Photo by Malin Longva
Living on the edge – where the fjords shape the people
It takes guts to live where the road ends and the mountains begin. Meet the tough (and slightly bonkers) Norwegians who’ve been living off the beaten path for generations.
Norway’s fjords are more than just a scenic backdrop – they’re geological mic drops.
Visitors come for the beauty, sure. But stay long enough, and you’ll realize each fjord has its own quirks, legends, and surprises.
To live here, you need a special kind of spirit. A bit tougher. A bit wilder. Maybe even a bit mad, at least compared to city folk. Because fjord life isn’t just scenic – it’s serious business.
“We wanted to avoid getting stuck in the hamster wheel”
Living the dream by the fjord
Hardangerfjorden is Norway’s fruit basket, lined with orchards that burst into blossom every spring. But don’t be fooled – this fjord can whip up rough weather like nobody’s business.
A couple who swapped the city noise for the slow burn of fjord life are Caroline Steine and Harald Andreassen. After working as civil engineers and living on a boat in Stavanger – inspired by the houseboats they saw on the Seine in Paris – they quit their jobs in 2018 and set sail for Europe.
“We wanted to avoid getting stuck in the hamster wheel,” Caroline says.
But just two days into their journey, they were offered the chance to run a bed & breakfast in Hardanger for a few months. So they turned the boat around and headed north.
“It was a great way to test if we could work together as a couple. Plus, we met so many kind and interesting people. It left us wanting more,” she says.
Photo by Malin Longva
That “more” came in the form of a tip from a local glacier guide about an 1889 hotel for sale on a pier deeper into Hardangerfjorden. They drove there, peeked through the windows – and fell in love. Since then, Caroline and Harald – now also parents – have been running Hotel Sundal with their dog Frøya, offering glacier view, a fjord-facing sauna, and local food that tells a story.
“When we got the tip, we were like, ‘what, an empty hotel in Hardanger?’ But when we saw it, we could feel the soul of the place,” says Caroline. “We had this dream of living closer to the fjord and the mountains, so the choice felt natural.”
Photo by Malin Longva
Built for wildness
Living this kind of life off the beaten path takes a certain mindset, Caroline admits.
“You have to be solution-oriented and have a lot of drive. That goes for both running the hotel and living here in general. Nothing sorts itself out. You can’t just pop to the store for everything. There’s always something to fix – and the biggest shortage here is time.”
Luckily, the social network of locals makes things work. From firewood and materials for restoration to the best ingredients for their restaurant, the surrounding fjord communities keep Hotel Sundal running.
Photo by Malin Longva
“It’s all about making the right choice at every level. We serve local food full of nutrients, that tastes amazing, and supports jobs along the fjord – nothing makes more sense.”
Caroline
Photo by Malin Longva
And while the daily grind can be unpredictable – especially when juggling so many roles – there’s something grounding about being so close to the raw source of life.
“The best part of living like this is the closeness to nature,” she says. “Right now, I’m looking at the mirror-still fjord, snow on the mountaintops, fruit trees in bloom, and birds singing. It’s a much tougher life, physically – but it brings us closer to the kind of wildness humans are built for.”
Photo by Malin Longva
From cliffhangers to drama queens
While life in Hardanger is something special, it’s far from the only fjord with a story to tell. All along the coast, from the quiet arms of the Sognefjord to the wild cliffs of Geiranger, each fjord has its own rhythm, its own rules – and its own kind of magic.
Here's a closer look at some other fjords that deserve a place on your map.
Lysefjorden
With cliffs that drop 1000 meters straight into the water, Lysefjorden is no place for vertigo. Home to Preikestolen and Kjeragbolten, it’s a magnet for thrill-seekers and mountain goats (the two are often hard to tell apart). Life here is lived in layers – geological, physical and emotional – and you either learn to love heights, or you leave.
Sognefjorden
At 205 kilometers long and over 1300 meters deep, Sognefjorden is not trying to impress you – it just does. This is a fjord with presence. Ferries are lifelines, tunnels are epic, and the views? Utterly unreasonable. If you wake up grumpy here, check again – you might just be overwhelmed.
Photo by Visit Sognefjord
Nærøyfjorden
UNESCO didn’t put Nærøyfjorden on the list for fun. This fjord is postcard perfection – narrow as a hallway, flanked by cliffs, waterfalls, and tiny farms that served as an inspiration for Arendelle in the 2013 Disney blockbuster Frozen. Getting here is easy, but leaving is hard.
Photo by Øyvind Heen | Visit Norway
Geirangerfjorden
Geirangerfjorden has no chill. The Seven Sisters waterfalls? Check. Eagle Road? Check. But beneath all the drama lies a fierce beauty – and a community that knows how to live between tourists and thunderstorms.
Fun fact: One of the waterfalls is called “The Suitor,” and legend has it that he's forever trying to reach the Seven Sisters across the fjord.
Hjørundfjorden
Fewer crowds, sharper peaks, more personality. Hjørundfjorden is where locals ski down to their mailboxes and joke that flat ground is just a rumor. It’s raw, rugged, and deeply loved by those who thrive on space, solitude, and the sound of snow falling in the forest.
The surrounding Sunnmøre Alps attract skiers and hikers from around the world, and some routes actually end in the fjord itself.
Questions about our tours?
Read more stories from Norway
Our tours to the fjords