-Funding for this series has been provided in part by the following.

[ Wind whistling ] -Seafood from Norway.

♪♪ -Telemark, a world of culture and history where nature knows no bounds, with the flavors of local delicacies.

Adventure awaits in Telemark.

[ Jet engine roaring ] ♪♪ ♪♪ -Welcome to "People of the North" from Balestrand, where we are going to try and find a little bit of winter and a lot of spring in this same program, mountain, fjords.

It's going to be an adventure, Stig, hey?

♪♪ Join me on a journey where we will meet people who live, work, and enjoy life right here in the Far North.

I'm Arne Hjeltnes and I'm going to show you some exotic places and interesting people up North.

-I'm Stig Bareksten, and I will find good beverages and the nice flavors of the North.

-I'm Sigrid and I'm looking for some lovely local ingredients for a good meal.

-Welcome to "People of the North."

♪♪ To start off, we need to find someone to get us out on the magnificent, clear fjord.

We're waiting for someone called Captain Tor.

-Yeah.

-I guess it has something to do with the water.

-I think so, since he's a captain and there is a boat.

-A couple of boats.

-A couple of boats.

-This looks like a captain.

-[ Laughs ] [ Horn squeaks ] -You look like Captain Tor.

-Yes, I am.

-Famous.

-Of course.

[ Laughter ] -Good to meet you.

-Welcome to Balestrand.

Let's jump into it.

It's a beautiful day.

-He's a quick captain, this Tor.

-Stig, welcome.

Just like a Viking.

-Is this your ship?

-This is plain and simple.

The best way to experience the fjords in.

-Is that your philosophy, just let the fjord take you in?

-Yes.

-I don't know.

I was just trying to be philosophical.

-[ Laughs ] -It didn't work very well.

-It didn't work.

-Okay.

♪♪ -Balestrand became very popular.

It was very exotic.

People in Europe were actually tired of the Riviera and all the famous places down in Monaco and things like that.

So they wanted to go North, to see the fjords, to experience the snow, drink fresh water from the rivers, and all these people who come to Balestrand, they needed a place to stay.

So they decided to build Kviknes Hotel and it became Europe's biggest wood hotel.

That's Larry, my seagull, behind it.

♪♪ -Look over there.

Norwegian blonde...

This is our surprise today.

-But this is our Sigrid.

It's always nice to see Sigrid.

-Sigrid, safety first.

Take my hand.

Let's dance in the boat.

-Whoo!

[ Laughs ] -And to see that she receives the same warm welcome as we did.

-Okay, Sigrid, this is your turf.

-[ Laughs ] Perfect.

♪♪ Ah.

-Oh, lovely.

You can't get it fresher than this.

This, Sigrid... -Yeah, this is -- -...is a really big avalanche.

-In the middle of the winter came a lot of snow.

And maybe put some layers on with wind in the top.

And then they can take farms.

They can take boats.

-When do you think this happened?

-One and a half months ago maybe, two months ago.

-Good thing we were not here a month ago.

-[ Chuckles ] Very good.

[ Laughs ] ♪♪ Oy!

-Keep this.

♪♪ -High-five.

-I like this.

♪♪ -Is this how people used to live in there?

-Yes.

This is...a common way to live in the past.

In this region, they put up zip lines to cut firewood and send to Bergen and also to the big hotels because of the tourism.

-But they didn't have any roads.

-Yes, but Sognefjord was the main road.

Everyone had a rowing boat.

-So we are actually on the highway?

-Exactly.

You are on the highway.

You can go from here to Seattle if you want.

-[ Laughs ] That's true, even with your boat, Captain Tor.

-A little too small, but it's perfect in the fjords.

-I trust you.

Our port of call with Captain Tor is at the end of the wonderful Fjaerlandsfjorden by the foot of the glaciers.

♪♪ -What is the story about the Norwegian Book Town in little Fjaerland?

-It's about keeping the place alive and keeping the books alive and available.

We use many of the empty buildings for books.

At the moment they are mostly Norwegian here, but we have here is only English.

We have a lot of books in English, German, other languages because we get books from other countries, from tourists.

-The books are standing out here.

People can stop and just come by and pick a book.

Does it work well?

Do people -- Do people pay?

-Yes, I think so.

-Fantastic.

So it's based on trust?

