Road-trips

  • Alta, Havøysund, Kautokeino, National Tourist Roads, Road-trips, Sami

    Drive it Yourself: Kautokeino to Havøysund via the Alta Canyon & Havøysund Tourist Road

    Drive it Yourself: Kautokeino to Havøysund via the Alta Canyon & Havøysund Tourist Road

    In this article...

    Downloadable Version of This Guide

    We offer downloadable versions of our self-guided drives on our online store. 

    View at the Store

    Online Guide

    • Information about points of interest
    • Images of each point of interest
    • Historic overview of the neighbourhood
    • Directions between points
    • Historic photos
    • Information about facilities along the way

    Downloadable Guide

    • Information about points of interest
    • Images of each point of interest
    • Historic overview of the region & towns
    • Directions between points
    • Historic photos
    • Facilities including supermarkets, toilets, petrol, hotels, cafes, restaurants with addresses.
    • Interactive Google Map for easier directions

    Watch on Youtube

    All of our roadtrips are available on YouTube to watch. They include information about the area provided in text and voiceover form, plus they show the drive in full (sped up in some spots!) so you can get an idea what the drive is like. 

    Visit Our YouTube Channel

    The drive: Kilpisjärvi to Kautokeino

    Kautokeino

    This drive begins in Kautokeino, one of the largest Sami communities in the world. You can learn more about Kautokeino via the travel guide below. 

    Kautokeino Travel Guide

    Karasjok

    Village

    The first major intersection you’ll come to is what you take to get to Karasjok. Karasjok is another major Sami community and is also home to the Sami Parliament. It takes 1 hour and 10 minutes to get to Karasjok from here. 

    Pikefossen

    Waterfall

    Pikefossen is a waterfall in the Kautokeino River. The name comes from a legend of a maid who was looking after a herd of reindeer. During a storm, the herd began to cross the river on the bad ice above the waterfall. The maid tried to stop them, but the ice broke and the whole herd drowned. When the reindeer owner heard about this, he got so angry he put the girl in a barrel and threw it in the waterfall. She somehow survived and the barrel floated down to Alta where she was found.

    The waterfall is 8m (26ft) high and has a nice picnic area next to it. It’s a little tricky to park there in winter due to the snow (and you can’t really see the waterfall), but in summer it is a lovely spot to stop, have a bite to eat and admire the views.

    Máze

    Village

    Masi (or Máze in Northern Sami) is a small village located along the Kautokeino River. The village is made up predominantly of Sami people – around 98% of the population are Sami.

    The village is very old. It’s mentioned as far back as the 12th century when the area was used by the Sami who were hunting and trapping. The area was called “Finnmork” and there are many archaeological cultural monuments around Masi. There are traces of settlement from the Sami Iron Age (0AD – 1500AD). The nature around the village is protected and has an important ecosystem.

    Masi Church has been here since the 17th century, though the church had to be rebuilt after World War II because the previous church was destroyed by retreating Nazi soldiers. The original church was built by Thomas von Westen to serve and convert the local Sami people.

    Masi was the centre of the Alta Controversy of the late 1970s and early 1980s. The Norwegian government considered building a dam on the local river for the proposed Alta Hydroelectric Power Station, which would’ve flooded the village.

    The village is home to one little shop where you can buy groceries and supplies.

    Suolovuopmi Fjellstue

    Accommodation

    Suolovuopmi Fjellstue is a place to stay up on the Finnmark Plateau. The lodgings have been here since 1843, when they were established by the state because the priests, sheriffs, doctors, and clerks needed accommodation in their errands across the plateau. The mountain lodges were also used by the Sami travelling across the plateau. Today it’s an excellent place to stay to observe the northern lights as well as go fishing or hiking on the plateau.

    Click here to visit their website (in Norwegian only). 

    Alta Municipality

    Alta is the most populated municipality in Finnmark county, and its population has increased by 11.3% over the last decade. The coat-of-arms represent a white arrow point on a blue background, and it is derived from the findings of quartzite arrow points dating back to the late Stone Age found in the area. The quartzite was mined in the area and tools were made from it all over Northern Norway.

    Alta is most famous for its rock carvings, which are on the UNESCO World Heritage list. The carvings date from 4,200 BC to 500BC and were likely made by the Komsa culture, an early people in Northern Norway. These are Northern Europe’s largest number of petroglyphs and rock paintings made by a hunter-gatherer population.

    Alta is first mentioned in written sources around 1500, when it was inhabited by a couple hundred Sami people. The area was a common tax country for Denmark-Norway, Sweden, and Russia. Towards the end of the 16th century there were conflicts between Sweden and Denmark over the right to tax salmon fishing in the river. In 1613, it was decided that the area of Alta belonged to Denmark-Norway, and by this time Norwegians were settling along the Altafjord.

    Around 1700, the Kven population began to settle in the area. The Kven people came from Finland and were escaping war and famine. The Kvens brought with them grain cultivation and improved the river fishing methods. In 1826, copper mines were established, and miners came from Finland, Sweden and southern Norway to take part. Several of the miners later travelled onto the United States, but many stayed and combined farming with mining.

    During World War II, the German battleship Tirpitz was kept hidden in the Altafjord for 18 months. It was so badly damaged that it had to leave the fjord. It was towed to Tromsø, where it was eventually sunk by Allied forces. The town of Alta was destroyed by the Germans in 1944 and the only building that was not burned was Alta church.

    The main industries in Alta include trading, education, and public service. The town of Alta is known for its slate industry. Alta is also the starting point for the Finnmarksløpet, the longest dog sled race in Europe.

    Alta is the second northernmost city in the world and a good place to spend some time. I’ve written a detailed travel guide to Alta, which you’ll see below.

    Alta Canyon

    Scenic Area

    Shortly after passing the municipality sign for Alta, you begin your descent through the Alta Canyon. This canyon is Northern Europe’s largest canyon and extends over 400 metres up from the riverbed. The total length is 12km (7 mi). The canyon begins just downstream from the Alta Power Station. It is possible to visit the dam and power plant, but only with a guided tour. The Sami name for the canyon is Sautso.

    Alta Municipality

    Alta is one of the largest cities in Northern Norway. You can find a detailed travel guide to Alta below. 

    Alta Travel Guide

    The Altafjord

    Fjord

    The Altafjord is a 38km (24 mi) long fjord near Alta. The deepest part of the fjord is around 488m. There are several different fish species in the fjord, including salmon, trout and char – this is because of the rivers flowing into the fjord. There is also some fish farming in the fjord. Several rock carvings have been found along the fjord and are now on the UNESCO World Heritage list.

    Rafsbotn

    Village

    Rafsbotn is a small village located just outside Alta. The population is around 408 and Rafsbotn is home to a ski slope and a chapel. The name comes from the Sami name Ráššvuotna, which means ‘clay seabed’.

    Sarvesalta

    Alpine Ski Resort

    Sarvesalta is an alpine ski resort overlooking the Altafjord and it is the major ski resort in the area. One of the popular places to stay is the Bjørnfjell Mountain Lodge, which focuses a lot on Norwegian farming and cabin culture.

    Hammerfest Municipality

    Hammerfest is a large municipality in Northern Norway. The main town is Hammerfest, which is located off the mainland on the island Kvaløya. The coat-of-arms depicts a polar bear, which was chosen as the symbol for fishing in the polar seas in Northern Norway.

    Skaidi

    Village

    Skaidi is a small village and major traffic hub in Northern Norway. In the 1940s, the Skaidi Mountain Lodge and Station was built. Today it’s an important point to stop if you need a rest on the long road journeys.

    Here you’ll find a petrol station, various electric car charging stations, a cafe and a hotel. 

    Porsanger Municipality

    Porsanger is the third largest municipality in Norway, yet it only has a population of 3,998, making it one of the lowest population densities in the country. The main town is Lakselv, which has an airport. The area has been settled by Sami people for a long time. In the 18th century, people from Finland, escaping famine and war, settled here. They are known as the Kven people. Porsanger is known as the only trilingual municipality in Norway with Norwegian, Sami and Kven as the official languages.

    The Norwegian Army has a garrison at Porsangermoen and the military presence in Porsanger is quite heavy. The military is one of the largest employers in the area and contributes a lot financially. The Stabbursdalen National Park is located in the municipality and is home to the world’s northernmost pine forest.

    Archaeological finds show the Sami have lived here for a long time. Porsanger is rich in resources, and there are rich pastures for reindeer. On the islands are large quantities of cloudberries and down, while in the rivers there are salmon, trout and char. Until 1750, the area was almost exclusively a Sami area and then it was a Kven area. The Norwegians didn’t begin to settle until the 20th century, though the main reason for this is because the Kven and Sami people began to describe themselves as Norwegian. The area also needed officials, teachers, priests, doctors, merchants, etc and many were Norwegian.

    Porsangerfjord

    Fjord

    The Porsangerfjord is Norway’s fourth-longest fjord, reaching 123km (76 mi) inland. The village of Lakselv sits at the innermost part of the fjord, while the large island of Magerøya (home to North Cape) sits on the western shore of the fjord.

    Olderfjord

    Village

    Olderfjord is a small village located at the junction between the roads. Here you’ll find a petrol station and a few homes.

    Havøysund Tourist Road

    Tourist Road

    The Havøysund Tourist Road is one of the lesser-known tourist roads, but is probably one of my favourites. The landscape is so barren and remote, creating a unique experience as you drive along the rocky landscape along the Arctic Ocean.

    As soon as you make the left-turn, you are on the tourist road.

    Lillefjord

    Rest Area

    The Lillefjord rest area is located at the halfway point on the tourist road. Here you’ll find restrooms in the summer as well as an interesting bridge that crosses the Fosseelva River.

    Måsøy Municipality

    Måsøy is a municipality located across several islands. Havøysund is the main centre for the municipality. The coat-of-arms depicts a weapon called a fishing gaff. It has been used in fishing for centuries to haul large fish into the boat, hence the choice. Fruholmen Lighthouse, the northernmost lighthouse in Norway, is located here.

    The road we are driving on provides access for Havøysund to the mainland, but it can close in winter due to snow.

    Selvika

    Alpine Ski Resort

    This is a rest stop and concrete sculpture that sits at the end of the Selvika Bay. The sculpture was completed in 2012 and was supposed to magnify the experience of walking from the road down to the seaside. In this area many remains of settlements from Neolithic times as well as Sami culture have been found.

    Havøysund

    Havøysund is the municipal centre for the Måsøy municipality. The population is 976 and most people work in the fishing industry. There are fish processing factories, a boat yard, a petrol station, doctors, and a church. Havøysund is home to Måsøy Museum, which consists of tools and technical equipment used by fishermen.

    Havøysund Travel Guide

    Where to Go From Here

    After visiting Havøysund, we continued our drive to Honningsvåg, the northernmost city in the world. From there, we visited North Cape. 

    If you liked this drive, or if you have any travel tips, please leave a comment in the section below!

    Downloadable Version of This Guide

    We offer downloadable versions of our self-guided drives on our online store. 

    View at the Store
  • Bergen, Eidfjord, Hardangerfjord, National Highways, Road-trips, Voss

    Drive it Yourself: Voss to Eidfjord

    Drive it Yourself: Voss to Eidfjord

    The drive between Voss and Eidfjord may be short, but it is definitely beautiful. The drive takes you from central Voss down along the old Hardanger Train Line, through a few tunnels, and then into Eidfjord. Eidfjord is located at the end of the Hardangerfjord, and is a popular place to visit for those heading up to Hardangervidda. Along the way you’ll also cross the famous Hardanger Bridge. 

    In this article...

    Watch on Youtube

    All of our roadtrips are available on YouTube to watch. They include information about the area provided in text and voiceover form, plus they show the drive in full (sped up in some spots!) so you can get an idea what the drive is like. 

    Visit Our YouTube Channel

    The drive: E6 between Voss and Eidfjord

    Voss

    This drive begins in Voss. You can find a detailed guide to Voss below. 

    Voss Travel Guide

    Skjervsfossen

    Waterfall

    If you’re doing this drive in summer, the detour via Skjervsfossen is very nice. You can stop by the waterfall for some photos. This road is actually the old highway down to Hardanger – if you don’t take the detour, you go through a very long tunnel instead!

    We didn’t go past the waterfall on this trip, but we have been there before. The first stop on the road is at the top of the waterfall (middle photo), and you can see the hairpin road and the road across the waterfall (right photo). Once you drive down the road you can stop for a photo of the lower part of the waterfall (left photo). 

    Granvin Lake

    Natural Attraction

    We are now driving along Granvin Lake. The lake is 4 sq km (1.56 sq mi) and has tunnels on both sides of it. The old Hardanger Line used to run along the west side of the lake.

    Granvin Church

    Historic Site

    Granvin Church sits on the eastern shore of the lake in a small farm area known as ‘Granvin’. The church was built in 1726 and seats about 300 people. The earliest church was mentioned in 1306, but it was not built in that year. It was likely a wooden stave church. The church was expanded in the 17th century. In 1726, the church was sold to private landowners, who tore it down and replaced it with the current church. The church was sold to the parish in 1857.

    Granvin

    Village

    On this drive we don’t go into Granvin, but if you want a short detour then Granvin is a lovely town. Kjerland Gardsbutikk is located just off Highway 13 and is a great place to buy Hardanger apples, Hardanger cider, or fresh produce.

    Hardanger Bridge

    Bridge

    The Hardanger Bridge is a suspension bridge across the Eidfjorden branch of the Hardangerfjord. It used to be a ferry connection, but this bridge has replaced that and significantly improved the driving time between Bergen and Oslo. It is the longest suspension bridge in Norway.

    Construction began on the bridge in 2009 and it officially opened in 2013. The bridge had a budget of 2.3 billion kr (312 million USD) and more than half was to be paid with tolls and saved ferry subsidies.

    The bridge is 1,380m (4,530 ft) long with a main span of 1,310m (4,300 ft). The maximum dock height is 55m (180ft) and the towers reach 200m (660ft) above sea level. The largest cruise ships can’t go under the bridge, but smaller ones can. It is one of the longest suspension bridge spans in the world, and it is the longest tunnel-to-tunnel bridge.

    When you cross the bridge, you’ll pay a very expensive toll. That’s for paying off the bridge!

    Eidfjord Municipality

    Eidfjord municipality is located at the end of the Eid Fjord, which is a branch of the Hardangerfjord. The Eid Fjord is 29km (18 mi) long and is the fjord you’re driving along now. 90% of Eidfjord municipality is 900m above sea level; mostly in Hardangervidda. The nature provides the basis for power production, agriculture, hunting, fishing and tourism. 

