Norway counts as many as 40 national parks (33 on the mainland, and 7 on Svalbard), and deciding on which one(s) to include in your itinerary can be tricky. Here are some of the most popular:

- Jotunheimen: Literally ‘home of the giants’, this is where you’ll find Norway’s highest peaks. Prime hiking territory in summer.

- Rondane: Vegetation is sparse in these barren mountains because of altitude and climate, but this desolate landscape has inspired many artists.

- Dovrefjell: Home to the majestic Snøhetta, and the rare musk ox, a survivor of the last ice age.

- Hardangervidda: Europe’s largest mountainous plateau, home to a large herd of wild reindeer. Arctic plants and animals such as the Arctic fox and the snowy owl can also be found here.

- Jostedalsbreen: The largest glacier in mainland Europe, 80km long. A great place to try a glacier walk.

- Femundsmarka: Between Hedmark and Sør-Trondelag, an area with myriad lakes and streams, popular with anglers.

- Salftjellet – Svartisen: The largest ice sheet in Scandinavia, with polished marble caves and underground rivers.

- Ytre Hvaler: Europe’s first marine national park, in Østfold (jointly with Koster NP in Sweden, on the other side of the border). Home to rare deep-sea corals, as well as seals, reef sharks and colonies of seabirds.

- Øvre Pasvik: The largest area of primeval forest in Finnmark, home to a population of brown bears.

- Nord-vest Spitsbergen, Svalbard: Arctic landscape and rich wildlife, including large colonies of sea birds, reindeer and walrus.