GEIRANGER, NORWAY — As a tourist, the list of things you can see and do in this Nordic beauty certainly won’t leave you bored. There’s towering Medieval cathedrals to visit, ferry and train rides through breathtakingly beautiful landscape to take, ancient castles and modern museums to explore, sports like skiing to enjoy, and even a visit to the Arctic Circle can be arranged, if you wish.
For me, though, there’s nothing more exhilarating than to stand atop a jagged cliff and peer down into a Norwegian fjord, marvelling at its size and jaw-dropping beauty as the wind whips up from the yawning gorge and kisses my cheeks.
It’s the magic of the fjords that keeps drawing me back to this country the natives call Norge or Noreg.
Actually, there’s lots of fjords in Norway — 1,190 to be exact — but the one that will always stand out in my memory is Geirangerfjord, located in the country’s awe-inspiring Sunnmøre region, which lies northwest of Bergen and not far from Aalesund
My heart races and my pulse quickens when I look down on this gift from Mother Nature, which is surrounded by majestic, snow-capped mountain peaks, wild waterfalls and lush vegetation.

Above: Cruise ship passengers get a bird's eye view after a joy ride to the top of a lookout.

The deep blue waters of this UNESCO-protected natural beauty shimmer even on a gloomy, overcast day. And the thundering sound of waterfalls cascading down the mountain walls that protect this legendary landmark sends a chill down my spine.
Most people come here on cruise ships and are escorted by guides on buses to the top of Mount Dalsnibba, where they get a panoramic view of Geirangerfjord and the surrounding splendour.
That was my plan when our ship docked at Geiranger, the gateway to the aptly named fjord. But I’m told we’d be passing through Geirangerfjord at dawn, so that allows me time to visit the area’s two renowned waterfalls, Seven Sisters and Suitor, beforehand.
Standing 410m, Seven Sisters is the 39th tallest waterfall in Norway and consists of seven separate streams — “sisters” — that run down the face of the cliff in unison. Directly across from the Seven Sisters rumbles the Suitor waterfall, a single but powerful stream that tumbles 250m into the fjord.
Legend has it that the Suitor is trying to woo the Seven Sisters standing across from it.

Above: Waterfalls known as the Three Sisters cascade into the fjord like giant silk ribbons.

What a flirt!
After docking at Geiranger, I and other passengers are shepherded onto a tour bus and taken to Mount Dalsnibba. The only thing more exhilarating than the view one gets from the peak is the white knuckle ride it takes to get to the top of the 1,500m-high mountain. I still tremble weeks later.
The driver, sitting behind the wheel of a bus that seems to be the size of a football field, makes about a dozen hairpin turns before we reach the top. With each narrow turn, I hold my breath, afraid that one tiny movement, or one exhale, will send us barreling down the side of the mountain.
The view I get from the top, though, is well worth the heart palpitations.
Despite being summer in Norway at the time of my visit, the surrounding mountains, including Mount Dalsnibba, are covered in a light blanket of snow.

Above: The snow-capped mountains surrounding the fjord are the icing on the cake.

Everything below — the fjord, the serene water, even our cruise ship — looks so tiny.
 I feel so small standing amidst this grandeur.
Before heading back to the ship, our trusty driver takes  us to Eagle’s Bend, another lookout point that’s located on the opposite side of the fjord. The views are equally impressive.
As I stand inhaling the fresh mountain air and marvel at the eye candy stretched out below my feet, I’m left speechless. Then again, few words can describe the lasting impression Norway’s Geirangerfjord leaves on you.