    Eidfjord

    We have now arrived in Eidfjord! If it’s a summer day, it may be very busy. I’ve had luck parking outside the Joker supermarket, but you can also park a little ways out of the town and walk in.

    All the information you need for Eidfjord can be found on the travel guide section of the Hidden North. 

    Eidfjord Travel Guide

    Where to Go From Here

    Eidfjord to Flåm via Vøringsfossen and Hardangervidda on the Hardangervidda Tourist Road

    Cross the Hardangervidda Plateau from Eidfjord and end up in Flåm. 

    Hardangervidda Tourist Road

    If you liked this drive, or if you have any travel tips, please leave a comment in the section below!

  • European Highways, Kautokeino, Kilpisjärvi, Road-trips, Sami

    Drive it Yourself: Kilpisjärvi to Kautokeino in Finnish Lapland & Finnmark

    Drive it Yourself: Kilpisjärvi to Kautokeino in Finnish Lapland & Finnmark

    In this article...

    Watch on Youtube

    All of our roadtrips are available on YouTube to watch. They include information about the area provided in text and voiceover form, plus they show the drive in full (sped up in some spots!) so you can get an idea what the drive is like. 

    Visit Our YouTube Channel

    The drive: Kilpisjärvi to Kautokeino

    Kilpisjärvi

    This drive begins in Kilpisjärvi just south of the Finnish/Norwegian border. We had left from Tromso early in the morning. You can read more about Kilpisjärvi via the travel guide below.      

    Kilpisjärvi Travel Guide

    Enontekiö Municipality

    The municipality of Enontekiö has a population of approximately 1,800 people. It is in the outermost northwest part of the country and is between Norway and Sweden. Finland’s highest point, the Halti fell, with a height of 1,324m (4,344ft) is in the municipality. This is the only municipality in Finland that includes part of the Scandinavian mountains.

    The first human settlement dates to after the last Ice Age. The oldest traces of settlement can be found along the Ounasjärvi Lake and are dated to around 6,000BC. The Sami population used this area as part of their reindeer migration, but there were no permanent settlements until Christianity came to the region. The first church was built here by the Swedes in the 16th century. It was a small wooden building in the village of Rounala and it became a central meeting point where the Sami people gathered for religious ceremonies, where travelling merchants sold their wares, and where the Swedish officials held judicial courts.

    Since the end of the 17th century, the reindeer Sami culture spread from Norwegian and Swedish Lapland to Enontekiö. The reindeer Sami had a nomadic way of life and moved with their animals. Enontekiö’s last nomads didn’t settle down until the 1960s. The culture of the reindeer is still preserved, though. The first Finnish people settled in the area in the 17th century, and due to Finnish immigration and assimilation, a Finnish majority developed in the area.

    During the Continuation War, where Finland allied with Germany in fighting against the Soviet Union, Enontekiö was part of the operational part of the region Wehrmacht. When Finland concluded the Moscow Armistice with the Soviet Union on 4 September 1944, the German troops were expelled. The Finnish-German Lapland War broke out. As the Germans left, they enacted the scorched earth tactic and devastated Enontekiö. The last Wehrmact soldiers left on 27 April.

    The vegetation is very meagre, due to the extreme northern latitude. The northern border of the natural geographic range of spruce matches the southern border of the municipality. The range of pine ends 20km (12 mi) north of the main village Hetta. Birch trees do grow in the municipality. About 70% of the municipality is under conservation protection.

    Due to the harsh climate conditions, there are many animals unknown to the south of Finland. This includes the Norwegian lemming, Arctic fox, snowy owl, Eurasian dotterel, ptarmigan, and ring ouzel. There are lots of small mammals and bird species.

    Enontekiö is part of the native settlement area for the Sami, but only 9.2% of the population speak Sami.

    The main industries here are tourism and reindeer husbandry.

    Järämä Fortification Area

    Historic Fortress

    Järämä is a restored section of the Sturmbock-Stellung fortification that was built by the Nazis between 1942 and 1944 with the purpose of protecting the Arctic Ocean. You can see restored bunkers, trenches and an exhibition about the history of the building.

    In the summer, the museum is open from 11am to 6pm. Click here to visit their website. 

    Karesuvanto

    Village

    Karesuvanto is a small village across from the Swedish border along the Muonio River. The neighbouring village Karesuando is located on the other side of the river in Sweden. According to Finnish tradition they are both considered parts of the same locality, although officially a national border bisects them. The sides are linked by a road bridge built in 1980. The area is traditionally Finnish and Sami speaking. After the Finnish War in 1809, the border was drawn for politically reasons, not for cultural ones. The first buildings were built here in 1670 and were primarily religious buildings to try and convert the Sami people to Christianity.

    In the village you’ll find a petrol station with cafe, souvenir shop, and some hotels. 

    Palojoensuu

    Village

    Palojoensuu is a small village located on the Muonio River. It has a population of around 100 people.

    Enontekiö

    Village

    Enontekiö is a village where we turn off to Kautokeino. Enontekiö is the name of the municipality, while Hetta is the technical name of this town. However, you will often see this town using the municipality name instead. Enontekiö Airport is located just outside the town but doesn’t have regularly scheduled flights. The village is a popular place for cross country skiers, ice fishing, snowmobiling, and husky sledding. The local company, Hetta Huskies, won a Gold Award in the World Responsible Tourism Awards in 2015. It is also possible to visit traditional reindeer farms here.

    Crossing the Norwegian Border

    Border

    Crossing into Norway is very easy – you basically just drive right on over. Sometimes you may be stopped for a random customs check, but it doesn’t happen very often.

    Kautokeino Municipality

    Kautokeino (North Sami name: Guovdageaidnu) is one of the two cultural centres of the Northern Sapmi people (the other is Karasjok). The coat-of-arms represents a lavvu, which is still in use by the reindeer herders who follow their herds according to the season. 90% of the population are Sami speaking.

    In 1852 Kautokeino was the site of a Sami uprising against representatives of the Norwegian authorities. This was one of few violent reactions by the Sami against the exploitation policies of the Norwegian government and is the only known confrontation between Samis and Norwegians with loss of human lives.

    Kautokeino is different from other municipalities in Finnmark because more than 50% of the population is younger than 30 years old. This is due to the number of schools in the area. For example, the Sámi Joatkkaskuvla ja Boazodoalloskuvla is the Sami High School and Reindeer Herding School. Most teachers speak Sami and allow for classes to be taught in Sami. In addition to regular classes, students can study duodji (Sami handicrafts) and reindeer herding. It is the only school in the world that offers a reindeer herding class. Sámi allaskuvla is the Sami University College that has national responsibility for Sami higher education. The Nordic Sami Institute is a Sami research institution that focuses on the Sami language, culture, reindeer husbandry and legal research.

    The main industries are reindeer herding, the theatre/film industry, and the public education system. The Beaivváš Sámi Theatre is the national Sami theatre and plays a role in making Sami history and culture visible. One of the most famous people from Kautokeino is Nils Gaup, a film director known for Pathfinder and The Kautokeino Rebellion.

    Kautokeino is known as one of the coldest places in the Nordics. It has a subarctic climate, and the all-time low was -50C (-59F) and was recorded in 1999. The all-time high was 30C (86F) and was recorded in July 2018. This is because Kautokeino is in the Arctic highlands of the Finmarksvidda Plateau. Kautokeino has some of the lowest rainfall averages in all of Norway. During summer, the daytime temperatures average between 10C (50F) and 20C (68F). The temperature and 10,000 lakes make it a haven for mosquitos, so humans and reindeer tend to flee to the coast for the summer.

    Kautokeino

    Here we are in Kautokeino. You can find a detailed overview of Kautokeino over on the travel guide page. 

    Kautokeino Travel Guide

    Where to Go From Here

    After a stay in Kautokeino, we continued our drive north through the Alta canyon and down to Alta before heading onto the Havøysund Tourist Road. 

    Kautokeino to Havøysund

    This drive is part of the multi-day series “From Tromsø to North Cape and back again”. You can view the entire drive via the link below. 

    From Tromsø to North Cape & Back Again Multi-Day Series

    If you liked this drive, or if you have any travel tips, please leave a comment in the section below!

  • Bergen, European Highways, Flåm, Road-trips, Voss

    Drive it Yourself: Flåm to Bergen on the E16

    Drive it Yourself: Flåm to Bergen on the E16

    The E16 (European Highway 16) is the main highway that runs between Bergen and Oslo. The stretch of the E16 that you are likely to do is the part between Bergen and Flåm. It’s a fairly easy drive – just 2.5 hours – and you pass through some incredible scenery (and lots of tunnels).

    While there aren’t too many places to stop at, it is likely you are doing this drive to get from A to B. Here’s an overview of what you see along the way. 

    In this article...

    Download this Guide

    All of our guides can be downloaded via our online store. 

    We offer downloadable versions of our self-guided drives on our online store. 

     

    View on Store

    Watch on Youtube

    All of our roadtrips are available on YouTube to watch. They include information about the area provided in text and voiceover form, plus they show the drive in full (sped up in some spots!) so you can get an idea what the drive is like. 

    Visit Our YouTube Channel

    The drive: Flåm to Bergen

    Flåm

    This drive begins in Flåm. You can find a detailed guide to Flåm below. 

    Flåm Travel Guide

    Undredal

    Village

    Undredal is a small village located along the Aurlandsfjord. It is famous for its goats cheese production and tiny stave church. It is about a 20 minute drive from the E16. 

    Gudvangen

    Village

    Gudvangen is a small village with a population of around 120. It is a popular tourist destination due to its proximity at the end of the Nærøyfjord. The popular Gudvangen – Flåm cruise stops here, and many people also come to visit the Viking Village in Gudvangen.

    Nærøydalen

    Natural Attraction

    The Nærøydalen is a valley that runs from Stalheim near Voss down to Gudvangen. The Nærøydalen River runs through the valley and empties into the Nærøyfjord. The entire area is listed on the UNESCO World Heritage List because it is one of the best examples of a fjord system in the world.

    The valley is rich in a mineral called anorthosite, which is mined in the area. Because it is reflective, it is primarily used on the roads.

    Stalheim Hotel

    Hotel

    Straight ahead we can see the Stalheim Hotel (red building on the hill). The hotel first opened in 1885 on the historic postal route between Oslo and Bergen. A lodging had been here long before then, and it was a place where the travellers could get food and supplies for themselves and their horses.

    The hotel has been rebuilt a couple times due to fire. The current building is from 1960 and has 124 rooms for 218 guests. It is a lovely hotel to stay at and provides the best views over the valley. Across the street from the hotel is an open-air museum that explains the history of farming and life high in the mountains.

    You pass the turn-off to the hotel after going through two tunnels. 

    Tvindefossen

    Natural Attraction

    Tvindefossen is a popular waterfall in Norway. It is 116m (381ft) high and is famous for its beauty – it was painted in 1830 by Johan Christian Dahl. In the late 1990s, the waterfall got a reputation for rejuvenation and revival of sexual potency, and that made it one of the most visited waterfalls in Norway. Over 200,000 people visit the waterfall every year.

    Voss

    Voss has a population of around 15,000 people and is a key town between the fjords of Norway. The town is known today for its wide variety of adventure sports, and many come here to hike, kayak, paraglide, and ski. The E16 doesn’t run through Voss, but rather cuts through via a tunnel.

    Voss Travel Guide

    Evanger

    Village

    Evanger is a small village that has some well-preserved wooden houses and a classic 19th century church. There is also a sausage factory and some other small industries in the village.

    Dale

    Village

    Dale is a small town with a population of around 1,139. The town is a well-known industrial site that was built around the Dale Power Plant. The factory for Dale of Norway, a famous knitwear brand, is located here. Dale of Norway was founded by Peter Jebsen in 1879 when he discovered the rivers large source of power. The machines for the knitwear came from England.

    When the factory was built, there was one farm here, but within 20 years the population grew to 1000 employees. Most people in the village still work at Dale of Norway. The factory has an outlet store that you can visit.

    Osterøy

    Island

    We are driving along the 27km (17 mi) long Osterfjord. On the other side of the fjord is the island of Osterøy. The island is 328km (127 sq mi), making it the largest inland island in Norway.

    Vaksdal

    Town

    Vaksdal is a small town loaded along the Osterfjord. The main building in the town is the Vaksdal Mill, a historic mill used to make flour. 20% of the population work in the local industry, while 26% of the population commute to Bergen.

    Bergen

    You have made it to Bergen! You can read about Bergen in detail on the Bergen Travel Guide page. 

    Bergen Travel Guide

    Previous Drive

    The Hardangervidda Tourist Road

    Take the very scenic drive from Eidfjord to Flåm via the Hardangervidda Plateau and Aurlandsdalen valley. 

    Hardangervidda Tourist Road

    If you liked this drive, or if you have any travel tips, please leave a comment in the section below!

  • Bergen, Eidfjord, Flåm, Geilo, Hardangerfjord, National Tourist Roads, Road-trips, Voss

    Drive it Yourself: the Hardangervidda Tourist Road

    Drive it Yourself: Hardangervidda Tourist Road

    In this article...

    Watch on Youtube

    All of our roadtrips are available on YouTube to watch. They include information about the area provided in text and voiceover form, plus they show the drive in full (sped up in some spots!) so you can get an idea what the drive is like. 

    Visit Our YouTube Channel

    The drive: Hardangervidda Tourist Road

    Eidfjord

    This drive begins in Eidfjord. You can find a detailed guide to Eidford below. 

    Eidfjord Travel Guide

    Eio River & Eidfjord Lake

    Natural Attraction

    The river is 2.1km (1.3 mi) long and runs from lake Eidfjord down into the Eid Fjord. We’ll see the Eidfjord Lake soon; it’s a moraine-dammed lake located just outside the village of Eidfjord.

    Øvre Eidfjord

    Village

    Øvre Eidfjord is a small village on the southern end of the Eidfjord Lake. The town has a population of around 200 and it serves as the last major stop before crossing the Hardangervidda Plateau.

    Norsk Natursenter

    Museum

    Øvre Eidfjord is home to the Norsk Natursenter, which is where you can learn about the nature in the area. Technology is used to allow for interactive experiences and learn about the flora and fauna of the area. There’s also a lovely film about the plateau made by Ivo Caprino. If you have the time, I recommend stopping here to learn a little more about Hardangervidda.

