Ahead of my first trip to Norway I was filled with excitement as to what it was going to be like going so far north.
I arrived at the small Andenes airport at approx. 6pm. My flight had a connection via Oslo and Tromso, but travelling to Vesteralen is now easier as Norwegian has a direct flight between Oslo and Andenes. Wideroe also has flights to Stokmarknes and Andenes from Bodo and Tromso. It was only a 10 min drive from the airport to the Andrikken hotel, which was a relief after a long day of travelling.
After check in at the hotel, we headed to a local restaurant called Arresten for a well-deserved dinner: fish with potatoes and chocolate cake for dessert. From the first meal in Norway till our last dinner, I learned how fishing has been an important resource for generations and is also a basis for much of the culture and local identity in Norway. After a great dinner we headed to our warm rooms for a good night’s sleep. I had to be up next day before 8 to explore the history of North.
A windy next morning meant we had to postpone our Whale safari till the afternoon. In the meantime we had an excursion in the Whale museum. This museum is located in the basement of Whale Centre. The Guided tour in the Whale museum is included in the Whale safari ticket but the museum can also be visited independently, if desired. Here we learned about the whales’ biology and the ecosystem they live in, as well as specific information about the various types of whales.
The museum has also a real skeleton of a sperm whale.
As the tour in the whale museum was coming to the end, I was hoping to hear good news that we were heading off to the sea to watch the whales. Unfortunately the news from the captain were not what I was hoping to hear. “Whale safari cannot be completed due to unsuitable weather conditions”. Instead we went to Andenes harbour to see the boat which should take us closer to see these giants of the sea in their natural element. One common factor for all boats and crew is that they meet requirements for government licensing. Safety is foremost. Our captain was right when making the decision as mild morning weather turned into a snowy and windy afternoon.
To cheer us up our guide took us to the best known and most visited lighthouse of Norway’s Arctic region – Andenes Lighthouse – which was established in 1859 and automated in 1978.
The lighthouse emits a continuous white light with a more intense flash every 30 seconds. The light sits atop a 40-metre tall red round cast iron tower. The light can be seen for about 33 km. The light burns from August 10 until April 26 each year, but there is no light the rest of the year due to the Midnight Sun at this location.
After the visit to the lighthouse and a nice, big lunch, our next stop was at the Space ship Aurora which is a part of the Andoya Space Center where Norway have launched sounding rockets into space for over 50 years. A great educational centre for children, however adults enjoy this place too. Who doesn’t want to be dressed up as a spaceman and control a spaceship half way to the moon?
We learned what the Northern lights are and how they affect our planet when watching the widescreen movie. We were also allowed to join the team and complete a mission in space!
On the way to our next hotel in Vesteralen, we stopped at Marmelkroken. Peace and quiet – these words came first into my mind. Overlooking the Norwegian Sea and right by Andoya National Tourist Route, this place offers studios and cottages. The host welcomed us and invited us to share fish soup, produced from the catch of the day, and home made bread. It was the best fish soup and home-made bread I have ever had. The sun was setting and we had to move forward as a long road journey was awaiting us. We reached Sortland, VesterÃ¥len’s commercial centre which occupies a niche in the island’s east coast, late in the evening. You will find mostly chunky buildings in the town which are painted in a blue colour. The inspiration for The Blue City came from Bjørn Elvenes, whose concept led to the formation of a private steering committee in 1998. Elvenes, a local artist, had chosen blue as a symbol of Sortland’s maritime and fishing heritage. His idea was to paint all 17 blocks of the inner city in various shades of blue, with judicious use of contrasting colours to create a distinct identity and three-dimensional presence for each building within an overall design motif. The first buildings-mainly storehouses along the waterfront-were painted in the summer of 1999 and the project has continued over several years.
For our second night, we stayed at the Sortland Hotel located in the heart of the city centre. Arts and culture have always been an important part of this hotel. It was a pleasure to relax in the same library dedicated to the Norwegian author, Lars Saabye Christensen, who wrote one of his famous novels – Beatles – here and for many years was a resident of Sortland. The famous Nobel prize winning author, Knut Hamsun, stayed at Sortland Hotel when he wrote his book “Den Siste Glæde†(Look Back in Happiness) in 1911 and 1912.
After breakfast, we had a workshop at the Sortland Hotel. It was great to meet with local providers and see their passion in providing great accommodation and activities in North Norway.
After a busy morning at the workshop and lunch, we went to meet with local Sami, Arild Inga – Sami Siida is a small Sami family business located approx. 4 km from Sortland. Her family have been reindeer breeders since they moved from Northern Sweden 150 years ago. Reindeer farming in Norway is only allowed if you are Sami. Today, only seven percent of all Sami people in Norway own reindeer. We were shown a wooden lavu where you can hear the stories about Sami culture and the daily life of the arctic reindeer.
We were invited to meet the reindeer and had an excellent opportunity to shoot wonderful pictures.
