is as much as 9000 feet - nearly two

vertical miles. Dramatic waterfalls continue to cut into the mountains.

This viewpoint makes sure car hikers get out and appreciate the view. Sognefjord is Norway's

biggest and that's the one we're exploring. Of its many arms, the most scenic is called

Nærøyfjord.

Rain or shine, traditional ferries offer a relaxing yet thrilling fjord experience. These

ferries, while popular with tourists, are the lifeline of many fjord-side communities.

Some remote farms are connected to the outside world only by ferry. Mail is dropped and visitors

come and go by request.

And the visual highlight of this ride, Nærøyfjord is ten miles long and breathtakingly narrow

- as little as 800 feet wide.

Guide: So we ready to go? Rick: Let's go!

For an exhilarating alternative, we're suiting up for a much speedier tour with the Fjord

Safari company.

Survival suits keep everyone cozy and comfortable at thrillingly high speeds. Our guide, Rune,

knows all the interesting stops.

Man: Long way down. Rick: Long way down!

Guide: So this is what \makes this fjords in Norway so special, cause it's steep, steep

walls down in the fjord everywhere. And this glacier's a very big glacier. And this is

only a little part of the glacier so it continues 100 meters down, it's very deep there.

This western region is important to the people of Norway. After four centuries of Danish

rule, the soul of the country was nearly lost. Then with independence and a constitution

in the early 1800s, there was a national resurgence and people from the cities celebrated their

Norwegian-ness by coming here to fjord country.

Along with those first tourists came artists. Romantic painters and writers were inspired

by the mountains plunging into the fjords and by the dramatic light. Paintings romanticized

both the nature and the traditional folk life it fostered.

For a present day taste of this romanticism, I like the mellow town of Solvorn with its

dramatic fjord-side setting. This sleepy village, with colorful boathouses lining its waterfront,

seems contentedly trapped in the past.

Solvorn's charming Walaker Hotel harkens back to the early days of tourism. A former inn

and coach station, it's been in the family since 1690. And nine generations later, Ole

Henrik keeps the tradition alive. A charming ambiance pervades the place. Relaxing before

dinner, guests feel right at home in the salon.

Dinner, served in this genteel elegance, caps a beautiful day. The menu is modern Norwegian.

It's based on local ingredients - many of them pulled right out of the fjord. We're

starting with scallops from just off shore. On a summer evening the twilight lingers causing

people to do the same. Our main course is arctic char from the north of Norway. To enjoy

the full effect of this fjord-side setting, I take my coffee and dessert out to the porch.

The berries, picked right out of their garden, go perfectly with the view.

The most scenic train ride in all of northern Europe connects visitors from Oslo and Bergen

to all this wonder by climbing over the mountainous spine of Norway.

The Trans-Norway line, an engineering marvel when completed in 1909, was important because

it laced together the nation. Today tourists follow the same route with a series of efficient

connections enjoying a quick and easy dose of Norway's best scenery.

Along with a scenic boat ride up Nærøyfjord, a highlight is this little train that takes

travelers from the main line in the mountains steeply down to the fjords. This popular day

trip is nicknamed "Norway in a Nutshell."

Passengers savor every scenic moment. Scenes glide by like a movie. The train stops at

a misty waterfall. The surprise appearance of mythic Nordic water maidens titillates

tourists. As we descend into the fertile valley, farms appear. Finally, the train hits the

fjord, where passengers catch a ferry for the next leg of Norway in a Nutshell.

Travelers with their own wheels can dig deeper into fjord country - just like those glaciers

did in the last Ice Age. For me, driving in Norway can be treacherous - not because of

the speed or traffic - but because of the scenery...it's simply hard to keep your eyes

on the road. In this rugged terrain, tunnels and fjord crossings provide valuable shortcuts.

Little car ferries make strategic crossings, allowing even the driver to fully enjoy the

views.

And tunnels - this one's the world's longest for cars, at 15 miles - save lots of time.

To help drivers stay awake, there are rest chambers with colored lights mid-tunnel. Norwegians

are making massive infrastructure investments to link their people and industries..

While breath-taking scenery is everywhere you look, the history is harder to see. For

most of its past, Norway was extremely humble. While wealthier parts of Europe were building

grand churches and castles of stone, most of Norway's architecture was made of wood.

Fires were almost routine, and little survives from centuries past.

This is the wet and wild homeland of the Vikings - whose culture lasted about three centuries

from roughly 800 to 1100. Setting sail from here, in their tough boats, they settled Iceland,

Greenland, and even made it to America. And Viking raiders terrorized much of Europe for

generations.

This mound marks the grave of one of those Viking rulers. Like the Egyptians, the Vikings

believed in a life after death. And they believed you could take it with you. That's why when

graves are excavated, archeologists find everything from jewelry and weapons to cooking pots and

even boats.