    Måbødalen

    Natural Attraction

    Måbødalen is a unique and narrow valley that will take you from Øvre Eidfjord to Hardangervidda. The deep and steep valley is the result of ice and water having cut into the slacker and more open valleys. The valley is studied with regards to its geological process and the interaction between ice and rivers.

    The valley was almost impassable before 1790, when bridges were built, and a stairway was completed. The first road was built here in the early 20th century; it opened in 1916 and included three bridges. The road is known for its hairpin turns, and today is only for cyclists and pedestrians. The original road through the valley was the first road between east and west Norway over Hardangervidda.

    Luckily for us there is now a new road; the new road is from 1986 and is wider and has many more tunnels.

    Johan Christian Dahl painted Måbødalen, a landscape painting that is on display at the KODE art museum in Bergen. It’s pictured above. 

    Before you get to the more dramatic part of the valley, you’ll pass a small museum about the cultural landscape of Måbødalen.

    Vøringsfossen

    Natural Attraction

    Vøringsfossen is the 83rd highest waterfall in Norway, which itself isn’t an impressive statistic. Rather, it is the setting that makes Vøringsfossen worth seeing. The waterfall has a total drop of 182m (597ft) and is perhaps the most famous waterfall in the country.

    The waterfall was hardly known to anyone besides the locals until 1821, when professor Christopher Hansteen estimated the height of the waterfall. He was on his way to Hardangervidda to make astronomical observations at the time. The way he estimated the height was by throwing stones down the edge and measuring the time they took to fall with his pocket watch. He estimated the height to be 280m (920ft); in 1893 the real height was realised by using string.

    In 2020, a new pedestrian bridge opened across Vøringsfossen; it was placed in sections by helicopter. The pedestrian bridge has received a lot of criticism, which many describing it as quite ugly.

    Fossli Hotel

    Hotel

    Fossli Hotel is a historic hotel overlooking the Måbø Valley and Vøringsfossen waterfall. The hotel was built by Ola L. Garen (1857 – 1915), who saw the potential of the area and the slow introduction of tourists. Before the hotel, there was only a walking path up the valley with 1,500 stairs. Thanks to the hotel, a new road was built through the valley instead. All the materials to build the hotel had to be carried on horseback from Eidfjord up to the top of the hill. Today the hotel is run by Erik Garen, the great grandson of Ola Garen.

    Fossli Hotel is built in the art nouveau style.

    The hotel owns a Zimmerman piano where Edvard Grieg composed Norwegian Folk Songs, Opus 66.

    Room rates

    Hardangervidda Plateau

    Scenic Area

    Hardangervidda is a well-known mountain plateau that spreads across parts of western, central, eastern, and southern Norway. It is the largest plateau of its kind (peneplain, or eroded plain) in Europe, and it has a cold year-round alpine climate. The highest point is the Sandfloegga, which reaches a height of 1,721m (5,646ft).

    The landscape is characterised by barren, treeless, moorland with lakes, rivers, and streams. The western side is rockier, while the eastern side is flatter and more heavily vegetated. The geology is extremely ancient; the rolling fells are remnants of mountains that were worn down by glaciers during the ice ages.

    Settlements from the Stone Age have been found in the area. The people who lived here were likely linked to the reindeer migration. Additionally, there are ancient trails across the plateau. Hardangervidda is still a key route between east and west; highway 7 being the way across.

    The Hardangervidda Plateau is above the tree line. The alpine climate means that there are arctic animals and plants here further south than anywhere else in Europe. There is a large wild reindeer herd here; it is believed to be the largest in the world with up to 10,000 reindeer.

    In 1981 much of Hardangervidda was designated a national park. The Norwegian Mountain Touring Association (DNT) has a network of huts and paths across the plateau. There are two visitor centres: the Norsk Natursenter in Øvre Eidfjord and the Hardanger Nasjonalparksenter, close to Rjukan.

    The Star Wars movie, The Empire Strikes Back, was shot on Hardangervidda; the plateau provided the basis for the Hoth sequences.

    Sysendammen

    Dam

    Sysendammen (Sysen Dam) is a rock-filled embankment dam. It holds back Lake Sysen, which is the main reservoir for the Sy-Sima Hydroelectric Power Station. The water supply to Vøringsfossen is regulated by the dam, and there is a requirement for a minimum water supply during the summer.

    The dam is 81m (266 ft) high, 1,157m (3,796ft) long and 248m (814ft) wide.

    Buskerud (Formerly known as Viken) County

    We have crossed into the county that from 2020 – 2022 was known as Viken. At time of writing, the Viken sign was still by the road. This sign may not be up when you drive through; the county was established in 2020 with the merging of three separate counties. However, the three counties were not happy with the decision and in 2021 a parliamentary election saw the parties wanting to dissolve Viken win. On the 23rd of February 2022, a vote of 49 against 38 saw the decision to split Viken finalised. So, in the near future, Viken will be split up again. For purposes of this video, I’ll talk about the county that used to be here and will likely come back: Buskerud.

    Buskerud county is a historically important county in Norway. The area around Ringerike was likely a small kingdom and Norway’s kings Olav Tryggvason and Olav Haraldsson grew up in Ringerike.

    The first element of the name, buske, refers to ‘bishop’, while the last element means ‘clearing, farm’. Historically, the bishop’s farm was one of the largest in Buskerud and was important during the Reformation. The farm became property of the Danish Crown and served as the residence for the king’s bailiffs until 1668.

    Agriculture, lumber, wood-pulp mills, and other related industries are the county’s main economic activities. There is a lot of hydropower thanks to the rivers Begna and Rands. Buskerud also has a large, forested area.

    Hol Municipality

    Hol is a mountainous municipality that sees 90% of the area over 900m above sea level. The coat-of-arms depicts three silver anvils on a blue background. The anvil was chosen to symbolise the former smithies in the municipality. The municipality was famous for the production of axes, blades and knives, and iron mining took place here in the Viking Age.

    Samegammene

    Souvenir Shop

    Samegammene is a small shop and fur company that began sixty years ago, when Amund Johansen from Northern Norway was forced to sell his reindeer herd after World War II and move south. He took his family with him and settled in Hardangervidda, where he was given the job as a reindeer herder. However, he sustained an injury from that work and decided to focus on tourism instead.

    Several ‘gamme’ have been bult around Hardangervidda. A ‘gamme’ is an ancient form of an earth hut, and from these they sell Sami products and souvenirs. Here you will find souvenirs but also handmade fur mittens and hats. The building was owned by the daughter of Amund Johansen until 2017, when she sold it out of the family. The current owners keep the gamme in memory of Amund Johansen.  

    Haugastøl

    Ski Town

    Haugastøl is the first town you’ll visit after a while. It is primarily a ski resort with various hotels and cabins. There is also a train station here, Haugastøl station, which is on the Bergen – Oslo Railway.

    Haugastøl is one end of the popular Rallarvegen cycling route – it’s an 83km track from Haugastøl to Finse (a town not accessible by road, just train). The road was originally a service road used by workers building the Flåm Railway, but now it is one of the most famous cycling tracks in the country. 

    Ustaoset

    Ski Town

    Ustaoset is a small village located on the Bergen to Oslo Railway. The village came to prominence when the railway opened in 1909 as it was a good spot for people to visit to go skiing. Families from Bergen and Oslo built cabins in Ustaoset and used the train as a way to get there. Due to Norway’s strict laws, it is now very difficult to build a new cabin in Ustaoset. Whenever one is up for sale, it is very popular and is often sold very quickly and for a high price.

    Ustaoset is mentioned in Jo Nesbø’s book The Leopard; the mountain resort cabins play a key role in the murder mystery.

    Geilo

    Ski Town

    Geilo is the main town in Hol municipality and is one of the most well-known ski resorts in the country. The town is in the Hallingdal valley at roughly the halfway point on the Bergen to Oslo railway.

    Geilo is noted for being the first ski resort in Norway and it was built up after the opening of the railway in 1909. The ski season lasts from late October until late April, and there are numerous small ski centres that make up one resort: Geilo Skiheiser. In addition to 39 downhill slopes, there are 220km of cross-country ski tracks.

    In the town centre you’ll find some shops, a supermarket, and a few restaurants. Around 2,500 people live in Geilo all year round, so there is a school, cinema, library and police station.

    Hagafoss

    Village

    Hagafoss is a small village in the upper part of the Hallingdal valley. It is located on the main highway between Bergen and Oslo, but here we take the Fv50 (Norwegian county road 50) towards Aurland.

    Hol Gamle Kyrkje

    Historic Site

    Hol Gamle Kyrkje is a 13th century church in Hol municipality. The church was originally a small stave church but has been rebuilt multiple times. The last time it was rebuilt was in 1939, and today it doesn’t have the design that makes it a stave church. It’s believed the floors of the church are the original staves from the stave church. The church is also known for the fact that it has a gutter in the apse.

    Vestland County

    We have crossed back into Western Norway!

    Aurland Municipality

    Aurland is a municipality in Western Norway that includes the popular villages of Aurland, Flåm, Undredal and Gudvangen. It is also home to the UNESCO World Heritage-listed Naerøyfjord.

    People settled here around 2,000 years ago to farm the area, and agriculture is still important in Aurland. Tourism began coming here in the mid-19th century, primarily from England. They took part in sport fishing and hunting.

    The coat-of-arms depict a goat’s head; a goat is a symbol of the municipality because of their historic production and importance of goats cheese and goat farming.

    Aurland Valley

    Natural Attraction

    Aurlandsdalen is a 40km (25 mi) long valley that was carved out by glaciers.

    Aurlandsdalen represents some of the most beautiful and magnificent in Norwegian nature. The valley has been an important trade and traffic road from the ancient times and was probably in use from the early Viking Age. The route was the shortest route between western and eastern Norway in pre-historic times. There are a number of very old farms in the valley that were permanently inhabited until the turn of the 20th century. There are also mountain dairy farms here (called ‘støls’) that can be spotted high on the mountains.

    The rare mountain flower “mountain queen” can be found in the valley. There are almost 500 plant varieties here. The soil is very rich in minerals formed from phyllitt in the rocks.

    Today many use Aurlandsdalen as a popular day hike (6-7 hours), or you can hike all the way to Finse in 3-4 days. It is one of the best-known tourist tracks in Norway

    As we went down, you saw the huge powerlines. The Aurland river system was developed in the 1970s for power production. The environmental impacts of hydroelectric development are notable; the great waterfalls have been substantially reduced. With the introduction of the tunnels, the water level in the river gorges has been drastically reduced. The Aurlands River is now no longer one of the finest salmon rivers in Norway. Farmers no longer drive cattle, pigs and goats to spend the summer at the old farms. The valley has been characterised, like many other valleys, by gradual urbanisation.

    Aurland

    Village

    Aurland is a small village with a population of around 800. The village is the location of the Aurland Shoe Factory, where the famous penny loafers were first made. Another interesting place to visit in Aurland is the Vangen Church, a historic stone church from 1202.

    Aurlandsfjord

    Fjord

    The Aurlandsfjord is a 29km (18 mi) long fjord and is a branch of the Sognefjord, the longest fjord in Norway. The fjord is deep and narrow, generally reaching less than 2km (1.2 mi) wide. Most of the mountains are up to 1800m (5,900ft) tall.

    Flåm

    We have arrived at Flåm, our final destination for this drive. Flåm is a small population with around 300 people, but is one of the most visited places in Norway thanks to the Flåm Railway. 

    You can read the Flåm travel guide below. 

    Flåm Travel Guide

    Next Drive

    Flåm to Bergen

    Flåm to Bergen on the E16

    Follow the next drive as we make our way back to Bergen on the E16. 

    Flåm to Bergen

    Previous Drive

    Voss to Eidfjord

    Making a day trip out of Hardanger? Read about the stretch of road between Voss and Eidfjord. 

    Voss to Eidfjord

    If you liked this drive, or if you have any travel tips, please leave a comment in the section below!

  • Central Norway, European Highways, Mo i Rana, Mosjoen, Road-trips, Trondheim

    Drive it Yourself: E6 from Mo i Rana to Trondheim

    Drive it Yourself: E6 from Mo i Rana to Trondheim

    The E6 (European Highway 6) is the main highway that runs through Norway. This section, from Mo i Rana to Trondheim, runs primarily through the county of Trøndelag. While not as dramatic as some other stretches of road on the E6, it’s the way between central Norway and Northern Norway, and there are some nice places to stop along the way. 

    You’ll probably use this road if you are looking to get to Northern Norway quickly. Sure, the coastal road is much more scenic, but the E6 is much quicker. There are some beautiful spots to stop at along the way, which I’ve done my best to highlight below. 

    In this article...

    Downloadable Version of This Guide

    We offer downloadable versions of our self-guided drives on our online store. 

    View at the Store

    Online Guide

    • Information about points of interest
    • Images of each point of interest
    • Historic overview of the neighbourhood
    • Directions between points
    • Historic photos
    • Information about facilities along the way

    Downloadable Guide

    • Information about points of interest
    • Images of each point of interest
    • Historic overview of the region & towns
    • Directions between points
    • Historic photos
    • Facilities including supermarkets, toilets, petrol, hotels, cafes, restaurants with addresses.

    Watch on Youtube

    All of our roadtrips are available on YouTube to watch. They include information about the area provided in text and voiceover form, plus they show the drive in full (sped up in some spots!) so you can get an idea what the drive is like. 

    Visit Our YouTube Channel

    The E6 Between Mo i Rana & Trondheim

    Mo i Rana

    This drive begins in Mo i Rana. You can find a detailed overview of Mo i Rana on our travel guide. 

    Mo i Rana Travel Guide

    Hemnes Municipality

    Hemnes Municipality is located in Nordland County . The municipality focuses on agriculture, power production, the mechanical industry, wood products and boat building. The coat of arms represents this industry with a boat clamp in gold against a blue backdrop.

    Hemnes has the oldest operating local radio network in Norway, called Radio Korgen, which was established in 1982.

    Finneidfjord

    Village

    Finneidfjord is a small settlement. The name comes from its Sami heritage; Finniedt was a Sami farm first mentioned in 1567. The settlement saw growth starting in 1925 with the establishment of a margarine factory. The margarine factory was very well-known in Norway until it was bought out and closed in 1973. A caviar factory was built on the same site and operated until 2007, when it closed down.

