Eight Fjords, From the Norwegian Coast to Greenland, Alaska and New Zealand

Lysefjord in southwestern Norway is overlooked by Preikestolen, or Pulpit Rock, a promontory rising some 600 meters above the water. It is one of the most visited fjords in Norway for hiking and scenery, so it is a good first look at what a fjord wall is.

Naeroyfjord is a narrow branch of Norway's Sognefjord and among the narrowest fjords in the world, with steep mountains rising directly from the water. The atlas records its area at about 518 square kilometers, and its scenery earned it UNESCO World Heritage status.

Nordfjord in western Norway reaches inland toward the Jostedalsbreen glacier, the largest on the European mainland. Its branching arms cover about 3,472 square kilometers in the atlas record, and the surrounding region lives by tourism and fishing.

Romsdalsfjord lies near the town of Molde and is flanked by the Romsdal Alps. Its peaks have long drawn mountaineers, and sightseeing tourism followed, which shows how a fjord and its mountain walls are one landscape.

Trondheimsfjord is a long fjord in central Norway, one of the longest in the country, and on its shore sits Trondheim, historically Norway's medieval capital. It is also an important route for coastal shipping, so here the fjord is a working waterway as much as a view.

Ilulissat Icefjord on Greenland's west coast is fed by the Sermeq Kujalleq, one of the fastest-moving and most productive glaciers outside Antarctica. Enormous icebergs calve from it and drift toward the open sea, and scientists study the process for what it reveals about ice sheet melt.

Glacier Bay in southeastern Alaska is a fjord system that has seen one of the most dramatic glacial retreats on record since the late eighteenth century. Its waters and surrounding mountains now form the core of Glacier Bay National Park.

Doubtful Sound in New Zealand's Fiordland was named by James Cook, who was uncertain whether it could be navigated under sail. Steep rainforest-covered cliffs and abundant rainfall give this last stop a remote and dramatic character.