The end of the Viking age with its pagan Norse gods is marked by the coming of Christianity

to Norway in the 12th century. Those medieval Norwegians, now tamed, took their boat-building

skills and rather than sleek ships to raid in, they built fine wooden churches to pray

in.

These traditional Norwegian churches are called stave churches. While there were over a thousand

such churches in Norway back in the 1300s, today, only a couple dozen survive. The Borgund

Stave Church is one of the best.

Stave churches were supported by stout pine poles - or "staves" - and slathered with a

protective coat of black tar. Wood was plentiful and cheap. While the basic design reflects

the simple technology of the age, more elaborate examples like this one stand as proud testaments

to the culture.

Remarkable carvings survive - evoking the pagan roots of these early Norwegian Christians.

Stylized dragons - reminiscent of those that once adorned Viking ships - probably functioned

like gargoyles - to keep evil spirits at bay.

This building has changed little since it was built in 1180. Interiors were stark and

dark with tiny windows and simple X-shaped crosses of St. Andrew. The architecture guides

your gaze upwards, towards heaven. The people who filled these churches often walked hours

to worship.

Many hiked from tiny hamlets formed by several farms joining together. Otternes is one such

farm village perched high above a fjord.

Today, Otternes welcomes visitors with a rare look at Norway of old. It's an evocative huddle

of a couple dozen weathered farm buildings - many of which date from the 1700s. The farmstead's

population dwindled a century ago, when - like so many Norwegians - its residents emigrated

to America in hopes of a better life. Still, a handful of farmers remained, eking out a

living here until just a generation ago.

Laila Kvellestad works hard to make the story of Otternes a living history.

Rick: So I'm curious about how this community was organized.

Laila: Yeah and this was four farms, four families, who lived here.

Rick: So why not one family here and one family there? Why four families together:

Laila: You know to live in this area it was very hard life. So they learned to work together

and learned to share the reserves so they could survive.

Rick: So

this was an active farm actually until the last generation.

Laila: Yes and Eilert he lived here till 1980. Rick: So there was a man named Eilert?

Laila: Yeah. He was the last one. Rick: Now this looks like he left it yesterday.

Laila: Yes. And his last wish was we should try to take care of this house almost like

it was when he died. Rick: And you're doing exactly that.

Laila: We try to do it yes.

Today the action's down at sea level. Ferries are a lifeline of the economy - helping both

locals go about their lives and visitors efficiently explore these fjords. Just across Sognefjord

lies Balestrand.

Little Balestrand is dwarfed by the mountainous scenery. With its functional harbor front

and inviting marina, it serves as a springboard for local adventures. It flourished in the

19th century, as a resort when Romantic "Grand Tour" visitors came from far and wide to enjoy

its dramatic setting.

As a matter of fact, these simple steps were built for the German Emperor. Back before

WWI brought the Romantic age to a halt, Germany's Kaiser Wilhelm spent five summers communing

with nature right here.

Those glory days of early tourism still echo in the venerable Kviknes Hotel, which remains

the grande dame of Balestrand.

In its fine old dining room, the Kviknes offers a classic Norwegian smorgasbord.

For locals, this all-you-can-eat extravaganza is traditionally a feast enjoyed on holidays.

But for travelers it's an any-day-of-the-week opportunity to over-indulge in Norwegian cuisine.

Pace yourself with small plates through many courses. Begin with an enticing variety of

seafood - mackerel, eel, smoked salmon, pickled herring and more. And the selection ranges

from rutabagas to reindeer. It all culminates with a rich spread of local cheeses and berries.

Guests enjoy their coffee in the same rustic elegance that kept those first aristocratic

visitors coming back.

While the beauty of these fjords has changed little in the last century, today getting

around is a different story. From the heart of fjord country, the fast boat has us in

the biggest city in the West of Norway in just a couple hours.

Bergen is Norway's second city after Oslo. Situated just one sheltering island from the

open sea, it's long provided ships a safe port of call. It's a busy working port. It's

popular with cruise ships and an essential refuge when heavy winds drive in the boats

that serve the North Sea oil rigs. Much of Norway's current affluence is fueled by the

oil it drills just off shore.

Visitors enjoy charming cobbled streets which surround the harbor and climb the encircling

hills. Bergen's popular funicular rises high above the city offering commanding views.

Surveying the surrounding islands and fjords, it's clear why this city is known as the Gateway

to Fjord Country.

Back down at the harbor, the bustling fish market has become a food circus of eateries

selling fishy treats to tourists. Eager merchants provide tasty samples and they'll happily

assemble a plate to order.

This fine harbor has a long history. Seven hundred years ago, local kings established

Bergen as Norway's first capital. The 13th-century Håkon's Hall was part of the royal residence.