    Bjerka

    Town

    Bjerka is a small town located at the mouth of the river Røssåga. One of the main employers in town is the slaughterhouse, which slaughters cattle, pugs and sheep producing dry beef and pork ribs. Since 2008, it has been the only slaughterhouse in Nordland County. About 90 employees work here.  

    Korgen

    Town

    Korgen is the main town for Hemnes municipality. Many Norwegians have heard of Korgen because of the Korgenfjellet mountain range, which is perfect for skiing. Because of that, the town is quite popular for people staying for a few days to take advantage of the mountains. The tallest mountain in Northern Norway, Oksskolten, is located here. Korgen is also close to the Okstindan Nature and Culture Park.

    The Okstindan Nature and Culture Park is a centre full of hiking trails, ski trails, and history. It includes the “Blood Trail”, which chronicles the Nazi’s attempt to construct a railway to Narvik and the Soviet POWs tasked with building the railway. There are also glaciers and caves to explore.

    You can easily spend a few days here if you love the outdoors. Visit the park website for more detailed information about what you can see and do. https://visitokstindan.com/en/kategori/the-okstindan-nature-and-cultural-park/

    Sandnessjøen

    Sandnessjøen is a charming little town located on the Hegleland Coastal Road (one of Norway’s 18 National Tourist Roads). It’s a lovely place to visit, but the detour can be a little lengthy. It takes about 45 minutes to get there from the E6, but you’d want to spend a little time in the area driving around to see the Seven Sisters and surrounding region.

    You can learn about Sandnessjøen by reading my travel guide (to the left). 

    Sandnessjøen Travel Guide

    Vefsn Municipality

    Vefsn is a municipality with arguably the best coat-of-arms in Norway – a surprised chicken! The name Vefsn comes from the river Vefsna, which flows through the municipality into the Vefsnfjorden. The meaning of the name is unknown.

    The main town centre for Vefsn is Mosjøen, a town a highly recommend visiting on this drive. The landscape is dominated by spruce forests, mountains, lakes, agriculture, and the river.

    This area is very old; there are traces of settlement in Vefsn back to the Stone Age. Among other things, Norway’s oldest skis have been found in Drevja. Vefsn also appears in the story of how Torolv Kveldulvsson demanded the ‘Finn treasure’ in Egils saga, and the road where this supposedly took place is now called “Toraveien”.

    Mosjøen

    Mosjøen is an adorable small town located on the Helgeland coast, and I highly recommend visiting here. It is, in fact, the oldest town in Helgeland (the name of the traditional region in) and the second-oldest town in Nordland County after Bodø. Mosjøen was declared a trading place in 1875 and has historically been an important industrial and transportation town. Many of the original wooden buildings are still standing today, making it a charming town to go walking through.

    mosjøen Travel Guide

    Grane Municipality

    Grane (Sami name: Gaala) is a small municipality within Nordland County. It is located in the southernmost part of Nordland County, and it links Nordland with the next county, Trøndelag. The main town for Grane is Trofors, which we’ll drive through.

    The name Grane comes from an old farm that used to be here. The farm is known from the Middle Ages, but it rose to prominence in the 17th century. The main industries here are agriculture, forestry, and some reindeer husbandry. Grane is one of the southernmost settlements of the Sami people, and about 10 reindeer husbandry units operate here.

    Laksforsen

    Cafe

    Soon after the Grane municipality sign is Laksforsen, a rest stop and cafe. It is located by a waterfall and has lovely views out to Vefsna river. 

    You can visit their website here. 

    Vefsna River

    River

    The Vefsna River (Sami name: Vaapstenjeanoe) is the largest river in Nordland County – about 163km (101 mi) long. The river flows north, not far from the Swedish border. At Mosjøen, the river empties into the Vefsnfjord.

    Historically Vefsna was known for its salmon, but due to a parasite the salmon population have declined. So, while salmon fishing can’t be done here anymore, it is still possible to fish for trout and char. A fishing licence is required to fish here.

    Brønnøysund

    Trofors is located at the junction between the E6 and Highway 73, which runs between Brønnøysund and Sweden. Both are about 40 minutes from this junction, and each is a great detour.

    I’ve covered Brønnøysund at the travel guide section. 

    Brønnøysund Travel Guide

    Trofors

    Village

    Trofors (Sami name: Trovvegarse) is the main centre for Grane. It is located at the main junction between the European Highway 6 and the Norwegian National Road 73, which runs between Brønnøysund and Tårnaby in Sweden. The town is primarily an agricultural town, but there are over 2,000 fishing lakes here too, making it great for fishing.

    Majavatn

    Village

    Majavatn (Sami name: Maajehjaevrie) is a small village at the bottom of Grane municipality. It has a substaintial Sami settlement who work with reindeer husbandry. Majavatn is also known from World War II. There were confrontations between the Germans and the Norwegian citizens at a nearby farm, and many of the Norwegians involved were later executed by Germans at Falstad concentration camp in 1942.

    Crossing into Trøndelag

    County Border

    As you leave Nordland County there is a fun sign over the highway with ‘Trøndelag’ on the side we are going and ‘Nord Norge’ on the opposite side, signifying the boundary between Trøndelag County and Norland County. There is a carpark by the sign so you can take some photos, and there’s also a rest area.

    Trøndelag Municipality

    We have now crossed into Trøndelag County, which is in the central part of Norway. A person from Trøndelag is known as a trønder, which the dialect here is called trøndersk.

    People have lived in Trøndelag for thousands of years, and during the Iron Age Trøndelag was divided into several petty kingdoms, each with their own common law and all sharing the parliament or thing called Frostating. This is sometimes regarded as the first real democracy.

    Trøndelag was well-known during the Viking Age, and many of Norway’s most famous Vikings lived here. Before the capital was moved to Bergen in 1214, Trøndelag was the site of many of the famous palaces and residences of the Kings. When Bergen (and eventually Oslo) became the capital, Trøndelag’s importance in Norway declined. Today Trøndelag is known for its well-preserved Viking history and the Nidaros Cathedral, located in Trondheim.

    The proximity to Sweden has led to conflicts over the years. Trøndelag was briefly ceded to Sweden in 1658 in the Treaty of Roskilde. It was returned to Denmark-Norway after the Treaty of Copenhagen in 1660. Another attempt was made in 1718 by the Swedes to take Trøndelag, but they were not successful.

    Trøndelag has a diverse climate and geography. Along the coast are the largest islands in Norway south of the Arctic Circle. The south-western part of Trøndelag is separated from Norway by large mountain ranges, especially the Dovrefjell and Trollheimen Mountain Ranges. Closer to the Swedish border the land flattens into a high valley, where Røros is located. In the north, there are several large valleys and flatlands. The rivers in Trøndelag are among the best salmon rivers in Eruope.

    The climate varies dramatically depending on where in the county you are. Closer to the sea has a oceanic climate with mild, wet winters, while closer to the Swedish border are some of the lowest temperatures in Norway during winter. Røros, for example, is the only place in south-central Norway to have recorded -50C (-58F). Most of the lowland areas have a humid continental climate, while the inland valleys, hills and highlands have a boreal climate.

    Trøndelag is primarily an agricultural region, with some of the most fertile land in Norway. Most of the production is meat and milk. Other traditional industries are forestry, mining, and fishing. Today Trøndelag has significant hydropower and wind power companies that support power-intensive industries such as the various timber mills. Aquaculture countes for half of Trøndelag’s export value. The oil and gas industry is also significant. Trondheim is a centre for higher education and has the largest educational institution at the country’s largest university, NTNU.

    The region is known for its moonshine homebrew, known as heimbrent. It is officially banned, but the art of producing moonshine has a strong following in parts of Trøndelag. Traditionally the spirit is served mixed with coffee to create a drink called karsk. The official dish is sodd, made from diced sheep or beef meat and meatballs in boiled stock. The Norwegian Grey Troender sheep is an endangered breed of domesticated sheep originally from Trøndelag. There are approximately 50 sheep left, and efforts are being made to revive the breed.

    Nammskogan Municipality

    We are currently in the upper part of the Namdalen valley, and the municipality takes its name from this. The municipality is heavily forested with several large lakes and the river Namsen running through it.

    Namdalen (Sami name: Nååmesjevuemie) is also the name of the traditional district here. There are three towns here: Namsos, Rørvik and Kolvereid. The rest are small villages and settlements. The river Namsen is one of the best salmon rivers in Europe (only the Tana River in Finnmark has a larger catch of salmon). Agriculture and forestry are also, understandable, important to Namdalen. Norway spruce is the main tree species.

    Namsen River

    River

    The Namsen River (Sami name: Nååmesje) is one of the longest rivers in Trøndelag – around 228km (142 mi) long. It has traditionally been used for floating timber down from the forests to the town of Namsos, where the sawmills were located. The river begins in springs in the Børgefjell National Park and travels through the valley, ending at the coast in Namsos. It is considered one fo the best Atlantic Salmon fishing rivers in the world and is often called the ’Queen of Rivers’. Catching salmon that weigh 23kg (51lb) is not unusual.

    Børgefjellet National Park

    National Park (Detour)

    Børgefjellet National Park is a scenic off-the-beaten path national park with high mountains, rivers, and mountain lakes. The landscape has remnants of Sami domestic reindeer herding, which continues still today. It is a place to go fishing or take some lovely hikes. It is a largely undeveloped area with virtually no construction activity. If you do want to spend some time here, you need to be aware of where you are and camp in the area. The park is located in the centre of Norway along the Swedish border and is also home to the Scandinavian Mountain range.

    Brekkvasselv

    Village

    Brekkvasselv is a tiny village in Namsdalen. The village is also known as Ælva, and a person from Brekkvasselv is known as an Ælving. The first peoples settled here in the 20th century, coming from other places in Norway. However, the Sami have been here for thousands of years, and reindeer herding took place in the highlands.

    The people who came here in the 20th century came because they were helping with the construction of the Nordlandsbanen, and if they settled here they were offered free plots of land to build on.

    Grong Municipality

    Grong (Sami name: Kråangke) is a municipality in Trøndelag with Medjå being the main town. The name comes from an old farm, and the first element is an Old Norse word for spruce. This is also represented on the coat-of-arms; the three spruce trees represent the three main villages in the municipality.

    One of the main waterfalls here is Fiskumfoss, an economically important waterfall that is used for power production. There is also a salmon ladder here. A salmon aquarium has been built by the waterfall, where you can sit and eat salmon while watching the waterfall. The building also has the Norwegian Sport Fishing History Museum. Burial mounds are also found throughout the area from the older Iron Age, and there are ancient moose hunting grounds, house foundations, and roads.

    Medjå/Grong

    Village

    We are passing the village of Medjå, which is sometimes called Grong. It is a small village with a petrol station and supermarket.

    Snåsa Municipality

    Snåsa (South Sami: Snåase) is a small but important municipality: it is one of the last strongholds of the seriously endangered Southern Sami language. In Snåsa you’ll find the Saemien Sijte, which is the national museum of South Sami history and culture. The goal of the museum is to strengthen South Sami identity and a sense of community. Next to the museum is a primary school that teaches the South Sami language.

    The coat-of-arms represents a yellow Lady Slipper orchid on a blue background. At least 15 species of orchid have been found growing in Snåsa, and they are known as some of the magnificent orchids in Scandinavia.

    Snåsavatnet / Snåsa Lake

    Lake

    The lake we see straight ahead is Snåsavatnet, the sixth-largest lake in Norway at 122km2 (47 sq mi). The lake reaches depths of up to 186m (610ft) and was made by glacial erosion.

    Egge

    Historic Site (Detour)

    We are passing the exit to Egge. Egge is a known Viking town, and it was home to the powerful chieftains who gathered the peasants to fight against Olav Haraldsson in the Battle of Stiklestad in 1030.

    The museum has a reconstructed manor and fun activities for kids. For the adults, the cultural landscape is preserved and there are a number of hiking trails you can take to enjoy the ancient scenery.

    Click here to read more. 

    Steinkjer Municipality

    Steinkjer is one of the larger municipalities in the region, though its population density is very low, with just 12.6 inhabitants per sq km (33 sq mi). The population has increased by 2.4% over the last 10 years. The coat-of-arms shows a verranjekt, a type of boat that is very common in the area. It’s a new coat-of-arms from 2020.

    The area around Steinkjer is historic – it has been populated since the Stone Age. Rock carvings can be seen in the area, and the oldest are 6,000 years old. During the Viking Age, Steinkjer was an important base and Maere was one of the best known religious places with sacrifices and gatherings before Christianity came to the country.

    The town of Steinkjer was sadly bombed during World War II. The attack destroyed a large part of Steinkjer, and many priceless historic buildings, including the church, were lost. The town was quickly rebuilt after the war with the help of aid from the United States. Much of the architecture found in Steinkjer is from the 1950s and 1960s and is inspired by functionalism. One of the few buildings to survive the bombing is the train station, which is designed in art nouveau.

    Steinkjer is one of the northernmost areas with rich agriculture, allowing large production of grain. You’ll notice as you drive through just how important grain production is to the area. Tall grain silos can be seen all over the landscape.

    Inderøy Municipality

    Inderøy is an agricultural municipality located in North Trøndelag. The municipality has been inhabited since the Middle Ages, and the village of Sakshaug used to be an important political centre. It is home to one of the oldest churches in the area, Old Sakshaug Church, from 1184.

    The coat-of-arms shows the European plaice. The fish was once plentiful int he waters and was one of the main sources of income in the area until around 1940. Fishing is still important to the region. Farming is also very important to the area, and most of the municipality is cultivated. Grass and grain are the most common crops, but strawberries are also common. Most farmers have their own forest, too.

    The population density is 19.4 inhabitants per sq km (50/sq mi). The population has increased by 15.9% over the last 10 years.

    One of the most prominent 20th century Norwegian sculptors, Nils Aas, is from this area.

    Verdal Municipality

    People have lived at Verdal since the Stone Age, and there are farms in the region that are mentioned as far back as the 12th century. The municipality is best known for the site Stiklestad, where we are heading to next.

    A unique word to learn for this area is råning. It refers to all the young people here who are interested in cars. They spend a lot of their time improving or styling their cars and then driving them on a particular route to show them off.

    The economy here is supported by the offshore industry as well as agriculture. Verdal is also known as one of the greatest lottery towns of Norway, with several lottery grand prizes going to people living in Verdal.

    Stiklestad

    Historic Site (Detour)

    Stiklestad is one of the most important religious sites in the country. It is where, in 1030, St. Olav fell in battle during the Battle of Stiklestad. His sainthood arose from this death.

