Excellent tourist routes in Norway
A trip along the fjords, coasts, mountains and waterfalls, where time stands still and the present and the past become as one. These are journeys that embrace the Norwegian countryside and offer one of the world's most amazing encounters with nature. The tourist routes promise a relaxed pace and an alternative to all the usual fuss and bother. The routes have interesting spots allocated for taking a break and where there is parking available. These spots are particularly well-suited for taking a walk or some pictures of the views. A desire to be at one with the surroundings will always enhance your experience of the scenery here.
Activity trails
Along the tourist routes there are places to fish or to hike up waterfalls and mountains. There are also services on offer, places to spend the night, cultural events and much more. You can get information about the tourist routes and trails en route; there are information boards and guides along the way. Guides can be contacted via the local tourist office and at tourist service centres. These national tourist routes are marked with the tourist route symbol.
New national tourist routes in Northern Norway
It is the Norwegian Public Roads Administration, the NPRA, that has taken both the initiative and the responsibility for organising the National Tourist Routes project.no rthern Norway has seven of the 18 tourist routes that are to be opened in the next few years. The tourist routes in Northern Norway are open all year round and offer an experience of the Norwegian countryside with all its dramatic variations in both weather and light. You will encounter ferry crossings at various points along the way.
Helgeland South - the luscious coast
This future tourist route, the Helgeland South is expected to be 94km/58 miles long. It will stretch from Holm in Bindal to Søvik in Alstahaug. This is where the stories and legends of the 'troll' mountains originate; the mountains of the Seven Sisters, Dønnamannen and Torghatten are here. The Vega Islands are also included and have been given special status on UNESCOS natural cultural heritage list.
For more information about accommodation, places to eat, activities and sightseeing along the Helgeland South route - contact Destination Helgeland; tel. 75 01 80 00 or go to www.visithelgeland.com.
Helgeland North - from glacier icefalls to the outermost islands
This was the first tourist route in Northern Norway. The National 'Riksvei' 17 goes from Steinkjer to Bodø and is known as the National Coast Road. The northernmost section of the road is called Helgeland North.
It consists of several older, local stretches of road along the coast that have been amalgamated in recent years. It is but a short distance from the mighty glacier arms that stretch out between the peaks and down towards the fjord, where the islands embroidering the coast lead out into the open sea. You will cross into the Polar Circle here and enter into the land of the midnight sun. There are rugged mountaintops which, along with northern Europe's second largest glacier, Svartisen, and the National Park, are all in the vicinity. It is possible to go fishing or hiking on trails that start near the road. In addition, you can make detours by car, on foot or journey by boat out to the islands.
A little further south of Bodø is the Salt Stream, the world's largest maelstrom. Every six hours the narrow strait becomes a foaming river filled with tumultuous whirlpools. The strait is a paradise for fishing enthusiasts.
For more information about accommodation, places to eat, activities and sightseeing along the Helgeland North route and Salten - contact Polar Circle Travel Centre; tel. 75 13 92 00 / www.arctic-circle.no or Meløy Tourist Office; tel. 75 75 48 88 / www.meloyinfo.no or Bodø Tourist Office; tel. 75 54 80 00 / www.visitbodo.com
Lofoten - along a parapet of mountain peaks out in the open sea
This new tourist route goes from Melbu in Vesterålen, over Hadselfjorden to Fiskebøl in Lofoten and heads south into the archipelago, before terminating naturally in Å, 166 km/103 miles further south. From here you can take the ferry from Moskenes out to Røst or over Vestfjorden to Bodø, where you can continue south along the national tourist route, Helgeland North.
The scenery, along with the rich cultural history and bustling maritime culture, attract thousands of travellers to Lofoten every year. Most of them come for a few short weeks and fill the fishermen's cabins, the art galleries and the seafood restaurants in the fishing villages with life and activity. Lofoten is a paradise for marine fishing, kajakking, sea rafting, mountain climbing, golf and scuba diving. Winter is the time for the Lofoten fishing season, the Lofotfisket. The community's livelihood still depends on this seasonal catch of spawning cod, or 'skrei'. In Lofoten, nature is always in close proximity. The 3000 year-old cave paintings, burial mounds and the remains of Viking homesteads reinforce the sensation of rubbing shoulders with history.
On the southernmost islands in Lofoten, you can both see and hear the high mountains, as this is where hundreds of thousands of puffins and other sea birds nest and chatter incessantly. Seals, killer whales and other types of whales are frequently spotted off the shore of Lofoten. It is easy to get about by car, boat or bicycle here. You can also set off on some of the world's most spectacular mountain hikes, where the paths will take you high up, to magnificent vantage points from which to look out at the open sea and the midnight sun. One of these vantage points is this architectural pearl on Eggum in Vestvågøy, which was designed by the world-renowned Snøhetta architects.
For more information about accommodation, places to eat, activities and sightseeing in Lofoten - contact Destination Lofoten; tel. 76 06 98 00 or go to www.lofoten.info.
Andøya - where the sea comes to meet the land
The planned tourist route for Andøya will be 58km/36 miles long. It will stretch from the Åknes junction all the way to Andenes. On the drive through this landscape denuded of shelter from the Norwegian Sea, the fishing station of Bleik provides a stark image of man's survival against the elements. There are extensive marshlands full of cloudberries and peat. There is the midnight sun and the Northern Lights. Here the mountain is teeming with puffins and there are gannets diving after fish. There is also the Whale Safari that travels out to where the sperm pound the water with their mighty fins.
For more information about accommodation, places to eat, activities and sightseeing in Andøy - contact Vesterålen Tourism; tel. 76 11 14 80 or go to www.visitvesteralen.no.
Senja Island
The road on the outermost shore of the island threads its way through dramatic scenery, up and down hills, in and out of fjords and through the fingers of mountains that shoot out into the imperious Norwegian Sea. The island's rich marine life still provides the livelihood for the inhabitants of the island.
Senja has two sides, a green and hospitable interior and a harsh weather-beaten shoreline. Why then are some of the most impressive settlements on the outermost shore? Well, simply because that is where the fishing is best. See our article on Senja's outermost shore, The Devil's Teeth.
Havøysund
The road to Havøysund runs through desolate, bare mountains along the shoreline, through wild and barren scenery, to the furthermost northern point. Here the alluring Arctic light ranges from violet in winter to the gold in summer that floods the sea under the midnight sun.
Varanger
Where the sky meets the sea in the furthermost north-eastern part of Norway, the road follows the coast of the icy Barents Sea. The road on the Varanger Peninsula begins in the soft birch forests and marshlands of Varangerbotn, and terminates in a lunar landscape of rugged cliffs at the end of the world.
About the national tourist routes in Norway
All of the 18 national tourist routes are scheduled to be open by 2012. They will be marketed as a tourism product, with 18 quite distinctive itineraries. Read more on the national tourist routes on www.turistveg.no.
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