-Yes, but most of our books are inside, in the store.

-Controlled forms.

-Yes.

-I'd like to contribute to this fantastic idea of keeping books alive and to keep people here in Fjaerland busy and happy.

We love it.

♪♪ In Fjaerland, a lovely bath is extra refreshing since this is pure glacier water.

♪♪ So how cold do you think it was?

-8, 10 degrees Celsius maybe.

-Yeah.

So that's around 47 Fahrenheit.

-Yeah, but it was refreshing, refreshing.

-We have a glacier.

-Yeah, it's feeding the fjord with the chilled water.

-So this is glacier water.

-It is.

-That's why you need a sauna in order to jump in because it's really refreshing when you get the heat and then the cold and the sun.

It's winter up there.

Spring down here.

-It's perfect.

-While Sigrid and I continue our adventure on land, Stig and Captain Tor is not ready to give up their fishing expedition.

Stig is always willing to try his luck as a fisherman.

-So what do you think we will catch on this net?

-Well, halibut, codfish, haddock maybe.

-Halibut.

-Halibut it is.

♪♪ Look here, Stig.

This is a flounder, they can see.

Big eyes, big mouth, a predator.

This is a very high-value delicacy on fine restaurants in Europe.

♪♪ -For more inspiration, visit our website, peopleofthenorth.net.

-Look here, Stig.

Beautiful fjord cod.

-I think there will be a halibut now.

Oy, oy, oy!

-[ Speaking Norwegian ] -Yeah.

♪♪ -Look at this one.

-[ Speaking indistinctly ] Bye-bye.

-Unfortunately for Stig, there was no halibut in the nets, but still enough for someone to make us a lovely fish dinner.

Sigrid and I have found the Glacier Museum.

Anne, what are you telling people that come to the Norwegian Glacier Museum?

-We want to give the people knowledge about how the glaciers made this beautiful landscape and carved out the big, wonderful fjords we have here.

It's a big, big area.

It's the Jostedalsbreen National Park.

And the Jostedal Glacier is the biggest glacier on mainland Europe, so it's quite big.

-And this is your home turf, Sigrid.

We have been at the Nigard Glacier.

-Yeah.

And the glacier you can see just behind here, coming out from the mountain there is Supphellebreen, Supphelle Glacier.

And I've been coming down there skiing very many times, going up in Jostedal and then coming down here in Fjaerland.

And that's a ski trip we call Jostedal Glacier on its length, coming down here from glacier and snowy mountains and then coming down to the valley where it's starting to be green grass, and the leaf is springing out from the birch.

It's beautiful.

-This is from the glacier up here?

-That is.

-[ Chuckles ] ♪♪ [ Thunder crashes ] What do you want people to take with them when they leave this fantastic place?

-We want them to take home knowledge about glaciers and climate changes, which has been through all history.

And also why the fjord is green and how the glacier made this beautiful valley.

♪♪ -This trip is ranked as one of the best in Norway by international media.

-Yeah, we have -- the Guardian, for some years ago, they had it in top 10 in Scandinavia.

-Among the top 10?

-Mm.

♪♪ This is the very top, Sigrid.

-Whoo!

♪♪ -Hey, hey, hey!

♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ -[ Laughs ] -It's fun to dig a snow cave, but it has a more serious purpose.

-Absolutely.

You can be up in the mountain and a storm can suddenly hit.

And you need to dig yourself down to survive.

-And it's nice and warm inside.

-It is.

It is.

♪♪ Mmm!

-Thank you.

-Ah!

♪♪ -Ah.

♪♪ We're going to share this?

-Barlotto.

-Barlotto.

-With the tenderloin.

[ Laughs ] -So nice with apple juice.

-Mm-hmm.

-This could have been actually on a nice restaurant down in the village.

-This is a nice restaurant.

-Yeah.

It's not down in the village.

-[ Laughs ] It's true.

-Talking about nice restaurants, the fish Stig and Tor got earlier should be ready prepared by now.

Sigrid and I have been busy exploring Fjaerland, so we don't know what the catch was when you guys went out fishing.

-Well, a little bit of this, a little bit that.

Some crayfish and tusk.

-Okay.

-Real local tusk, delicacy.