    Today Stiklestad feels like a bit of a tourist trap – they’ve built up all these new centres, exhibitions and hotels in the last 20 years – but there’s still historical interest in visiting here.

    You can read my separate guide to Stiklestad below.

    Stiklestad

    Levanger Town Centre

    Town

    Shortly after the Falstad Centre, we pass turn-offs to Levanger. If you want to visit the main street, just follow signs towards Levanger. I mentioned the history of Levanger town centre in the section about Levanger municipality.

    Munkeby Abbey Ruins

    Historic Site (Detour)

    Just after Levanger town is the turn-off to the ruins of Munkeby Abbey. It’s just a short drive from the E6, and is a nice area to go to stretch your legs.

    The Munkeby Abbey was founded some time between 1150 and 1180 and it was the most northly Cistercian foundation in the world. It was likely built by English monks. The monastery was eventually closed down, though the church was used until 1587.

    Falstad Centre

    WWWII Site (Detour)

    You can visit the Falstad Centre, which is an old concentration camp from World War II. Today it is a museum. Read a more detailed article below. 

    Falstad Centre

    Stjørdal Municipality

    We have arrived in Stjørdal, which has an amazing coat-of-arms! The design is modern but comes from the old medieval seal of Stjørdal, which dates from 1344. The dragon is a symbol of Saint Margaret of Antioch, and the old seal showed Saint Margaret standing on a slain dragon. It has always stood as a symbol for authority, power, and exalted dignity of the region.  Stjørdal is the location of Steinvikholm Castle, a nice detour.

    Steinviksholmen Castle

    Historic Site (Detour)

    How to get here:

    Steinviksholmen is clearly marked on Google Maps. It’s just off the E6 and marked with brown tourist signs the entire way. It’s about 10-15 minutes off the E6.

    The road is very narrow, and you’ll have to watch out for traffic coming the other way.

    —–

    Steinvikholmen Castle is a 16th century castle constructed by Norway’s last Roman Catholic Bishop, Olav Engelbrektsson. After meeting with the Pope, Olav’s resistance to the Danish rule and the Reformation escalated. Steinvikholm was built as the Catholic churches military stronghold. The castle was finished in 1532, but sadly for Olav the Reformation succeeded in 1537 and Olav was forced to flee to Lier. It was the last Catholic stronghold in Norway. When Olav fled, he left Saint Olav’s shrine and other treasures, and they were returned to Nidaros Cathedral in 1568.

    After the Reformation, the site was used as a quarry and some of its masonry was sold off. Since the late 19th century, the site has been owned and operated by the Past Memory Association (Fortidsminneforeningen). It is used as concert hall for a midnight opera, Olav Engelbrektsson, which details the life and struggles of the archbishop. The opera takes place annually.

    Steinvikholm Castle is Norway’s largest structure from the Middle Ages.

    In summer, it is open as a museum. There are also photographs and information boards (Norwegian and English) around the site. You can walk around the fortress for free, but the interior is what costs money. When we visited, we saw lots of kids swimming in the water around the fortress.

    You park on the mainland and pay a small fee (they use Vipps to accept parking payment), and then walk across the bridge (photographed) to the castle. The entrance is on the other side from my photos.

    Even if you aren’t interested in the castle, the surrounding scenery is gorgeous.

    Hell Station

    Train Station

    Hell is a small village by Trondheim Airport. The village has become a bit of a tourist attraction because of its name, which means “luck” in English. In modern Norwegian, the word for “hell” is “helvete”. The sign underneath says “Gods Expedition”, which actually means “Cargo Handling” in English. Stop by the train station and get a photo!

    Malvik Municipality

    Malvik is a small municipality just outside of Trondheim. It is one of the few municipalities in the area seeing population growth, with the population rising 13% of the last 10 years. Many people work in Trondheim. The coat-of-arms shows a black capercaillie, which is a symbol for the rich nature in the area.

    Trondheim Municipality

    Trondheim (South Sami name Tråante) is the third-most populous municipality in Norway, though it’s the fourth largest urban area. The settlement is a known Viking area, and Trondheim itself has many famous monuments from medieval times. There’s so much to say about Trondheim, so you can read a detailed overview by clicking the button below. 

    Trondheim

    We have now arrived in Trondheim! A detailed overview of Trondheim can be found on the travel guide section of The Hidden North. 

    This is the end of our two-week drive from Trondheim to Senja and back again. Be sure to check out our next series, summer in the West Fjords!

    Trondheim Travel Guide

    Previous Drive

    Narvik to Mo i Rana on the E6

    See the previous day’s drive on the E6 between Narvik and Mo i Rana

    Narvik to Mo i Rana

    If you liked this drive, or if you have any travel tips, please leave a comment in the section below!

  • European Highways, Mo i Rana, Narvik, Northern Norway, Road-trips

    Drive it Yourself: E6 from Narvik to Mo i Rana

    Drive it Yourself: E6 from Narvik to Mo i Rana

    The E6 (European Highway 6) is the main highway that runs from Narvik to Mo i Rana. This portion of the drive takes place just above the Arctic Circle; we actually cross the Arctic Circle close to Mo i Rana. 

    There is a lot of World War II history along this road. From the famous Battle of Narvik to the attempted Arctic Railway, there are plenty of historic places to stop. 

    For the nature lovers, the Saltfjellet-Svartisen National Park is a delight to travel through.

    When we did this drive, I remember being surprised by how stunningly beautiful and untouched this part of Norway is. Also, there were so few settlements here. 

    Enjoy the drive!

    In this article...

    Downloadable Version of This Guide

    We offer downloadable versions of our self-guided drives on our online store. 

    View at the Store

    Online Guide

    • Information about points of interest
    • Images of each point of interest
    • Historic overview of the neighbourhood
    • Directions between points
    • Historic photos
    • Information about facilities along the way

    Downloadable Guide

    • Information about points of interest
    • Images of each point of interest
    • Historic overview of the region & towns
    • Directions between points
    • Historic photos
    • Facilities including supermarkets, toilets, petrol, hotels, cafes, restaurants with addresses.

    Watch on Youtube

    All of our roadtrips are available on YouTube to watch. They include information about the area provided in text and voiceover form, plus they show the drive in full (sped up in some spots!) so you can get an idea what the drive is like. 

    Visit Our YouTube Channel

    The drive: Narvik to Mo i Rana on the E6

    Narvik

    This drive begins in Narvik. You can find a detailed overview of Narvik via our travel guide. 

    Narvik Travel Guide

    Fagernes

    Village

    Fagernes has historically been a singular farm, and it has been known for a few hundred years as the largest and wealthiest in the inner part of Ofoten. It was of central importance to the construction of the railway between Kiruna and Narvik; the wealthy farmer Statius Mosling was eager to have the railroad built. It is because of him that the Ofoten Line ends in Fagernes and not Narvik.

    Today Fagernes is an inner suburb of Narvik.

    Målselv Municipality

    Målselv (Sami name: Málatvuomi suohkan) is a municipality in Troms County. The area was settled by farmers from southern Norway from 1788 onwards. They came here because of the large, forested areas as well as the fertile land. The valley and the municipality take its name from the river Målselva, which is well known for its salmon. The river also forms the Målselv waterfall, which has been selected as Norway’s national waterfall. One of the rarest orchids in Europe, Lysiella oligantha, is found in Målselva.

    Skjomnes Memorial

    Memorial

    This memorial commemorates the naval battles that took place on the Ofotfjord. It particularly explains the fighting that took place on the Ankenes peninsula, and there is an information board about the dramatic events that took place here. The memorial is set in a nice location by the fjord, perfect to take a break.

    Ballangen

    Village

    Ballangen (Sami name: Bálák) used to be its own municipality until it was merged with Narvik in 2020.

    The area was known in the Viking Age; the first person to live here was Lodve Lange, who is mentioned in the Heimskringla as one of Olav Tryggvason’s most trusted warriors. He lived at Saltvik, the small village we just passed through.

    Ballangen saw growth in the 17th century thanks to mining, and in total over 36 mines have been operated in Ballangen. Minerals like copper, nickel, iron, zinc, manganese and lead have been mined. Ballangen has the dubious distinction of having Norway’s highest rate of sick leave from work, probably due to the high number of people who work in the mines there and related environmental effects.

    Here you’ll find a petrol station and supermarket. There’s also a camping ground here if you wish to spend the night. 

    Bognes - Skarberget

    Ferry

    This is the only ferry connection on the European Highway 6 remaining. The crossing time is only 25 minutes and there are 15 departures a day. There is a café on board as well as restrooms. Simply drive on; your rental car will likely have an AutoPASS, and the ferry staff will scan it – that’s how to pay for a ferry!

    You can view their schedule here. 

    Hamarøy Municipality

    Hamarøy (Sami name: Hábmer) is in Nordland County and the traditional district of Salten. The coat-of-arms is new; it depicts two swans as seen on an ancient rock carving seen in the municipality. The previous coat-of-arms was a lynx, which are common in the area.

    The municipality is dominated by small fjords, pine, birch, and aspen woodland. There are several nature reserves here as some as some beautiful mountains, including the very unique Hamarøyskaftet, which stands 612m (2008ft) high.

    Tourism in Hamarøy is linked with Knut Hamsen, the famous Norwegian author who lived in the area. The municipality also has a ferry connection to the famous Lofoten islands. Agriculture is still a dominaent industry, though the salmon slaughterhouse is also important to the municipality.

    Ulvsvåg

    Village

    Ulvsvåg (Sami name: Ulsváhke) is a small village with all the basic facilities. However, it has an old petrol (ESSO) station from 1946, which is very cute and well worth a quick stop. The name apparently comes from a Viking called Ulv who chose to settle here.

    Knut Hamsun Centre

    The Knut Hamsun Centre (Hamsunsenteret) is a museum dedicated to the life and work of author Knut Hamsun. The building was designed by American architect Steve Holl (who also designed the Kiasma art gallery in Helsinki) and opened in 2009. The exhibition is structured thematically and deals with topics like Knut Hamsun’s childhood in Hamarøy, his support of Germany during World War II, and modernism in his writing.

    Click here to visit their website.

    The centre is 15km off the E6. 

    Innhavet

    Settlement

    Innhavet is a small settlement located by the Sagfjorden. It has all the facilities needed for a town of its size, including a school, grocery store and hairdresser. This is also where you’ll find the Hamarøy War Museum, as the Germans had started building a train station would would be part of the Arctic Circle train line. They were using Soviet prisoners of war to construct the train. Remains of railway and prison camps are found in the area.

    Sørfold Municipality

    Sørfold is a municipality in Nordland Count and the traditional district of Salten. The coat-of-arms represents a silver wheel of a turbine in a hydroelectric power plant; the rivers in Sørfold contain many rapids and waterfalls that are partly harnessed to generate electricity. It has provided a major source of income for the community.

    Sørfold is about 120km (75 mi) north of the Arctic Circle and is home to Rago National Park, known for its wild nature with bare rock, streams and a pine forest.

    During World War II, the German army had a prisoner-of-war camp here housing Russian POWs who were building the Polarbanen (Arctic Railway) that was supposed to connect Fauske with Narvik. Some ruins of the camp and the railway can still be seen.

    Mørsvikbotn

    Village

    This is a small village with a school and a grocery shop. The area is known for a prison camp that used to stand here during World War II. The prison camp was used for Russian POWs who were here to build the Arctic Railway between Fauske and Narvik on the Polarbanen.

    Straumen

    Village

    Straumen is the administrative centre of Sørfold in Nordland. It has a population of around 890. The larger town of Fauske is about 12km away.

    Fauske Municipality

    Fauske (Sami name: Fuassko) is a municipality in Nordland and the traditional district of Salten. The name comes from a historic farm that used to be on the site, and the coat-of-arms represent a red reef knot on a grey background, showing Fauske as a centre of commerce and transportation.

    Several marble quarries can be found in Fauske, and the marble is exported to many countries. Marble from Fauske can be seen on the United Nations Headquarters in New York City, for example. Dolomite quarries are also here, and there is some agriculture.

    There are two large glaciers in Fauske – Blåmannsisen and Sulitjelma. Together, they cover 14% of the municipality. There are also parts of the Junkerdal National Park and the Sjunkhatten National Park in the municipality, plus several nature reserves. Fauske is located within the Arctic Circle.

    Fauske has a rich Sami history, and at Leivset is a protected Sami sacrificial site. Place names in the municipality come from the Sami people.

    Fauske

    Town

    Fauske is a town and main centre for Fauske Municipality. It has a population of 6,300 and is a fairly ‘new’ town; it was established in 1998. However, the name comes from an old farm that has been here for thousands of years. Fauske Church (from 1867) is built on the site of the farm.

    Fauske is a stop on the Nordlandsbanen, which runs between Trondheim and Bodø. Despite being above the Arctic Circle, Fauske does not experience the polar night – in December, the sun rises at 11am and sets before 12pm.

    Fauske is a great place to break up the drive. It has a shopping mall, petrol stations, grocery stores, and even a Scandic Hotel.

    At Fauske you’ll find a turn-off to Highway 80, which will take you all the way to Bodo. Click here to visit the travel guide page for Bodo. 

    Saltdal Municipality

    Saltdal (Sami name: Sálát) is a municipality in Nordland County and part of the traditional district of Salten. The coat-of-arms represents two gold-coloured rowan twigs on a red background, representing the nature and prevalence of rowan forests in the municipality.

    The main centre of the municipality is Rognan, which sits on the southern shore of the Saltdal Fjord. A major historical industry was boat building out of local timber. Today it is Nexans, a global fibre company. The company’s Rognan factory specialises in telecommunications, fibre optics and copper cables.

    Rognan

    Village

    Rognan is the main town for Saltdal municipality and is located at the innermost part of the Skjerstad fjord.

    The main industry here is the optical cable factory of Nexans. The Nordland Line between Trondheim and Bodø stops in Rognan, too. Rognan has the “Blodvei Museum”, a museum about the Nazi’s attempt to build a railway between Fauske and Narvik.

    Rognan has a grocery store, hotel, camping ground and petrol station. 

    Saltfjellet-Svartisen

    National Park

    This park is a national park that has the European Highway 6 and the Nordland Line running through it, which makes it pretty special. It is one of the largest and most varied national parks in Norway, with alpine mountains, glaciers, as well as forested valleys. In this stretch, we see the Saltfjellet mountain range.

    Many Sami cultural landmarks are within the park, too. Some of the oldest Sami monuments are from the 9th century and include sacrificial sites, animal graves and fences. Today’s domestic reindeer husbandry has its roots from the 16th century.

