Stryn sits in western Norway where glaciers meet fjords, creating this weird geographic mashup that feels like someone copy-pasted different biomes together. The town itself is small—about 3,500 people—but it's basically the gateway to some of Norway's most dramatic landscapes, including the Jostedalsbreen glacier, Europe's largest mainland ice cap.

Here's what's wild: Stryn has a summer ski resort on the Stryn Glacier that operates when everywhere else is green. Professional skiers train here in July while tourists sunbathe in the valley below. The area also produces a specific type of apple that shouldn't technically grow this far north, but microclimates from the fjords make it possible.

Visit June through August for hiking and glacier tours, or May for fewer crowds and spring skiing combo. Stryn is about 2.5 hours from Ålesund Airport by car, or you can take the coastal Hurtigruten ship that stops at nearby ports. The town connects to the famous Geirangerfjord, just 20 minutes away by car through some seriously twisty mountain roads.

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