Norway - Lofoten Islands

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Hurtigruten is one of the major ferry companies in Norway. They operate a ferry system in northern Norway which starts at the town of Kirkenes which is almost on the Russian boarder and ends in Bergen on the west coast. The ferries are actually small cruise ships with all of the amenities and some people choose to travel the entire route from end to end which takes about five days. Most people use it as a way to travel between local cities in the area. We boarded the Nordkapp in Harstad at 8:30 and were in Solvær by 6:30 pm. The ship stops in several cities along the way and travels through some of the most breathtakingly beautiful scenery in the world.

Lofoten is an archipelago stretching well out into the North Sea. It is a popular tourist destination for the Norwegians themselves. We visited at the start of the season so things were not too busy. Solvær is a picturesque town of about 4,500 inhabitants and served as our base to explore further. The first day we rented a car and drove south west down the chain of islands. I should say from the start that it is almost impossible to capture the beauty and uniqueness of this area with pictures! Around almost every corner was another fantastic view. The road ends at a town called Å (something like "Oha") on the very western most tip. Unfortunately, we did not make it all the way but certainly saw our share of dramatic beauty.

On the second day, we took a tour on a small boat to the Trollfjord. We were joined by about 15 German tourists who were on a bus tour through the islands. The small boat allowed us to get a really up close view of the fjord and surrounding area.

We also spent time just strolling around this lovely town. We could have easily spent another week here but, alas, it was time to head back to Horten.

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Photos

Svolvær Arial View
This is from a travel site but it gives a good idea of what the area looks like.

The Troll Tind
The captain is a fisherman when he is not guiding tourists. There were only about 17 of us aboard so it felt very personal.

Entrance to Trollfjord
The mountain coming directly down into the sea is so typical. It is not a large fjord but very narrow.

Waterfall in Trollfjord
There were a number of these veil like cascades and I can't get enough of them!

Close Up of Falls
The small boat could get very close.

Power Station at Head of Trollfjord
Norway generates 98 percent of its power with hydro and many of the plants are small like this one. Water is captured high up on the mountain and comes down to the station in large pipe.

Perfect Martini
Everyone knows that I enjoy the occasional Martini! However, it is not easy to find one in Scandinavia. Then I discovered Martin the bartender at the Thron Hotel.

Graduation
The local high school had its graduation while we were visiting. These young women are dressed in traditional "Bunad" for the occasion.