At 68° North, the Lofoten Archipelago in Norway is located just 2 degrees north of the Arctic Circle. And while it may seem like an extremely cold location, because of the Gulf Stream, Lofoten features less harsh winters than you expect. 

Moskenesøya - A view towards southwest from the east side of Selfjorden. The mountains in the background (including Brandtuva, Tverrfjellet, Middagstinden, Narvtinden...) are on the other side of the fjord. Ximonic, Simo Räsänen

Lofoten Archipelago is composed of several islands on the northwest coast of Norway, including parts of Hinnøya and Austvågøy, and the islands of Gimsøy, Vestvågøy, Flakstadøya, Moskenesøya, Værøy, and Røst. 

Gimsøystraumen: Ximonic, Simo Räsänen 

The village of Fredvang in Lofoten, Norway. Petr Šmerkl

This area is known for its incomparable beauty – majestic mountains, expansive sand beaches, stunning red houses, fjords that dare you to venture forth, and the Midnight Sun and Aurora Borealis. 

Nusford. Christoph Strässler

Troll Fjord. Percita Dittmar

Fiskesprell. Simen G. Fangel

Besides being constantly in awe by so much beauty, what are some interesting things you can do here?

Beaches

Of course, being a coastal area, beaches are everywhere! And while all of them are beautiful, make time to see Kvalvika beach in Norway. Located on the north side of Moskenesøya, it’s a hidden beach of sorts – accessible by either sea or by hiking through the mountains to reach it. To hike, park a few kilometers south of Fredvang, and follow the signs across the island to the beach (it should take about an hour). 

Kvalvika beach. Eltouristo

Flakstad features a beautiful, wide beach – as well as an historic church to explore. But honestly? There are beaches galore – you’ll find your favorites. This is an archipelago – you won’t run out.

Flakstad. Æøå

Lighthouses

With a coastline such as Norway’s – and the importance of fishing in the country, lighthouses are everywhere. Called fyr in Norwegian, there are dozens of them in both inner and outer Lofoten. You can find lists here and here, if you want to put together your own lighthouse tour. More details are available at http://lighthousesofnorway.com/. This is so cool! I love lighthouses - they are a symbol of hope and help. Let me show you just a few (yes, I'm almost as addicted to lighthouses as I am to beaches and water):

Skrova lighthouse is located on the small island Saltværsøya at Skrova in Vågan municipality in Lofoten. The lighthouse was built in 1922. Skrova lighthouse was one of the last lighthouses in Norway which was automated. Danckert Monrad-Krohn

Glåpen Lighthouse, Sørvågen, Moskenes, Northeast view. DXR

Moholmen lighthouse in Vågan. Mfiskum.

Fiskerkona (The Fisherman's Wife), a sculpture by Per Ung in Vestre Vabeinan (Vestre Vabeinskjær, Fiskerkona). Percita.

Kleivheia fyr, west coast of Lofoten Islands, Norway.  René Kyllingstad

Hand colored slides. Skomvær lighthouse on the island Skomvær extremity of the Lofoten islands. The lighthouse was built in 1887 and automated in 1978. Norsk Teknisk Museum, Anders Beer Wilse

Art

I love art – this is no surprise. When we travel, we visit as many art museums and galleries as possible.  But Norway has something special going on – Artscape Nordland. This is a collection of outdoor art, spread throughout the country. 18 international artists contributed in the mid 1990s. It takes incredibly beautiful art and places it amid incredibly beautiful scenery. There are six in Lofoten – look at the map and click through for descriptions, artist information, and detailed locations: http://www.skulpturlandskap.no/artwork/

Eye in Stone, by Anish Kapoor, located in Lødingen – park on the farm, and the sculpture is located on the lakefront.

Uten Tittle, by Dan Graham, located close to E10 at Lyngvær oldferry, 25 km west of Svolvær on the road toLeknes

Head, by Markus Raetz, located at Eggum. Follow the dirt road along the lake.

Epitaph, by Toshikatsu Endo, located by Highway 803 from E10.Take the junction to head towards Skjelfjord.

Laurel Leaves – Moskenes, by Cristina Iglesias, located on the fiord,Hamnøy, 5 km from Reine. Take the trail from parking area to the sea, about 300m. 