♪♪ -So you have a tusk on your plate with a flatfish, and you have polenta with sauce hollandaise, langoustine chips on the side, ratatouille, and some nice tomato foam and some tomato coffee.

So all of this is made based on what you got on the fjord.

-But they just came in a little while ago.

So you managed to do all of this?

-Yes.

If somebody comes with fish or the chef catches something, this is what we do.

It doesn't get any more local and any more fresh than this.

Enjoy the food.

-Oh, thank you, Inna.

-Thank you.

We will.

-Thank you.

♪♪ -I think well done by the chef and also partly well done by the fishermen.

-Of course.

[ Laughter, glasses clink ] -The recipe for success.

♪♪ The Sognefjord has a lot to offer.

Today we are going to explore by way of speed.

Hi, hi.

-Hi, hi, hi.

-Today we're going to go for an adventure.

-Yeah.

-So speed?

-Yes.

-Speed.

-Speed, yeah!

[ Laughter ] ♪♪ -Lars Arne Malsnes and their crew are taking us to a secluded and tranquil fjord arm.

We wave as we pass the 70-feet Viking Fridtjof, standing tall as a gift from Kaiser Wilhelm of Germany in 1913.

[ Up-tempo music plays ] [ Tranquil music plays ] ♪♪ In here, in the deep Finnabotn fjord, is a small boutique hotel.

Isn't it amazing?

♪♪ Finnabotn, what kind of place is it?

-It's a very nice place.

We often go with tourists and show them.

And we go in the fjord here and they can see the scenery and the mountains.

It's extremely nice.

And you also have a little hotel here, so it's very special.

About 17 people live here at the most, and the kids that went to school have to go on the ice.

In the wintertime, it freezes over, and they had to walk on the ice.

Often they push the boat in front of them as a safety if the ice was not safe enough, or else they had to go here by the fjord here, to Finnafjord, and it was very harsh route where sometimes they have to climb, so they had some steel wires they hold so they didn't fall in the water.

-What are the reactions when you bring tourists here with your boat into this hidden gem of a valley?

-People are overwhelmed.

They tell them that it's a once-in-a-lifetime experience, and often we are -- Every time we drive in, we shut down the engines.

People are quiet in the boat.

You can just sit and listen to the waterfalls, the birds.

The only thing you can hear is nature.

-It's good sometimes to go to a place where the only thing you hear is the sound of nature.

And of course, that there's food and drinks here.

For more inspiration, visit our website, peopleofthenorth.net.

Hey guys, what's happening down there?

-We have gamalost from Vik and apple juice from Lars Arne's apple farm.

-If you're tired of the big city, this is the place to really calm down.

-That's for sure.

♪♪ -Filled with the calm of Finnabotn but also a bit shaken but not stirred, we head for some after-RIB indulgence at The Cider House.

No wonder that this area produces great apples with a refreshing taste.

♪♪ -Cider House is a real family business.

It's a fifth generation growing up now and we are building on traditions.

This used to be an artist colony in Balestrand.

It's been guests in Balestrand for 200 years.

We receive people for cider tasting and for heritage walks and also this after ski.

And we are really international still because we, of course, my daughter-in-law, she comes from Turkey, so she is mixing the Mediterranean cooking with the Norwegian ingredients.

-[ Speaking indistinctly ] -And we also have imported cider apple varieties from France and from England.

So we really think that cider, if it should match with food, it has to be different flavors and different type styles of cider.

That's important for us.

♪♪ ♪♪ -We like to believe that cider is the Norwegian wine.

That's why we produce different styles of cider.

-Cheers.

-Cheers.

-What a nice trip.

-I'm getting really proud of this being my home area.

First up there with the mountains and the fjord and that view.

And then coming down here with these people who is so enthusiastic and use local fruits, local ingredients to make this.

-It's amazing.

-It makes me proud.

-I thought you were proud of us after the ski trip.

-[ Laughs ] I'm proud of you as well.

[ Laughter ] ♪♪ ♪♪ -Tuba, I know you do cider, of course, Ciderhuset.

You're very good with food.

And now chocolate.

Why?

-Because I believe that chocolate is the only art you can eat.

We are making with milk chocolates and then fulfilling with apple brandy ganache, and then topping with a bit of elderflower and meadowsweet herbs and a bit dried apple at the end.

-Oh la la.

