© Lonely Planet Publications 290 Nordland There’s a difficult choice to make as you head north. The spectacular Kystriksveien coastal route, ferry hopping and perhaps detouring to take in a glacier and offshore island or two? Or the almost-as-stunning inland Arctic Highway, more direct but still lightly trafficked? Whichever you choose, try to build in time to take in Lofoten, a necklace of offshore islands with razor-sharp peaks and Caribbean-coloured bays. Here, cod is still king, as manifested in the small fishing museums, rorbuer (fishing cabins – literally ‘rowers’ dwellings’) and rickety NORDLAND NORDLAND drying frames. Connected by bridges and with reasonable public transport, the islands are easy to hop around. Then again, you may want to linger and hire a bike or pull on your boots; the cycling can even be done by softies and the hiking is as gentle or as tough as you care to make it. Push further north to Andenes, at the northern tip of Andøya, a continuation of the Lofoten archipelago, and you’ll enjoy the best whale watching in all Norway. As you move northwards through the long, narrow Nordland region, the crossing of the Arctic Circle is almost palpable; fields give way to lakes and forests, vistas open up, summits sharpen and the tree line descends ever lower on the mountainsides. In summer, this is where northbound travellers get their first taste of the midnight sun; in winter, the northern lights slash the night sky. In addition to Nordland, this chapter also includes the northeastern section of Vesterålen, a continuation of the Lofoten archipelago that belongs to the county of Troms. HIGHLIGHTS Ferry hop and hug the splendid Stø Kystriksveien coastal route ( p303 ) Learn to respect eider ducks and feel their down float from your fingers at Vega’s E-Huset museum ( p304 ) Å Be a wide-eyed kid again at the Norwegian Aviation Museum ( p307 ) in Bodø Bodø Linger in the tiny, preserved fishing village Kystriksveien of Å ( p320 ) in Lofoten Saltfjellet- Svartisen Hike the coastal Queen’s Route ( p326 ) to National Park Stø in Vesterålen Take time out to explore the historic Mosjøen Vega Sjøgata ( opposite ) in Mosjøen, including its galleries, museum and cafés Get cold feet on one of the glaciers in Saltfjellet-Svartisen National Park ( p296 ) POPULATION: 235,450 HIGHEST ELEVATION : OKSSKOLTEN (1916M) lonelyplanet.com ARCTIC HIGHWAY •• Mosjøen 291 0 80 km Getting There & Away NORDLAND 0 50 miles Although it’s in Norwegian, you’ll have no A B problem interpreting times and schedules on INFORMATION www.177nordland.com – a comprehensive Evenes Airport....................1 B3 listing, together with links, of all bus, boat, SIGHTS & ACTIVITIES Vannøy ferry, train and plane timetables throughout 1 Arctic Circle Centre (Polarsirkelsenteret).......2 B4 Nordland. Alternatively, phone %177 within Pikhaugsvatnet..................3 B5 Karlsøy Nordland or %75 77 24 10 beyond. Rallarveien.........................4 B3 Ringvassøy Svartisen Turistsenter & Lyngseidet At Steinkjer, to the south in Trøndelag Engebreen (Glacier ( p287 ), those with wheels have a binary Tongue).........................5 B5 Tromsø Vestisen............................6 A5 Kvaløya choice: the swifter Arctic Highway to Narvik, or the slower, less-frequented, more ex- Nordkjosbotn pensive but much more beautiful E17, the NORDLAND Finnsnes 650km-long Kystriksveien (Coastal Route) 2 Gryllefjord Senja with Bodø at its northern end. Go the lat- Andenes Bardufoss ter if you can spare the time and cash. If Bleik Setermoen Norskehavet Stave you’re without wheels, going along the Arctic E6 Andøya Innset Highway, by either bus or train, is the only Risøyhamn Harstad practical choice. Stø Nyksund Bjerkvik Bjørnfjell Myre 4 Narvik Sortland Hinnøya Vesterålen 1 Riksgränsen Langøya E10 Rombaksbotn Stokmarknes Lødingen ARCTIC HIGHWAY Hadseløya Stetind 3 Melbu (1381m) Vesterålsfjorden MOSJØEN Laukvik Hamarøy Kjøpsvik pop 9900 Vestvågøy Svolvær Skutvik When arriving in Mosjøen (pronounced moo- Stamsund E6 sher-en), along the E6, you may be put off by Flakstadøy Vestfjorden Lofoten Nordfold the industrial face of this aluminium-produc- Moskensøy Rago Moskenes ing town. Don’t be. About 1km south, along National Park Kjerringøy Lakshol lake-like Vefsnfjorden, historic Sjøgata and Steigtind See Lofoten Map (p311) Fauske a street or two nearby are among the most Værøy Landegode Ὀὄ Sørværøy Sulitjelma charming in northern Norway and well merit Bodø 4 Rognan Saltnes a browse. Røst Saltstraumen Røkland The town has a strong historical connection Graddis RV17 Storfjord with the UK; in the mid-19th century, five Storvik Lonsdal Glomfjord Englishmen imported technically advanced Ørnes Saltfjellet- 2 Svartisen steam engines and sawmill machinery and es- Holand 5 National Park ὈὈὄὄὄ6 ὄ tablished the North of Europe Land & Mining E6 S W E D N Hestmanna Jektvik Company Ltd to provide timber for Britain’s 3 Kilboghamn burgeoning industrial towns and cities. What Tonnes Mo i Rana Arctic CircleStokkvågen was a tiny coastal settlement quickly became 5 Træna Lovund Nesna E12 the region’s first registered town. Villmarksveien Mosjøen’s tourist office (%75 11 12 40; www .visithelgeland.com; h9am-7pm Jul, 10am-5pm Mon-Fri Jun SandnessjøenὄὄὄRV78 Røsvatnet Mosjøen & Aug, 10am-3.30pm Mon-Fri rest-of-year) is at Sjøgata’s Tjøtta Hattfjelldal southern end. It has internet access (per 15 Forvik Laksforsen Hattfjell (1128m) minutes Nkr20). Vega Anndalsvågen Horn Brønnøysund Børgefjell Torghatten National Park Sights & Activities SJØGATA RV17 Store 6 Norskehavet ὈNamsvatnet A stroll around the Sjøgata area, with over Leka Namsskogan 100 listed buildings, takes you past galleries, Tunnsjøen coffee shops, restaurants and private homes RV17 in attractively renovated former warehouses, Rørvik Ottersøy E6 workshops and boat sheds. The History of a .