The Next, by Luciano Fabro, located at Vedøya, about 20 min. via boat from Røstlandet.

The Next. Photo Artscape Nordland

Adventure

There are endless outdoor activities here in Lofoten, in all seasons. Take your pick: caving and discovering Stone Age cave paintings within, surfing in Unstad, cycling, sea kayaking, RIB boating, rock climbing, hiking, horseback riding, golfing under the midnight sun or northern lights, or bird watching.

Go fishing! Cod and halibut are plentiful here. Prefer to watch your marinelife instead of catch it? Take a whale watching safari.

Orca tail slapping in Vestfjord, Norway. Yathin S Krishnappa

The Røst Reef is the largest deep-water coral reef in the world, and was discovered in 2002. Experienced divers can explore this; all divers will find plenty of options for exploring underwater, including wrecks, kelp forests, and diving under the midnight sun or beneath the Aurora Borealis. Don’t dive? Snorkel!

Anchored boats. René Kyllingstad

Recently, my friend Jeff at EuroTravelogue inspired me with his photos and social media posts from a trip to northern Norway (here’s a preview). Maybe the coolest thing he did was visit Wolf Lodge, in Polar Park Arctic Wildlife Centre. Staying here provides a close encounter with wolves!

Take a boat ride through the Moskstraumen – one of the strongest tidal currents in the world. Also known as maelstrom, this area has been featured in literature (including the Edda, Edgar Allen Poe’s A Descent into the Maelstrom, Herman Melville’s Moby Dick, Ole Edvart Rølvaag's Giants in the Earth, and Jules Verne’s 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea). 

Cropped version of Carta marina, a wallmap of w:Scandinavia, by Olaus Magnus. The caption reads : Marine map and Description of the Northern Lands and of their Marvels, most carefully drawn up at Venice in the year 1539 through the generous assistance of the Most Honourable Lord Hieronymo Quirino.

Museums

There is a plethora of museums in Lofoten, and they cover a wide and interesting array of topics. Look at Museum Nord for a listing of the 21 museums in Lofoten, Vesterålen, and Ofoten. 

The Lofotr Viking Museum is located onsite of an archaeological excavation that, in 1983, uncovered a Viking chieftan’s village dating from around 500AD. WOW! Also on the site is the Fygle museum, which shares Vestvågøy’s history of the farmers and fishermen that called Fygle home. Another place to learn about this lifestyle on site is by taking a tour at the historic Skaftnes Farm. 

The Lofotr Viking Museum. Borg in Vestvågøy (Høvdinghuset, Borg i Lofoten). Andewa

The Lofoten War Memorial Museum is located in Svolvær, and explores the early 1940s, the era of Nazi German occupation. You’ll find artifacts, clothing, and more. On the website, you can click through to see panorama photos of the museum.

Visit the Lofoten Stockfish Museum to learn more about cod and the fishing industry, or the Norwegian Fishing Village Museum. Housed in historic buildings, you’ll see an 1844 stone oven bakery, a cod liver oil factory, a post office, drying loft, and more. 

At the SKREI Experience Center in Storvågan, you can visit the Lofoten Museum (history of fishermen), the Lofoten Aquarium, and the Gallery Espolin. 

Visit a toy museum on Reine or a peat museum on Fredvang. There’s much history here to learn.

National Library's collection of pictures Lofoten Islands, Nordland

Find a cool place to stay

Many communities have restored old fishing cabins (rorbu) into accommodations. These small cottages, partially held up by poles in the sea, are not only charming, but carry the weight of history with them. Love.

Rorbu (traditional fisher house) in Nusfjord, in the Lofoten Islands, Norway. Demilune

Can't get enough of Lofoten? Me neither! 

Our Norway Editor, Benny Høynes, shares some photos here that will inspire you. Here's one to get you started:

Let's go!

All photos except last one creative commons. Word photo: A distant view towards Hatten and its neighbor mountains over Vestfjorden, Nordland, Norway, 2015 September. The mountains are located in Hamarøy and Tysfjord. However the photography location is in Vågan. Ximonic (Simo Räsänen), adapted by Wandering Educators