Olden is one of the most rewarding stops on a Norwegian Fjords cruise — a small village with big scenery, where glaciers, waterfalls and mountain landscapes combine to create an experience that is quite different from the more famous fjord ports further south. It is the gateway to the Briksdalsbreen glacier, one of the most accessible and spectacular glacier arms in Norway, and the surrounding Oldedalen valley is one of the most beautiful in the country.

The Briksdalsbreen glacier is the main attraction — an arm of the vast Jostedalsbreen ice cap (the largest glacier in mainland Europe) that descends into a valley of extraordinary beauty. The walk from the car park to the glacier takes about 45 minutes each way, following the Oldeelva river through a landscape of waterfalls, birch trees and mountain farms. At the foot of the glacier lies a milky-blue glacial lake, fed by meltwater from the ice above, whose colour ranges from pale turquoise to deep blue depending on the light.

For those who prefer not to walk, traditional open-sided "troll cars" run from the car park to the glacier, following the river through the valley. The journey takes about 20 minutes each way and offers excellent views of the waterfalls and mountain scenery along the route.

The Oldedalen valley itself is a delight to explore — a long, narrow valley stretching from the village of Olden to the glacier, lined with waterfalls and flanked by mountains rising steeply on both sides. The valley walk is one of the most beautiful in the Norwegian Fjords and can be done at any pace. In spring and early summer, the volume of water in the waterfalls is at its most impressive, fed by snowmelt from the mountains above.

Olden sits at the inner end of the Nordfjord — a long, wide fjord stretching 106 kilometres from the open sea. The fjord is less visited than Geirangerfjord or Sognefjord but has a quiet, pastoral beauty of its own, with farms and orchards lining the shores and mountains rising steeply on both sides. The village itself is small and charming, with a pretty wooden church dating from 1759 and a handful of cafes and shops.