    The Saltfjellet Mountain Range has peaks reaching up to 1,751m (5,745ft) above sea level. In the park you will see lots of reindeer, but there are also wolverines and lynx. In the valleys are plenty of moose. Cabins are available to rent within the park if you wish to spend a longer period of time here.

    We drive through the eastern part of the park. 

    Rana Municipality

    Rana is a large municipality within the Helgeland traditional region. The main city is Mo i Rana, where this drive finishes today. The municipality is located just south of the Arctic Circle, and the municipality is famous for their numerous caves due to the limestone rock.

    Arctic Circle Centre

    Visitor Centre

    The Arctic Circle Centre is a fun little roadside stop to get some souvenirs, snacks, and take some photos of yourself on the Arctic Circle. The centre opened in 1990, the same time the E6 highway over the Saltfjellet mountains was completed.

    Eiterå

    Village

    Eiterå is a small farming settlement in Rana. It is one of the oldest areas in Rana municipality; the land was cleared for farming in 1723 and four farms were established into the areas. The farm buildings still stand today and are operated by the descendants of the original owners.

    Mo i Rana

    We have now arrived in Mo i Rana! You can find a detailed version of Mo i Rana over on our travel guide. 

    Mo i Rana Travel Guide

    Continue the drive

    The E6 between Mo i Rana and Trondheim

    After Mo i Rana, we continued south on the E6 to Trondheim on the last part of our incredible road-trip. 

    Mo i Rana to Trondheim

    Previous Drive

    Nordkjosbotn to Narvik

    Our previous drive began near Finnsnes and continued south on the E6 to Narvik. 

    Nordkjosbotn to Narvik

    If you liked this drive, or if you have any travel tips, please leave a comment in the section below!

  • Narvik, Northern Norway, Road-trips, World War II

    Drive it Yourself: E6 from Nordkjosbotn to Narvik

    Drive it Yourself: E6 from Nordkjosbotn to Narvik

    Welcome to the next part of our amazing drive from Trondheim to the Lofoten Islands! This drive was actually the turning point for us as we made our way back south to Trondheim. It was a little sad turning around; I just wanted to keep on going! Anyway, today we begin the first of three travel days on the E6 south to Trondheim.

    We actually began the drive in Finnsnes, a town across from the beautiful island of Senja. In the morning we ventured out to the Sami souvenir shop mentioned below before turning around and heading south on the E6.

    The drive close to Narvik is so beautiful! What I love is the amount of effort put into having rest areas with information about the Battle of Narvik, too. 

    Enjoy the drive!

    In this article...

    Downloadable Version of This Guide

    We offer downloadable versions of our self-guided drives on our online store. 

    View at the Store

    Online Guide

    • Information about points of interest
    • Images of each point of interest
    • Historic overview of the neighbourhood
    • Directions between points
    • Historic photos
    • Information about facilities along the way

    Downloadable Guide

    • Information about points of interest
    • Images of each point of interest
    • Historic overview of the region & towns
    • Directions between points
    • Historic photos
    • Facilities including supermarkets, toilets, petrol, hotels, cafes, restaurants with addresses.

    Watch on Youtube

    All of our roadtrips are available on YouTube to watch. They include information about the area provided in text and voiceover form, plus they show the drive in full (sped up in some spots!) so you can get an idea what the drive is like. 

    Visit Our YouTube Channel

    The drive: E6 between Nordkjosbotn & Narvik

    Nordkjosbotn

    Village

    Nordkjosbotn (Sami name: Gárgán) is a small village located at the junction of two major highways – the E6 and the E8. The E8 leads towards Tromsø, while the E6 runs through the entire length of Norway. It is one of the major crossroads in Norway. In the village you’ll find supermarkets, petrol stations, and a small church.

    Balsfjord Municipality

    Balsfjord Municipality (Sami name: Báhccavuotna) is located close to Tromsø Municipality. It has a population of around 5,500 people and has a very low population density. It is surrounded by two major fjords – Malangen and Balsfjorden. The farmland here is very rich.

    The original inhabitants were the Sami people, but in the 1800s new settlers came from Finland. Eventually people moved up from southern Norway and settled in the area. Today there are very few traces of Sami culture. Petroglyphs have been found in the area that are 2,500 to 4,000 years old.

    The coat-of-arms represents a yellow plough on a red background, symbolising the fact that agriculture is the main source of income for municipality. The plough also symbolises that the municipality is at the northernmost border on which grain can be grown in Norway. Agriculture is mostly based on milk and meat production, and Balsfjord has the highest number of cattle, sheep and goats in Troms county.

    Målselv Municipality

    Målselv (Sami name: Málatvuomi suohkan) is a municipality in Troms County. The area was settled by farmers from southern Norway from 1788 onwards. They came here because of the large, forested areas as well as the fertile land. The valley and the municipality take its name from the river Målselva, which is well known for its salmon. The river also forms the Målselv waterfall, which has been selected as Norway’s national waterfall. One of the rarest orchids in Europe, Lysiella oligantha, is found in Målselva.

    Sami Shop Heia

    Shop

    One of my favourite places in the area is this Sami shop. Here you can buy authentic Sami handicrafts, but I love their cafe with some of the best coffee I’ve ever had – boiled over an open fire and very, very strong. 

    Øvre Divdal National Park

    National Park

    The Øvre Divdal National Park (Sami name: Dieváidvuovddi) is a 750km2 (290 sq mi) national park that opened in 1971. The intention behind establishing the park was to protect the inland valley and mountain area. The area is very popular with hiking today. Pine forests grow in the lower areas, while birch grows on the mountains. All the main predators are represented in the park, including the brown bear, wolf, wolverine and lynx. The wolverine are numerous in the area and it is also common to see reindeer (owned by Sami) and moose. The Arctic fox used to live in the area.

    The valley is the second driest in Norway, with an annual precipitation of 282mm (11.1 inches). There is no permafrost in the lower elevations of the park.

    Many Sami cultural monuments remain in the park, from pre-Christian sacrificial sites to reindeer fences. Norwegian settlement didn’t come to the area until the 18th and 19th centuries. The name Divdalen comes from the Sami word dievva, meaning ‘round and dry pile’.

    If you are considering spending some time here, I recommend spending at least one night here. Cabins are available for rent throughout the area.

    Click here to visit their official website. 

    Bardufoss

    Town

    Bardufoss (Sami name: Beardogorži) is the commercial centre for the Målselv municipality. It is located in the Målselvdalen valley near the confluence of the Barduelva and Målselva Rivers. The population is 2,600.

    Bardufoss is known in Norway for its association with the military. The Bardufoss Airport is both a civilian and military airport suitable for landing bomber aircraft, fighter jets and other heavy planes.

    Many people who live in Bardufoss are associated with the Armed Forces. The two military camps Rusta and Heggelia, with the common name Bardufoss Camp, constitute the military centre of gravity in Troms together with Maukstadmoen camp in Øverbygd and Setermoen camp in Bardu. Between Rusta and Heggelia camps is Istindportalen, which is a welfare building for the Armed Forces. It houses the welfare service and equipment for the soldiers as well as a cinema, sports hall, and kiosk for civilians.

    A street in Bardufoss is called General Fleischer’s Veg, in honour of Carl Gustav Fleischer. Carl Gustav Fleischer was a Norwegian general and the first land commander to win a victory against the Germans in World War II.

    The main forest here is made up of Downy birch, Scot’s pine, aspen and grey alder. However, Norway spruce has been planted in the plantations since the middle part of the 20th century for economic reasons (timber).

    The climate in Bardufoss is more continental, and it has reliable snow cover in the winter while the summers are warmer than Tromsø in the summer.

    Bardufoss has an upper secondary school with practical subjects including aeronautical subjects, construction subjects and electrical subjects. The Armed Forces College is located here with courses at the college and university levels.

    Battle of Narvik 1940 Memorial & General Carl Flesicher

    Located just off the E6 in Bardufoss is a memorial about the importance of the Bardufoss Airport in the Narvik Campaign in 1940. 

    This monument at Bardufoss is one of the six memorials erected by the Norwegian Army commemorating the first defeat for Nazi Germany during World War II.

    Bardufoss Airport was important during the Campaign of Narvik and was an important aim of the German advance northwards.

    The street is named in memory of Carl Fleischer, a General in the Norwegian Army at the outbreak of World War II. He was crucial to the early successes of the military in the Battle of Narvik and is credited with coordinating the French, Polish, British and Norwegian forces in recapturing Narvik on the 28th of May. Narvik was the first major allied infantry victory in the Second World War. Unfortunately, the Allies left Narvik due to the German Invasion of France on the 10th of May 1940 and without the support the Norwegians couldn’t hold Narvik. The Germans reoccupied Narvik on the 9th of June. General Fleischer followed King Haakon VII and the government to the United Kingdom.

    During his exile, he built up a Norwegian infantry brigade in Scotland, but he soon got at odds with the Norwegian political leadership due to his stubbornness. He became controversial in factions of the cabinet due to his support of British commando raids on the Norwegian coast. Likely because of his attitudes, he was bypassed when the government-in-exile recreated the post of commander in chief of the Norwegian Armed Forces. Instead, Fleischer was told he would go to Canada and be the commander there. Apart from the Royal Norwegian Air Forces training base near Toronto, which already had a leader, there were no Norwegian forces in Canada. Fleischer took this as an insult and humiliation, and he committed suicide on the 19th of December 1942.

    Still disputed today, it is thought one of the reasons for sending him to Canada was that he favoured coastal raids against Norway to hamper German use of the occupied nation. He also wanted to build substantial army forces abroad and employ them in operations against the German occupying forces, something that was in direct conflict with the more passive strategy favoured by the government in exile. When General Fleischer’s ashes were brought back to Norway after the war, the Labour government denied him a state funeral. When a monument was raised in Harstad, which was attended by the King, the same lack of respect was shown by the Labour Party.

    Bardu Municipality

    Bardu (Northern Sami: Bearddu suohkan) is a small municipality in Troms Country with a population of around 4,000. The Norwegian name of the municipality has been Norwegianised from the Sami name, which means “long and steep mountainside”. The coat-of-arms represent a black wolverine on a gold background, symbolising the rich wildlife in the area.

    Norway’s largest military garrison is located at Setermoen, the administrative centre for Bardu. The military is the municipality’s largest employer, and more than 1,000 young soldiers perform their duty service here every year.

    The world’s most northern zoo, Polar Park, is in the southern part of the municipality.

    Setermoen

    Village

    Setermoen is the main town in Bardu municipality and has a population of around 2,400. Military education was established here in 1898 because of its strategic location in a valley surrounded by mountains. Today it is one of the oldest military camps in Norway, and in many ways the Norwegian Armed Forces has shaped Setermoen and the community through its presence. About 1,000 soldiers and 500 soldiers are stationed here, making it the largest garrison in Norway.

    Click here to visit the Norwegian Army’s website about Setermoen (it has some great pictures!)

    Bardu Bygdetun

    Open-air museum

    Bardu Bygdetun is an open-air museum that contains buildings mostly from the 1860s, arranged to show a historic farm and village. The main building is a farmhouse from 1868, but another interesting building is the school room that was built in the early 20th century to accommodate the 8-10 school students in the district.

    The museum is only open in August, where you’ll find staff dressed up, coffee and food, and other events.

    Click here to visit their website (in Norwegian).

    Polar Park

    Animal Park

    Polar Park is an animal park that specialises in Nordic fauna, including Norway’s four largest predators: brown bear, lynx, wolf, and wolverine. Other animals include moose, muskox, red deer, and reindeer.

    The park is open every day and they also have accommodation options close by.

    Click here to visit their website (in English). 

    Lavangen Municipality

    Lavangen (Sami name: Loabák) is a tiny municipality in the southern part of Troms County; the population is only 1,000! The name comes from the fjord nearby and is from the Old Norse words meaning “leaf fjord”. The coat-of-arms represents gold-coloured birch leaves on a red background, representing how the area was settled by Norwegians, Sami and Kvens. Over 20% of the population have a Sami background; they are mostly descendants of Swedish reindeer herding Sami.

    General Fleischer Memorial & Lapphaugen

    Memorial

    Shortly after driving through the village of Fossbakken is a monument about the Battle of Narvik in 1940. It includes a memorial to General Carl Fleischer as well as some information about the fighting that took place in the area.

    This is the site where the German troops advancing north were stopped by Norwegian forces. The Germans never again resumed the offensive in Narvik. The Germans were held back by a blizzard, which made for zero visibility and they had to stop here at Lapphaugen.

    Gratangen Municipality

    Gratangen (Sami name: Rivttága suohkan) is a small municipality in the southern part of Troms County. The population in the municipality is only around 1,000, with the main village being Årstein.

    Gratangen was the site of the Battle of Gratangen, one of the first battles between the Germans and the Norwegians during the Narvik Campaign in 1940. The first attack was a huge failure as the German counter-attacked unprepared Norwegians, blunting the first Norwegian advance. This battle was, for Norwegians, their first serious lesson in the art of war. After this battle, the bitterness caused by the German ruthlessness – particularly the use of civilians as human shields – ensured that the Norwegian’s wouldn’t hesitate to fire on the enemy again.

    Øse

    Memorial

    This memorial is located at a site called Øse, which was the site where fighting took place between the 1st and 14th of May 1940. The site is a strategically important mountain pass that the Germans were using. This is where the Norwegians fought alongside the French for the first time in the war. The goal was to clear the valley and mountain of German positions. The German troops put up a strong defence, and the area was not recaptured until the 7th of May. During the attack, the soldiers witnessed German air raids on the red-cross-labelled hospital ship, Dronning Maud, in the nearby fjord, and 19 people were killed when the ship sunk.

    Nordland County

    We cross into Nordland county. 

    Narvik Municipality

    We have now crossed into Narvik municipality. We’ll talk more specifically about the town later. The municipality is fairly large and is located in the northernmost part of Nordland county. The population is around 22,000, and it has grown by 18% over the last 10 years. The coat-of-arms represents the mountain Stetind, a well-known mountain peak in the area.

    Most of the municipality is around the Ofotfjorden and the mountain peaks here reach as high as 1,700 metres (5,600ft). Forests cover the lower parts of the mountains, but near the summits snow can stay for most of the year. Narvik is the best-known area in northern Norway for alpine skiing; some of the slopes start on top of the mountains and end near the town centre. Wreck diving attracts divers to the area as there are a lot of wrecks in the harbour.

