Norway Itinerary: Black Metal and Midnight Sun

Land in Bergen and settle into your boutique hotel. Decompress from your flight by heading to Heit Bergen Sauna, a wood-burning sauna right on the water. Fitted with windows, you'll take a cold plunge into the sea when you can't take the heat. It's a great jet lag cure, as it resets your nervous system - plus bonus points for making you feel like a Norwegian.

Start your day at Bryggen, the old Hanseatic wharf on the harbor. It's a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and well worth exploring. The tilted, colorful wooden buildings have been here since the 14th century. Walk the narrow passages between the buildings, and have lunch at the fish market. Then make your way to Apollon, a record store that also functions as a bar. Bergen has produced a disproportionate number of Norway's most important musicians, and Apollon is a community staple.

Before the festival kicks off tonight, spend the morning at two local museums: the Museum of Leprosy, and the Museum of Poison. It sounds grim, but these are two of Bergen's most fascinating and undervisited museums. The Museum of Leprosy will recalibrate your sense of what "a hard life" looks like. Pair it with the Museum of Poison nearby for the full macabre morning. Tonight, Beyond the Gates begins. Beyond the Gates is a black metal festival held annually in Bergen, in the city where much of the genre was born. If that's your thing, you already know why it's on this list!

Take the morning to visit Fantoft Stave Church. Yes, it is a must, but it's also accessible by public transit. This is one of the churches that was burned down by black metal enthusiasts in the early 90s - it has since been rebuilt - and standing in front of it is a surreal experience for metal fans. Varg Vikernes' former houses at Lille Markeveien 5 and Ibsensgate 45 are nearby if you want to walk that particular pilgrimage. Then, enjoy day two of the festival.

This is a good day to follow the music wherever it leads. If you need a quieter morning, the harbor at Bryggen looks different every time depending on the light, and there are good coffee spots nearby. Kråken bar is worth a visit before the evening sets - it's a dive bar in the best possible sense, and has been part of Bergen's underground scene for years. It's the kind of place you always end up talking to someone interesting. In the evening, enjoy day three of the Beyond the Gates festival.

Spend the morning at Kjellersmauet, the cobblestone alley where one of the most iconic photos in Norwegian black metal history was taken. It's at the bottom of the street and easy to miss if you don't know to look for it. Later, the Beyond the Gates festival closes out tonight - make it count!

Sleep in and enjoy some down time. You can return to anything you didn't get to earlier in the week. Try the Bergen Aquarium, which is worth your time, featuring penguins, seals, and a building right on the water. For dinner, Bergen's restaurant scene punches well above its weight. Try Bare or Lysverket for fine dining, or Pinocchio for something more casual.

Fly to Leknes, where you'll pick up your rental car and drive to Nusfjord, one of Norway's oldest and best-preserved fishing villages. It's tucked into a fjord, impossibly picturesque, and your cabin is a restored fisherman's cottage right on the waterfront. Tonight, you'll dine at Fangst - a genuinely weird (in a good way) Norwegian tasting restaurant where you'll find local seafood, foraged ingredients, and even whale on the menu.

Today, you'll road trip along the Norwegian Scenic Route, which runs the full length of the islands. Regardless of the time of year, Lofoten provides a journey through breathtaking scenery. The combination of the ocean, jagged mountain peaks, tiny sheltered fishing villages, and white beaches with crystal clear waters will never cease to enchant. Take detours to tiny villages, white sand beaches, and viewpoints that will make you stop, whether you planned to or not. In the evening, kayak under the midnight sun. Departure is at 10pm and it's exactly as surreal as it sounds.

Lofoten has a quiet but serious art scene scattered through the fishing villages, and it rewards an unhurried morning. Seek out Lofoten Wool, a fiber arts destination that's hard to leave empty-handed. In the afternoon, take a guided hike to discover the wild, untamed beauty of Svolvaer. You'll go deep into Norway's dramatic mountain landscapes to see towering peaks, panoramic fjord views, and rugged Arctic terrain for an unforgettable adventure.

Head west toward Reine, one of the most photographed places in Norway. Your last two nights are at Eliassen Rorbuer: traditional red fishermen's cabins sitting right at the water on the tiny island of Hamnøy, with the Reinefjord out the window. Settle in, then keep driving. You're in the most dramatic part of Lofoten now, and the scenic route west of here is not to be missed. In the afternoon, consider another kayaking trip through turquoise blue waters surrounding the unique and beautiful small islands of Lofoten.

If you're feeling ambitious, tackle the Reinebringen hike, which brings you to a panoramic view of Reine, Hamnøy, and Sakrisøya. You'll take a trail built by Nepalese Sherpas (really!) and see how these villages are connected by bridges, surrounded by mountains. Or, explore by kayak today, seeing the Reinefjord from a different perspective. In Reine and Hamnøy, pause for photos from iconic viewpoints and traditional fish drying racks. In the evening, enjoy a Norwegian-Italian fusion meal and one more sauna.

Have a slow breakfast in the cabin, enjoy the sauna, and walk to the water. If you haven't made it to the goat cheese farm in Saupstad yet, this morning is your chance: Lofoten Gårdsysteri will let you make your own cheese, meet the goats, and drink organic coffee with a plate of things they produced themselves. Drive to Leknes, and fly onward with a full camera reel, and a very solid argument for why Norway in summer belongs on everyone's short list.