After half a day in Sortland, it was time for us to leave for a three day tour in Lofoten. We arrived at Thon Hotel, Lofoten, which has an idyllic harbour location with entrances on Svolvaer Square and the Hurtigruten quay and serves one of the best hotel breakfasts in the country.
This evening we had a chance to experience a dinner in one of the most distinctive restaurants in the Lofoten Islands. The Borsen Spiseri is housed in a venerable quayside warehouse dating back to 1828 and considerable emphasis has been placed on maintaining the building’s original features. Most of the building’s historical attributes have been preserved, providing an atmosphere with an aroma of tar and rope. The dishes that are served here are made from Lofoten’s unique and fresh, local ingredients.
After a special dinner made by The Borsen Spiseri chef, the Northern Lights chase tour followed with the local guide Jann. We went to areas where there is minimal interference from artificial light. In those areas, the Northern Lights reign alone.
After a short ride we stopped and I was amazed, staring up at this ridiculous play of light up in the sky.
This spectacular show lasted up to 3 hours and I never wanted it to be over. Even our guide Jann confirmed that this night we were really lucky and had been witnesses of a spectacular show. The moment I got back on the bus, I fell asleep in seconds. It was such a long and fulfilling day. I napped with satisfaction and a smile on my face. I got back to my hotel at 1 a.m., still smiling. I couldn’t wipe that look off my face!
My Friday morning started with breakfast while watching local life through the hotel’s window and listening for the live piano performance. What an enjoyable way to start the day! I loved the breakfast! The spread was good, with freshly squeezed orange juice, pancakes with fish roe, salmon (smoked and grilled), cook-to-order egg station and jars of home-made jam of various berries and fruits.
After breakfast, we had the most fantastic tour by rib boat to the Trollfjord. Skipper Larsen made the trip very special with interesting facts about the places we stopped to see on the way up to the fjord and back. He also managed to lure an eagle to catch a fish a few metres from the boat and we were able to get fabulous photos of the bird.
After this great trip to the Trollfjord, we checked out from Thon Hotel Lofoten and drove to Kabelvag where the next adventure was waiting for us: a snowshoe walk. We had a great walk in the beautiful Kabelvag area. A sunny day, nice people, an enthusiastic guide, good gear and thick snow. What more can you ask for? The Lofoten Islands offers so much beautiful unspoiled nature that you cannot go wrong with this destination.
Later in the evening we headed to Henningsvaer, the world’s most famous fishing village and home to a population of less than 500. Here, 20 minutes from Svolvaer, a wind-washed former caviar-processing factory perched on the water now houses a contemporary art gallery, The Kaviar Factory, one of the most remote art galleries in the world.
The most northern art centre in the world has been active since 2012, brought to life by Venke Hoff together with her husband Rolf, who is amongst the most important collectors in Scandinavia. After a warm welcome from Venke, we moved to the Lofoten Arctic Hotel and had dinner at “Trandamperiet” (an old cod liver refinery) with rustic furniture and an informal atmosphere.
Our guide told us about the production of cod-liver oil and the history of stockfish. After that, we had a chance to try real Norwegian cod roe caviar and cod tongue – a real delicacy.
Saturday morning we drove to Hov Hestegaard Riding Centre. This is situated in beautiful surroundings at Hov on the island of Gimsoy, by a white sandy beach with a view of the ocean, on the far side of the Lofoten Islands. Here at Hov, you can ride in the mountains, on the beaches and along roads that the predecessors of “Viking horses” rode on over a thousand years ago. Icelandic horses are the descendants of the horses of Viking Age Norway. I rode the calmest horse and enjoyed the ride in the beach with stunning views. After a ride we were invited for a cup of tea and waffles. The fire place at the dining room was exactly what we needed to warm ourselves before moving to our next stop, Reine.
The breath-taking village of Reine is located on the island of Moskenes on northern Norway’s Lofoten archipelago. With red and white fishermen’s huts dotting the shoreline and surrounding peaks of granite shooting out of the Reinefjorden, the village has earned a reputation as the most beautiful place in the world. Reine Fishing Huts are almost as far out in Lofoten as you can get. If you are looking for a “get-away-from-it-all” experience in a place where very few have been, then you should come here. We had a farewell dinner and stayed in one of the Rorbus with a genuinely historic aura.
Due to a snow storm, we changed our travel plans on the last day. Instead of visiting more art galleries in Lofted, we decided to travel to Svolvaer airport. Before going to the airport, we were invited for a lunch at Statles Rorbusenter which is located in the fishing village of Mortsund in the centre of the Lofoten islands. The snow storm was so bad that we barely could see the surroundings. So we were invited to the dining room to have a fish soup and cake before our journey to the airport.
We arrived to the airport in Svolvaer on time and sadly it was time to say goodbye to the lovely Norwegians who took care of us the whole week and introduced us to such a special destination as North Norway.
By Inga Navickiene