    The economy is still largely based around iron ore, but there are some high-tech businesses in Narvik including Natach and the largest research institute in Northern Norway, Norut Narvik. Narvik was one of the first areas in the world to be affected by the financial cricis of 2007-2008 as it had invested in Citigroup securities. Narvik lost the equivalent of $18 million USD in August 2007 and the Norwegian government refused to bail them out, so Narvik was forced to implement severe budget cuts.

    Bjerkvik

    Village

    Bjerkvik is a small village with a population of 1,159. It has the European Highway 6 and the European Highway 10 running through it, making it a major junction between Harstad, Narvik and Tromsø.

    During World War II, Bjerkvik was almost destroyed by the bombardment of gunfire from allied warships that caused significant civilian casualties. A landing was conducted in the area by Franco-British forces, pushing the German forces several miles away.

    During a NATO exercise in 1986, sixteen Norwegian soldiers died in an avalanche just east of the town. Later, in 2006, two grenadiers from the Telemark battalion died of a tank accident during another NATO exercise. The tank they operated went through the ice on a swamp, and only two of the four crew managed to get out alive. The Commission of Inquiry concluded that it was human failure on the part of the crew who operated the tank. Also, they found that the crew were using old maps and that the Armed Forces had been warned against moving off the road due to little snowfall and bad ice.

    Ofotfjord

    Fjord

    The Ofotfjord is an inlet of the Norwegian Sea and a fjord that Narvik is built around. At 78km (48 mi), the Ofotfjord is Norway’s 12th longest fjord. It has depths of up to 553m (1814ft), and the mountains around the fjord reach peaks of 1500m (4900ft).

    In the fjord are huge quantities of herring staying in the fjord in the winter. The fish attract a lot of whales, notably orca. Lobsters have been occasionally observed in the fjord, making them the northernmost lobsters in the world. Cod and coalfish is the most common fish species throughout the year, while mackerel is common between July and September. White-tailed eagles and Eurasian otters are common in and around the fjord.

    The Ofotfjord was the scene of several naval battles during the Battles of Narvik in World War II. The fjord today is very popular among divers, though some of the shipwrecks are declared war graves and thus you cannot dive to them. The German destroyer Georg Thiele is still visible from the railway as it sits in the Ofotfjord. See pictures here. 

    Hålogaland Bridge

    Bridge

    This bridge crosses the Rombaksfjorden and is the second-longest bridge span in Norway. It was built to shorten the drive on the E6 between Narvik and Bjkerkvik. Financing for the bridge came from a mix of state grants and toll roads. At the time of its construction, it was the longest suspension bridge within the Arctic Circle and was featured on the Science Channel show Building Giants. The bridge officially opened on 9 December 2018.

    Narvik

    We have now arrived in Narvik! A detailed overview of Narvik can be found on the travel guide section of The Hidden North. 

    Narvik Travel Guide

    Continue the drive

    The E6 between Narvik and Mo i Rana

    Continue on the E6 south to Mo i Rana. On this part of the drive, you cross the Arctic Circle!

    Narvik to Mo i Rana

    Previous Drive

    Senja Tourist Road

    See the previous day’s drive on the Senja Tourist Road. 

    Senja Tourist Road

    If you liked this drive, or if you have any travel tips, please leave a comment in the section below!

  • Andenes, Finnsnes, National Tourist Roads, Northern Norway, Road-trips, Senja

    Drive it Yourself: The Senja Tourist Road

    Drive it Yourself: Senja Tourist Road

    Senja is the second largest island in Norway (outside of Svalbard) and is located close to the Vesterålen archipelago. The fishing industry is dominant in Senja as the waters here are some of the richest in the country. Other important industries are graphite mining and potato and potato products.

    The northern coast of Senja has open sea, while the west coast faces the islands of Andøya and Krøttøya. The west coast is famous for its steep and rugged mountains coming out from the sea, while the eastern and southern parts are milder.

    Senja has earned the nickname “Norway in miniature” because of the islands diverse scenery that reflects almost the entire span of Norwegian nature. Senja is known for its natural environment across Norway.

    In this article...

    Downloadable Version of This Guide

    We offer downloadable versions of our self-guided drives on our online store. 

    All of our digital guides come with interactive Google maps, making your trip much easier!

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    Online Guide

    • Information about points of interest
    • Images of each point of interest
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    • Information about facilities along the way

    Downloadable Guide

    • Information about points of interest
    • Images of each point of interest
    • Historic overview of the region & towns
    • Directions between points
    • Historic photos
    • Facilities including supermarkets, toilets, petrol, hotels, cafes, restaurants with addresses.

    Watch on Youtube

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    The drive: Senja Tourist Road

    Gryllefjord

    Village

    This tour begins at the ferry pier at Gryllefjord. We had taken the ferry across from Andenes that morning, which is very likely how you’ll be doing the drive. 

    Gryllefjord is a small fishing village in the Senja Municipality in Troms and Finnmark. Gryllefjord has been known as a fishing village since the 17th century, and from the late 19th century the village got new steam-powered fishing vessels to take part in cod fishing.  While fishing remained after the war, in recent years the place has experienced a sharp population decline. In the 1970s, there were 1,000 people living here, while in 2021 there were only 382.

    Senja Municipality

    Senja is a municipality in Troms County, with the main town being Finnsnes. The municipality consists of the entire island of Senja (Sami name: Sážžá), some smaller surrounding islands, and a small part of the mainland. The meaning of the name is unknown, but it might relate to the verb sundra, which means ‘tear’ or ‘split apart’, referring to the fjords that cut into the island.

    Senja wins the prize for my favourite coat of arms!

    Torsken

    Village

    Torksen used to be its own municipality, but from 2020 it was merged with Senja. Torksen, which translates to “the cod” in English, is close to the rich fisheries of Vesterålen and therefore fishing is the main industry. The name, however, comes from the rock formation overlooking the village, which previously looked a bit like a cod. Unfortunately, the rock formation has since collapsed.

    The fish-rich fjord has always provided a good life for people here, and Torsken attracted many fishermen. There is still fishing here, including a salmon and trout fish farm, a salmon slaughterhouse, and a herring and white fish farm. The village has a kindergarten; the school closed a few years ago and now students attend the school in Gryllefjord.

    Torsken Church

    Torsken Church is a historic church on Senja Island. The red, wooden church dates to 1784 and seats around 100 people. The first church on the site was mentioned in 1589, but it’s likely the church was built in 1400. Many believe it was built here by fishermen around that time and reflected the wealth and interest of this area. Additionally, it probably stood several metres to the north. In 1784, the old church was torn down and replaced with the present building, but they used many of the same materials. While the church is not a museum today, it’s still worth seeing as it is one of the few historic churches here.

    To get here, you’ll see a right-hand turn off the Fv86. The drive is short but stunningly beautiful; be sure to stop for photos. 

    Senja Troll

    Monument

    The Senja Troll was an experience centre and home to the Senja Troll, which was the world’s largest troll. Unfortunately, the troll burned down in 2019 and the park has since closed. There were shops, kids playgrounds, and a café here. You’ll see the entrance to the park, but it’s abandoned today. 

    Bergsbotn

    Viewpoint

    Bergsbotn is a scenic overlook of the fjord and surrounding mountain peaks. The platform is clearly marked with roadsides and has a parking lot. 

    Bergsbotn is also a fjord arm and settlement with a tiny population – around fifty people. It is located on the innermost part of the Bergsfjord.

    Skaland

    Village

    Skaland is a small town just a few minutes off the Fv862. It has a supermarket with restrooms, so it’s a great place to stop!

    Tungeneset

    Scenic Viewpoint

    Tungeneset is one of the most scenic stops on the Senja Tourist Road. There is a walkway that takes you along the shoreline towards a view of the mountain Oksen (with the sharp peaks), also known as ‘The Devil’s Jaw’, as well as a lovely view out to the North Sea.

    Ersfjord Beach

    Beach

    Ersfjord is a picturesque beach area overlooking the peaks of Oksen and the Ersfjord. The area used to be very isolated, but since 2004 it has had a tunnel connection and is now featured as part of the Senja Tourist Road. Around 40 people live here today.

    Ersfjord is known for having one of Norway’s most expensive road toilets. Called Gulldassen, the toilet cost 3.75 million NOK to build. The toilet was built in 2014. Luckily, the toilet was praised for its design when it completed, and it has become something of an attraction. Click here to see an article (in Norwegian) about the toilet. 

    When we visited there was a school group out fishing. They offered us some of their cod, but we had no way to take it with us!

    Ersfjord is an excellent place to observe the northern lights in winter, or in summer you can swim here under the midnight sun.

    Senjahopen and Mefjordvær

    Village

    With a population of 250, Senjahopen is one of the larger villages on the island Senja. Until the tunnel was completed in 2004, Senjahopen was very isolated. Even though Skaland is 10km (6 mi) away, it took over an hour to drive. Now, as we saw, it takes about 15 minutes. The village is one of the most important fishing villages in Senja thanks to its proximity to the fishing grounds. It is also where you’ll find a lot of the tourist activities. Thanks to its location on Hopsvatnet, a bay in the Mefjorden, Senjahopen is sheltered from the weather and wind.

    About 3km (2 mi) past Senjahopen is Mefjordvær, a historic fishing village. 

    Botnhamn

    Village

    Botnhamn is a small village in Senja with a population of around 300. The village is historic; it is mentioned in 1370 as a farm, and archaeological discoveries from the Stone Age, Iron Age and Middle Ages indicate that this area has been populated for a long time.

    The most known discovery is the Silver Treasure of Botnhamn from around 1000AD. It’s a necklace and the only known one to have a rune inscription on it. The rune inscription reads “We went to Frisland and fought the warriors, and we shared the booty between us”. The treasure is on display at the Tromsø Museum.

    From Botnhamn you can take a ferry to the island of Kvaløya, which neighbours the city of Tromsø – it’s a lot quicker than driving to Finnsnes first.

    Husøy

    Village

    Husøy is a small village located on the entirety of the island of Husøy, which is in the middle of the Øyfjorden. Husøy is well-known in Norway due to its picturesque setting. The population is about 285 and the main industry here is fishing. Up until a few decades ago the only access to the island was by boat, but now there is a tunnel and 300m long road connecting the island to the mainland.

    Because Husøy is exposed to bad winds coming in from the sea, the houses on the island have to be roped to the ground. People chose to settle here because of the close proximity to the fisheries as well as the lack of risk of landslides.

    Note – if you want to explore the island, park your car off the island. There is nowhere to park on the island. 

    Gibostad

    Village

    Gibostad is a historic village on the island Senja. Gibostad was originally the centre for the municipality, before it was replaced by Finnsnes in the 1960s. Gibostad is located at the narrowest point that separates Senja from the mainland, and for a long time it was projected to become the main centre of Northern Norway. However, in 1794 Tromsø was chosen instead.

    Gibostad was originally a Hurtigruten port of call, and it was one of the first ports on the ship way back in 1838 (Hurtigruten as we know it today is from 1893, but its predecessor was operating a service in Northern Norway throughout the 19th century). This service was of crucial importance to the development of the town. A commercial centre grew in Gibostad, and in the summer there was a huge market here. Eventually everything was moved to Finnsnes, and since then Gibostad has been a small village.

    Some of the old buildings from Gibostad have been preserved, but sadly many were torn town. Ever since the 1990s there has been a renewed interest in preserving Gibostad, and a market is arranged once a year like the old times.

    Senja’s main high school is located at Gibostad, and the schools specialises in agricultural studies.

    Finnsnes

    Finnsnes is the main town for the Senja Municipality. It is not located on the island but is instead on the mainland – separated from Senja by the Gisundet straight. The Gisund Bridge connects Finnsnes to the outer suburbs Silsand and Laukhella on Senja island. The town has all the services you’d expect for a town this size, including schools, a hospital, etc.

    Finnsnes is a modern town. Over the last 100 years it has seen rapid development, largely thanks to the introduction of a Hurtigruten stop as well as increase in industry.  Finnsnes is today an important centre for transportation for Senja both on land and sea. Fishing and agriculture are still important industries, with major companies for fish processing located here. Fish farming is growing in importance.

    Finnsnes is often described as the ‘Gateway to Senja’ thanks to its proximity to the island. While Senja remains far more traditional and less developed, Finnsnes is a good alternative for staying while exploring Senja. While not as scenic as Senja, it has shopping malls, restaurants, hotels, and multiple transportation connections, making it a good place to base yourself.

    Finnsnes Travel Guide

    Continue the drive

    The E6 between Nordkjosbotn & Narvik

    Time to turn around and begin the journey south! We join with the E6 and continue south to Narvik. 

    Nordkjosbotn to Narvik

    Previous Drive

    Andøya Tourist Road

    See the previous day’s drive on the Andøya Tourist Road.

    Andøya Tourist Road

    If you liked this drive, or if you have any travel tips, please leave a comment in the section below!

  • Andenes, Harstad, National Tourist Roads, Northern Norway, Road-trips, Sortland

    Drive it Yourself: Harstad to Andenes on the Andøya Tourist Road

    Drive it Yourself: Harstad to Andenes on the Andøya Tourist Road

    This drive doesn’t have to begin in Harstad. The Andøya Tourist Road is close to the Lofoten Tourist Road, so you can easily do this from Svolvær, for example. 

    The Andøya Tourist Road is one of Norway’s most remote tourist roads, and in many ways, it feels like one of the country’s best-kept secrets. Located close to the far more famous Lofoten Islands, this road takes along the rough coastline past some of the most stunning scenery Norway has to offer.

    Andøya Island (explained in detail later in this driving guide) is a unique island. It is the only place on the Norwegian mainland where dinosaur fossils have been found, it is famous for its Arctic cloudberries, and whales, puffins and seals can be seen for large parts of the year.

    While the tourist road itself is short, the drive is well worth the time it takes to get to this remote part of the world.

    In this article...

    Downloadable Version of This Guide

    We offer downloadable versions of our self-guided drives on our online store. 

    View at the Store

    Online Guide

    • Information about points of interest
    • Images of each point of interest
    • Historic overview of the neighbourhood
    • Directions between points
    • Historic photos
    • Information about facilities along the way

    Downloadable Guide

    • Information about points of interest
    • Images of each point of interest
    • Historic overview of the region & towns
    • Directions between points
    • Historic photos
    • Facilities including supermarkets, toilets, petrol, hotels, cafes, restaurants with addresses.