♪♪ ♪♪ -Stig and I have been tipped off about a lovely family-owned hotel we just must visit in Dragsvik, where owner Anne Randi and chef Daniel really know how to treat visitors.

Randi, you have to tell us about the story behind this wonderful hotel on this very, very unique peninsula in the Sognefjord.

It's a family business.

-It's a family business, yes, and it was my grandmother that started the hotel.

She moved here in 1949.

She started slowly to build up a small guest house, only with four rooms.

-And now next generation is already in place.

-Yes.

And that's so nice.

Very, very glad for that.

-It's a beautiful place.

And the food here is excellent.

-Our philosophy is that we use the local farmers around us, fish in the fjord.

We are very proud to use the local products and we like to do it.

Our chefs like to use local products.

-Thank you.

-Thank you.

-You're welcome.

-Will be very interested in your take on the special cattle.

♪♪ -Very tender.

-Very tender and juicy.

-Perfectly cooked.

And I like the mix between the beetroot, the sweetness and the freshness from the cabbage and the apples.

-Well done, Chef.

♪♪ This is a local gin from further in the fjord, a place called Fronningen.

Wilhelm -- He has started a gin production.

This is a unicorn.

It has some glow in it.

-Yeah.

-I think it's very good for your feminine touch.

-Yeah, I have a plan.

-[ Laughs ] -I want this drink to be fruity.

So we're gonna have quite a lot of raspberries.

We're gonna add some sugar.

We're gonna add quite a lot of gin.

This is going to be a quite alcohol-driven, fruity cocktail.

-[ Clicking tongue ] -You're going to shake it this one.

And in the end we will pour it into these nice cups.

♪♪ -Ooh, that's a lot of fruit.

-Mm-hmm.

-Fruit -- -You can also taste the gin flavor.

-Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah.

-We lost the effect of the glitter.

-It disappeared in the raspberries.

[ Both laugh ] -It's been a trip for the great views and the lovely sights.

No place is better to end our spring adventure than at the historic and iconic Kviknes Hotel, a playground for emperors and aristocracy since 1877.

Something refreshing and tasty should be within reach when Stig and I meet up with Sigrid.

What a room!

-Very special room for us.

Everything here is hand-carved, made by one local man called Ivar Hoyvik.

So it's almost his whole life here.

-For more inspiration, visit our website, peopleofthenorth.net.

-Sigurd.

For you.

-Thank you very much.

-What a wonderful place you have here.

-Thank you.

Thank you very much.

-Thank you.

-Cheers.

-Cheers.

-And we're looking out here, Sigurd.

What are people appreciating about Balestrand when they come here?

What's the thrill?

-The beginning was the artists that came because they loved the scenery here, especially the mountains.

And when we see tourism today, it's still nature, scenery.

This is a very peaceful place.

-How old is the hotel?

-It's the largest wooden structure in the Swiss architectural style and we still have it.

The oldest part was built in 1894.

-I heard this was the place to be before the First World War.

-Kaiser Wilhelm started making his annual summer holiday in Norway from 1889, and he came into the Sognefjord many, many times and made the area famous.

-Emperor, kings, and nobility discovered this lovely fjord a long time ago, when our King Haakon and Kaiser Wilhelm unveiled the mighty statue of the Saga of King Fridtjof in 1913.

Yachts filled the fjord.

20,000 people came from near and far, and 22 bands were playing.

♪♪ -What we want to offer is that when they come here, they get the true, true Norwegian experience.

-Hey, hey, hey!

And what an experience it has been.

-High-five.

-I like this.

From fast to slow...

This is the place to really calm down.

...or high to low...

The recipe for success.

...no matter what, Balestrand has it all.

This looks like a captain.

-[ Laughs ] -It's fun to dig a snow cave.

-[ Laughs ] Aah!

♪♪ Ah!

-And given the warmth and hospitality we received from the amazing people here, we have no doubt that you will thoroughly enjoy your stay here.

♪♪ -Tellus Works.

-For more inspiration, visit our website, peopleofthenorth.net.

-Funding for this series has been provided in part by the following.

[ Wind whistling ] -Seafood from Norway.

♪♪ -Telemark -- a world of culture and history where nature knows no bounds, with the flavors of local delicacies.

Adventure awaits in Telemark.

[ Jet engine roaring ] ♪♪