Drive it Yourself: From the Lyngen Alps to Tromsø on the E6
The Lyngen Alps are described as the ‘Mecca’ for skiiers and hikers all over the world, with many dreaming of coming here just to make the most of the incredible downhill slopes. For those of us who aren’t here to ski, Lyngen is a gorgeous region perfect for a short vacation.
We spent the night in the Lyngen region towards the end of our North Norwegian road-trip. For us, we chose it simply because it was roughly halfway between where we were (Hammerfest) and where we had to be (Tromsø). We found an adorable AirBNB overlooking the Alps and had a nice rest before finishing the drive.
Most of this drive takes place on the E6, which also has the nickname ‘the Northern Lights Highway’ up here because of all the roadside stops perfect for viewing the lights. The E6 is the main highway running through Norway and while it is not the most scenic, it is the only way to get between places when you are this far north.
Here’s an overview of what you can see along the way.
In this article...
Downloadable Version of This Guide
We offer downloadable versions of our self-guided drives on our online 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.
The drive: From the Lyngen Alps to Tromsø on the E6
The Lyngen Alps
The Lyngen Alps are a scenic mountain range that stretch 90km (56 mi) along the Lyngen Peninsula, with the Lyngen fjord to the east and the Ullsfjorden to the west.
The mountains are popular among extreme skiers, with the highest summit being 1,833m (6,014ft) tall. The mountains are also popular with climbers.
Olderdalen
Olderdalen is the main centre for the Kåfjord Municipality we are in. The population is around 301 and the town looks out to the Lyngen Alps. If you use ferries, it is only a 70km drive. However, if you follow the E6 it is around 180km. Agriculture and fishing are the main industries.
Birtavarre
Birtavarre is a small village with a population of around 215. The village was a former mining town with smelters. It was during the mining period that it took the name Birtavarre; before then, it was known as ‘Kåfjordbotn’ after the fjord. The name Birtavarre comes from the nearby mountain Pirttivaara, which is a Kven language name.
Manndalen
Manndalen is a small village with a population of just under 1000. Historically, Manndalen was where the ‘three tribes’ (Kven, Sami, Norwegian) all settled. People began to arrive from Finland in the 1700s and many locals today consider themselves descendants of these people. The area was also used as the summer grazing area for the reindeer herding Sami. Today Manndalen is a centre for the revitalisation of Sea Sami culture and language and now there is a Sami department in the kindergarten and a Sami language centre. The Riddu Riđđu festival is an annual Sami music and culture festival that takes place here.
The town was destroyed during World War II, and the town was rebuilt with temporary houses. At Sandeng Cemetery near Løkvell is the urn of Jan Baalsrud, a famous World War II resistance hero. He became fond of Manndalen after all the help he received in his escape from the Germans on the way to Sweden. Many locals were active in hiding him, giving him good, and getting him across the border into Sweden.
Storfjord
Storfjord is a municipality in the Troms County of Northern Norway. The name comes from the Storfjorden that runs through the area, while the coat-of-arms shows three poppies that are rotated around a meeting point which represents the meeting point of the three countries Norway, Sweden, and Finland.
The first peoples to live here were the Sami people. In the 19th century settlers from Finland and Southern Norway began to establish themselves. Sami culture has survived in parts of the municipality. In the 19th century the Laestadianism religious movement obtained a strong position, and Skibotn is still a stronghold for this movement.
The landscape of Storfjord is characterised by alpine mountains, and the highest mountain is Vassdalsfjellet (1587m), while the most ‘famous’ mountain is Otertind.
Skibotn
Skibotn is a small village with a population of 538 located at the end of the Lyngen fjord and close to Kilpisjarvi in Finland. The residents of the village are either descendants of the Sami and Kven people or the Norwegian immigrants who came in the 19th century.
Historically, Skibotn was a meeting point and market for the different ethnic groups in the area. The market still takes place today and is named ‘Skibotn markedsplass’ if you want to visit.
Skibotn is the place in Norway that has registered the clearest days and it is one of the driest places in Norway. Because of the lack of clouds, there is an astrophysical observatory located in Skibotn.
Kilpisjarvi
In Skibotn you’ll pass the E8, which takes you into Finland and the town of Kilpisjarvi. Kilpisjarvi is one of the best places to see the northern lights because of its clear skies. We cover Kilpisjarvi and that drive in a separate article.
Balsfjord Municipality
Balsfjord is a municipality in the Troms County of Northern Norway. The coat-of-arms depicts a yellow plough on a red background, symbolising the importance of agriculture in the municipality. The plough also symbolises that the municipality is at the northernmost border on which grain can be grown in Norway. No other area in Troms has so much cultivated land. Agriculture is mostly based on milk and meat production and Balsfjord has the highest number of cattle, sheep, and goats among the municipalities in Troms. One of the dairies is the country’s largest goat cheese producer.
The Sami people were the first people to inhabit the area, but around 1800 new settlers came from Finland and Southern Norway. Today, very few traces of Sami culture survive. From the 18th until the 20th century, trappers from Balsfjord were active in the Arctic, hunting in the areas around Greenland and Svalbard.
The municipality was home to a religious group of ‘mindekirken’ or ‘freechurch dissenters’ who split from the state church in Tromsø. They were led by a seminary student, Johannes Andreas Johannessen and they established their own church, the Free Apostolic Christian Church, in Balsfjord. Bomstad and his followers were said to have protested against the Tromsø state church minister and Troms Bishop’s religious rulings, eventually leading to a riot in Tromsø. The state church members yelled at Bomstad and his dissenters to “go back to Kautokieno!”. In 1862, Bomstad led a group of colonists to America, arriving into Chicago. After that they went to the area of St. Peter, Minnesota, where they remained. Bomstad left St. Peter and became the founding father of Lake Lillian in Minnesota. After staking his original claim, Bomstad and the rest of the colonists arrived at Lake Lillian and built dugout shelters to live. Eventually they all had log cabins to live in.
Close to Balsfjord Church are 6000-year-old rock carvings at Tennes.
Tromsø Municipality
Tromsø Municipality is a major centre in Northern Norway. The municipality is milder than most settlements on the same latitude dur to the effect of the westerlies reaching this far north as well as the North Atlantic Drift, a branch of the Guld Stream. The population of the entire municipality is around 71,000. A detailed overview of the city of Tromsø can be found on our travel guide.
Tromsø
The final stop is in Tromsø, the largest city in Northern Norway. You can find a detailed guide to Tromsø on our travel guide page.
Where to Go From Here
From Tromsø you can continue your drive south to Narvik or you can head into Finland towards Kilpisjarvi.
If you liked this drive, or if you have any travel tips, please leave a comment in the section below!
2 Comments on Drive it Yourself: From the Lyngen Alps to Tromsø on the E6