    Watch on Youtube

    All of our roadtrips are available on YouTube to watch. They include information about the area provided in text and voiceover form, plus they show the drive in full (sped up in some spots!) so you can get an idea what the drive is like. 

    Visit Our YouTube Channel

    The drive: Harstad to Andenes

    Harstad

    Harstad is the second largest city in Troms (after Tromsø). It’s a good place to spend the night thanks to its large selection of hotels and restaurants. The YouTube video begins in Harstad.

    For information about Harstad, head to the travel guide  page. 

    Harstad Travel Guide

    Sørvik

    Village

    Sørvik is a small village located close to Harstad. The village has a historical museum that opens in the summer. They’ve collected log buildings from around Harstad and recreated the museum like an old farm and village. The museum aims to show the Norwegian home and lifestyle in the 19th and early 20th century, though some of the architecture dates back to before the 19th century.

    Sandtorg

    Village

    Sandtorg is a small village with a population of around 300. It is an old settlement; there has been a trading post here since the 13th century. Sandtorg grew in importance in the 18th century when pilot services were added for foreign and local ships. The trading post lasted until 1945, when the Norwegian Amy’s communication services took over operations after German occupation. The army returned the post to civilian use in the 1990s and today the trading post still stands with a hotel and restaurant.

    In 2014, three coins from the Middle Ages and two pieces of payment silver dating to the Viking times were found here. The two coins were minted under Eirik Magnusson and date to 1285-1290. The third coin is from 1483-1513. In 2020, it was concluded that Sandtorg is the only Viking Age trading place in Northern Norway.

    You can spend the night at Sandtorgholmen Hotel, which is built on the site that has been used as the trading post since the 19th century. The original site was further north. Prices start at around 1200 NOK for a standard room for one night.

    You can visit the hotel website here: https://www.sandtorgholmen.no/?lang=en

    Tjeldsund County

    Tjeldsund Municipality

    Tjeldsund (Sami name: Dielddanuorri) is a municipality that’s part of the Ofoten traditional district and the Central Hålogaland district. The main village in the municipality is Evenskjer.  The main education and training centre for Norway’s firemen, Norges Brannskole, is in Fjelldal in Tjeldsund. A naval base is also located here at Ramsund. Besides that, there is some small industry including farming, fishing, banking, and transport.

    Kongsvik

    Village

    Kongsvika is a small village with around 300 people living there. It has cabins for rental and a petrol station. 

    Nordland County

    Nordland County

    Nordland County is located along the north-western coast of the Scandinavian peninsula. Due to its huge size and low population, it is one of the least polluted areas in Europe. The county is defined by steep mountains near the sea and a lowland area between the mountains and the sea. The Arctic Circle cuts through the county.

    Troms County

    Troms County

    We cross back into Troms County. 

    Troms County existed up until 1 January 2020, when it was merged with Finnmark County to make Troms og Finnmark. However, at time of writing, there are rumours the two will split up. So, I’m going to provide information just about Troms.

    The area has been settled since the Stone Age, and the first of the current ethnic groups to settle in the county were the Sami people. Archaeological evidence shows that a Norse-based culture existed here in the Late Roman Iron Age (200-400AD).

    The Norse settled along the coast and some of the larger fjords, while the Sami lived in some fjord areas and inland. The southern part of Troms was a petty kingdom in the Viking Age. Trondenes (today’s Harstad) was an important Viking power centre and gathering place.

    Troms takes its name from the island Tromsøya where the city Tromsø is located. The area is in the northern part of the Scandinavian peninsula, and due to its low population and distance from high density European cities, it is one of the least polluted areas in Europe.

    With its latitude of nearly 70 degrees north, the area has cool, short summers but mild winters due to the Gulf Stream. The area experiences the midnight sun between May and July and then the polar night between November and January.

    Outside of the big cities, fishing remains an important industry and there are several important fishing ports throughout the county. Tromsø is the commercial centre for the northern part of the county, while Harstad is the centre for the southern part of the county.

    Kvæfjord Municipality

    Kvæfjord (Sami: Giehtavuotna) is in the traditional region of Central Hålogaland with the main village being Borkenes. The municipality is known for its agriculture and farming, with the quality of the strawberries being particularly famous.

    The long hours of daylight and low summer temperatures are great for strawberries, making them more tasteful than berries grown in warmer climates. Potatoes are also particularly well known from this region, and the fjords are known for their good herring. Chicken farming for egg production and pig farming are also important.

    Kvæfjord is a historic region, and burial mounds and items found during excavations indicate that there have been settlements here since the Iron Age. One of the oldest farms, Vebostad, has traces from 300BC. Many of the names in the area have Iron Age and Viking Age origin. For example, Vebostad has ‘ve’ in it, which is an old word meaning sanctuary, residence, and pagan sacrificial site. Another farm, Hundstad, may be connected to the famous Viking Tore Hund.

    Sami people have lived in Kvæfjord for a very long time, but the historical information is scattered. It is known that the Sami lived along the fjords, particularly Austerfjord, as well as in the inland areas. In the Storjord area are traces of Sami settlement from the 17th to 19th centuries.

    Langvassbukta

    Village

    Kvæfjord (Sami: Giehtavuotna) is in the traditional region of Central Hålogaland with the main village being Borkenes. The municipality is known for its agriculture and farming, with the quality of the strawberries being particularly famous.

    The long hours of daylight and low summer temperatures are great for strawberries, making them more tasteful than berries grown in warmer climates. Potatoes are also particularly well known from this region, and the fjords are known for their good herring. Chicken farming for egg production and pig farming are also important.

    Kvæfjord is a historic region, and burial mounds and items found during excavations indicate that there have been settlements here since the Iron Age. One of the oldest farms, Vebostad, has traces from 300BC. Many of the names in the area have Iron Age and Viking Age origin. For example, Vebostad has ‘ve’ in it, which is an old word meaning sanctuary, residence, and pagan sacrificial site. Another farm, Hundstad, may be connected to the famous Viking Tore Hund.

    Sami people have lived in Kvæfjord for a very long time, but the historical information is scattered. It is known that the Sami lived along the fjords, particularly Austerfjord, as well as in the inland areas. In the Storjord area are traces of Sami settlement from the 17th to 19th centuries.

    Sortland Municipality

    Sortland (Sami name: Suortá) Municipality is part of the traditional region of Vesterålen. It is located in the southern part of Vesterålen on the islands Langøya and Hinnøya, and the municipality surrounds the inner part of the Eidsfjorden and the Sortland Strait. The midnight sun occurs from 23 May to 23 July, while the polar night is from 30 November to 12 January. The region is popular for observing the northern lights.

    History

    The region is mentioned in the Viking Sagas, where it is written as the home of Karle and Gunnstein, who took part in Tore Hund’s campaign against King Olav. The first church is mentioned in written sources in 1370.

    Yacht skipper Søren Mørch from Bergen settled here and started a yacht trade in 1659. This is the year Sortland is considered to be founded.

    Industry

    Sortland is home to the Coast Guard Base in Norway. Tourism is also important, as is agriculture. Parts of the municipality were known in the latter half of the 19th century as one of Norway’s best regions for herring. The herring adventure here helped lay the foundation or the establishment of Hurtigruten. While the herring aren’t as plentiful as back then, there are still fishing in Sortland.

    Sami Activity

    Sortland has a small Sami population. A Sami family runs reindeer herding on Hinnøya. There used to be a reindeer husbandry, but it was closed in 1972. Some place names in the region come from Sami words.

    Culture

    Sortland is regarded as one of the best music communities in Norway and the local band Madrugada has been one of the best in the country. The Sortland Jazz Festival takes place every autumn, and some of the world’s leading jazz musicians have taken part.

    Sortland is the only municipality in Vesterålen that has seen a stable increase in the popular over the past 25 years.

    Sortland

    If you want to go into Sortland, you’ll take the Sortland Bridge across the town (instead of continuing straight towards Andøya). You come to this junction as you are crossing through the village Strand (you see Sortland across the strait and you see the massive bridge well in advance). 

    Sortland has a population of around 5,500 and is the largest town and commercial centre in Vesterålen.

    As you drive through Sortland, you will notice many of the buildings are painted blue. The local artist Bjørn Elvenes came up with the idea to bring colour into the city and attract tourists too. The idea wasn’t too popular amongst the locals, but it was adopted as a millennium project by the city. However, it didn’t go very well. Elvenes wanted more artistic control in creating Sortland into a 3D-like painting, while the architects wanted to use colour to highlight the features of the buildings.

    Elvenes fell out with the council and began to cooperate with the buildings directly, while others chose the councils plans. Because of that, the blue buildings are not as unified as they could be. Not all the buildings are blue, but enough of them are that you’ll wonder what’s going on.

    Sortland has a massive shopping mall, Sortland Storsenter, where you’ll be able to buy groceries, alcohol, clothing, cosmetics, etc. If you need anything, I recommend stopping here as Andenes doesn’t have so much. There are also cafes, restaurants, takeaway and petrol stations in Sortland. 

    Sortland Travel Guide

    Andøy Municipality

    Andøy is the northernmost municipality in Nordland, and forms part of the Vesterålen archipelago. The population of Andøya has decreased by 6.8% over the last ten years, and the main settlement is Andenes. The meaning of Andøy is unknown, though the last element means ‘island’.

    The municipality is spread across the island of Andøya and Hinnøya. The mid-section has bogs and marshes known for their Arctic cloudberries, and there are numerous lakes here too. The island is the only place in continental Norway where coal and fossils from dinosaurs are found. The Forfjorddalen nature reserve has some of the oldest pine trees in Scandinavia – some are more than 700 years old. Andøys is also the place where Egga, the edge of the continental shelf, is closest to the land.

    The municipality has a strong connection to aviation, with the 333 Squadron of the Air Force being stationed at Andøya Airport. The Andøya Space Centre is involved in international cooperation of the polar atmosphere and the northern lights. Andøya Airport is proposed to be closed by 2025, with air traffic moving to Evenes Airport.

    The fishing industry is still important to the municipality, and Andenes is one of the country’s largest fishing harbours and one of Northern Europe’s largest port facilities.

    Forfjord

    Village

    The name of the village is Forfjord, which comes from the name of the fjord the village is built around. The nature reserve here has the oldest living pine trees in Northern Europe, with some of them dating back to 830 AD. It is assumed that the forest was a source of timber and tar for Viking ships, and there are settlements and burial sites that are yet to be excavated.

    A famous person in Norwegian exploration came from Forfjord: Hans Jørgen Furfjord. He led the first expedition to stay the winter on Svalbard to hunt silver foxes, walruses, seals and polar bears. Items from his expeditions are on display in museums in Tromsø and Svalbard. Hans also kept diaries describing his adventures, including European monarchs visiting, his being imprisoned by British soldiers for not supplying them for free, barely surviving polar bear encounters, and surviving not freezing to death. He died at the age of 81 at his home in Forfjord. Some of his children emigrated to Canada and the United States, where some of his descendants live today. Some remain in Forfjord.  

    Risøyhamn

    Village

    Risøyhamn is a small village located on the island Andøya. It has a population of 216 and is serviced by the Hurtigruten twice a day – if you take the Hurtigruten southbound you see the village around 11:30am. There are many older buildings in Risøyhamn, including Gammelg ården from the early 18th century. There is a small open-air museum here with five buildings. Click here to view a website about the buildings (in Norwegian only). 

    Andøya Tourist Road

    Bjørnskinn

    Village

    Bjørnskinn is a small settlement with the Bjørnskinn church. The church was in use in 1589, but it was not new then. The church was replaced in 1740 and again in 1885.

    Bukkekjerka

    Rest Stop

    Bukkekjerka is a rest stop and rock formation that was historically a Sami sacrificial site. The word Bukkekjerka, which is a Sami word, refers to crevice (bohki) and rock (giergie). Several tracks lead to the top of the rock, where there is a small bench.

     

    There used to be a fishing village here called Børvågen that was very active during the herring fisheries period, but the town was reduced to rubble in a huge storm in 1879. Remains of Iron Age buildings, burial mounds and boat landings have been found in the area.

     

    There are toilets here, too. They are open from mid-May until the end of September. The rest area won an architecture design prize in 2018.

    Nordmela

    Village

    Nordmela is a fishing village with about 120 inhabitants. There are written sources that people have lived here since the 16th century, but there are findings from the Stone Age in the area. The area used to be a stronger fishing village, but one of the main companies went bankrupt in 2009. The local school closed down in 2008.

    Måtinden

    Mountain

    Måtinden is 408m (2000ft) high and the walking path is about 4km each way. The hike is not demanding, but some sections are a little steep.

    Read more about the mountain by clicking here. 

    Bleik

    Village

    Bleik is a small fishing village with a population of around 460. Bleik has one of the longest beaches in Norway, and it’s believed that’s where the village gets its name (bleik = white/pale). It’s believed people have lived here for a very long time, as an old farm mound can be traced back to 600AD and has a depth of 6 metres.

    15km offshore from the beach is the Bleik Canyon, a deep canyon with depths of up to 3000m. It’s common to see sperm whales here, which is why Andøya is known for its whale safaris.

    There is a triangle shaped island off the coast called Bleiksøya, and that’s where you can see puffins – it is the largest resort for puffins in Norway. These puffins are highly endangered due to the white-tailed eagle and the golden eagle, which are also often spotted here. The puffins are here from mid-April until mid-August, and puffin safaris can be taken from Bleik, which is what we did!

    Andøya Space

    Space centre

    Shortly after Bleik you’ll pass a large complex on your left; this is Andøya Space. It’s a rocket launch site, rocket range and space port. Over 1,200 sounding and sub-orbital rockets of various configurations have been launched from the site. The centre is also used for observing and studying the northern lights. Andøya Space has worked with the likes of ESA, NASA, JAXA and national and international universities.

    Andenes

    Andenes is a small fishing community located on the top of Andøya. The village is known as being one of the best places to set off on a whale safari, and it has a direct ferry connection to the famous Senja Island, which we will be taking the following day.

    You can read all about Andenes on the travel guide section of the website. 

    Andenes Travel Guide

    Continue the drive

    Senja Tourist Road

    It is an absolute must to combine the Andøya Tourist Road with the Senja Tourist Road!

    Senja Tourist Road

    Previous Drive

    The Lofoten Islands Part 2: Svolvær to Harstad

    See the previous day’s drive through the Lofoten Islands. 

    Lofoten Islands Part Two

    If you liked this drive, or if you have any travel tips, please leave a comment in the section below!