RENDEZVOUS WITH A MUSK-OX

Your Norwegian family adventure begins in Alesund, a charming Art Nouveau town and sea port on Norway’s west coast. Ravaged by fire in 1904, the town was rebuilt in the trendy Jugendstil style you see today, and the buildings painted in bright pastel colours. The story of the city’s rebirth is told a Jugendstil Senteret, a museum housed in a beautiful old pharmacy. At the Sunnmore Museum, Alesund’s shipping heritage is celebrated with exhibitions of historic boats, including a trading ship dating from 1000AD.

A short drive from the city centre is the Atlanterhavsparken aquarium, where the fauna of the Norwegian coastline and Atlantic Ocean can be observed and interacted, with regular fish feeding throughout the day. Your family will spend one night at Hotel Brosundet, a luxurious hotel in a converted Art Nouveau warehouse on the waterfront.

Taking to the road again, your next stop is Hovringen, a mountainous area a little over an hour’s drive from Kongsvoll. You will spend two nights at Brekkeseter, a charming hotel and collection of log cabins on the borders of Rondane National Park. Making the most of the region’s stunning natural scenery, you’ll go rafting on the Sjoa River, a great activity for adults and kids alike; trips are available of varying difficulty for kids as young as 7 up to older children of 18 and above.

Other guided activities on offer include canyoning, riverboarding and horse riding in Rondane National Park. You can also embark on a trekking tour through the park, where you’ll learn about the flora and fauna as you climb its peaks and meander along its trails - and get quizzed on what you’ve learned afterwards in a team competition!

Departing Alesund, you’ll embark on a three-and-a-half hour drive inland to Kongsvoll. A must-do activity in this area is a musk ox safari, where you can see these prehistoric beasts up close in their natural habitat, led by a knowledgeable guide who will also teach you about the region’s other wildlife such as the moose. A great activity to combine with the musk ox safari is a trip to the Norwegian Wild Reindeer Pavilion, a stunning structure of glass and wood from which you can observe Europe’s last herd of wild reindeer.

The next stop on your Norwegian family adventure is Aurland, a rural valley with beautiful scenery and a beautiful spot from which to explore Norway’s magnificent fjords. You’ll stay at 29/2 Aurland, a collection of luxurious log cabins on a family-run farm, where you’ll enjoy a programme of guided outdoor activities. Beginning with a welcome drink and introduction to the farm and the surrounding landscape, you’ll then enjoy a dinner of traditional regional cuisine, based on local produce like mountain trout, reindeer and goat.

The next day, you’ll head up to the spectacular Stegastein lookout platform, driving through the world’s longest tunnel en route, before biking back to the farm down winding mountain roads. The next two days will be spent on traditional rowing boats on the fjord, hiking to nearby farms, and walking to the nearby Turlidfossen waterfall.

Your journey ends in Bergen, Norway’s second city, which lies around two-and-a-half hours’ drive from Aurland on Norway’s western coast. A historic city with thriving cultural, artistic and gourmet scenes, Bergen’s historic wooden wharf, Bryggen, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Your home for two nights is the Clarion Collection Hotel Havnekontoret, a stylish hotel housed in a historic neoclassical building. During your time in Bergen, it’s well worth checking out the lively Fish Market (which also sells other food as well as handicrafts and souvenirs), which is open all day, every day during the summer months.

There are also several art galleries, including KODE 3, which is home to one of the world’s finest Edvard Munch collections, and the Edvard Grieg Museum, where the composer summered for many years. A great way to spend an afternoon is on the quaint Floibanen funicular railway, which follows a scenic route from the city centre to the peak of Mount Floyen, with panoramic views of the city below and the fjords and ocean beyond.

After two nights in Bergen, your Norwegian family adventure has come to an end, and you’ll fly home.