narvik

  • 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

    This drive is part of the multi-day series “From Trondheim to the Lofoten Islands & Back Again”, where we travel from Trondheim to Lofoten via the Coastal Road, and then take the E6 back south to Trondheim. You can view the entire drive below. 

    From Trondheim to the Lofoten Islands

    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

    This drive is part of the multi-day series “From Trondheim to the Lofoten Islands & Back Again”, where we travel from Trondheim to Lofoten via the Coastal Road, and then take the E6 back south to Trondheim. You can view the entire drive below. 

    From Trondheim to the Lofoten Islands

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