Anne Edwards heads to the land of the midnight sun...

As I packed my case for my trip to Norway I considered what I knew about the country. The Norwegian entry famously scored nil points before we did in the Eurovision Song Contest. And they send us a Christmas tree each year to mark the role we played in the Second World War - oh, and they have these big rivers with a funny name - fjords.

What shameful ignorance! From my first glimpse of a fjord I was utterly captivated. Scoured out by rivers of ice millions of years ago, they are magnificent monuments to the power and beauty of nature. Deep veins of icy cold water run into the Norwegian countryside. They have soaring mountains on either side, many snow-capped and a few bearing the remnants of those great Ice Age glaciers.

I was given a taste of Saga Holidays' Fjordland Splendour itinerary and, I can assure you, it left me hungry for more. We spent our first night at the historic Hotel Ullensvang in the village of Lofthus, overlooking the dramatic Hardangerfjord.

Norway was shimmering in unusually high summer temperatures during our stay but dipping a toe into the fjord was still enough to send me straight into the hotel's indoor heated pool! A hardier companion told me it was 'lovely once you get in' but admitted the getting in was 'brutal'.

A short drive from Lofthus brought us to the Hardangervidda Nature Centre at the foot of the spectacular Voringsfossen waterfall. I was struck by the comparative silence as I stood outside the centre. What bliss to be so far from the constant din of city life!

The centre provides a wealth of information about the natural history of the area in an accessible way that should appeal to young and old. We enjoyed the lively exhibitions, hands-on activities and clever special effects and came away feeling we had learned something.

The next day we embarked on a tour - Norway in a Nutshell - featuring a memorable rail journey and a boat trip along the country's longest fjord, the Sognefjord.

We arrived at the pretty town of Flam at lunchtime and spent time browsing the souvenir shops. The second part of our nutshell tour saw us boarding the ferry which was to take us on the long stretch of the gorgeous Sognefjord to Balestrand and the remarkable Kviknes Hotel.

The first view you have of Kviknes is of a stunningly beautiful Swiss-style building with all the charm and grace of the Edwardian era in which it was built.

But, wait a minute, what is that looming up behind? This is the bad bit - a 1960s extension of grey concrete looking very much like a multi-storey car park. Unfortunately, there are plans to extend in a similar style, and I only hope they don't.

But for now, despite the car park, Balestrand is still a very pretty place indeed, a dream spot for anyone interested in photography or painting. During our stay we took the ferry north to visit the Jostedal glacier and museum.

We were sad to say goodbye to Balestrand, but the final part of our tour proved the real highlight for me. We boarded the ferry once again and took the long journey to Bergen, a world heritage city that proudly describes itself as 'The Gateway to the Fjords'.

It is most famous for its colourful harbour, in particular a row of centuries-old wooden warehouses in the area which still bears the old name Bryggen. Take the funicular high up into the hillside to get a panoramic view of the city and surrounding fjords, then come down and wander around the fish market. As well as a huge variety of beautifully fresh seafood, there are lots of farmers' market-type stalls and a good range of crafts and souvenirs.

Norway has recently introduced a blanket no-smoking policy. It seems to be working remarkably well for a population which, I was surprised to learn, has a high proportion of smokers. Call me a killjoy but it is very nice to be in a smoke and lager lout-free environment. In fact, I'm pining for the fjords already and look forward to sailing those serene waters again.

FACTFILE:

Our trip was based on Saga's Fjordland Splendour holiday, which costs from £999 for ten nights (May 2, 2005 departure) with scheduled flights from Gatwick to Bergen.

Single supplement £299 per person on all dates, subject to availability.

The free booking telephone number for Saga Holidays is 0800 056 5880 or log on to the website www.sagaholidays.co.uk.

We flew with SAS Scandinavian Arlines. Call SAS on 0870 60 727 727 or visit www.scandinavian.net for low fair offers.