Lofoten

Norway's most beautiful natural treasure

Do you usually book a holiday in the south of Europe? Then turn your sights northwards. That is where the Lofoten lie, these thousands of islands in Western Norway are a magnificent and rugged natural treasure that you have to see!

Here you will find mighty mountains, countless fjords, a rugged coastline with idyllic bays and water. Lots and lots of water. In the form of lakes, waterfalls, glaciers, snow, rapids and the sea. This is a paradise for fish and fishermen and home to orcas and whales. You will experience this enchanting abundance on your motorbike. How amazing is that!

The outward journey (first day) and return journey (last day) you will drive on your own initiative.

In Oslo you start with the first route to Selbu, this is a solid route of about 500 km. Because of the good quality of the roads, it is no problem to ride more kilometres. During the route you will pass several lakes, where the Mjøsa is the biggest and most impressive one of the day. In Selbu, you spend the night in a beautifully restored hotel, which dates from 1826. From the hotel, you also have a direct view of Lake Selbusjø. With a bit of luck, you can see the sun setting late in the evening. A beautiful sight! In the hotel you can have a delicious a la carte dinner and fill up your energy for the next day in Norway.

After a delicious breakfast, you continue your journey via the E6 to Mo i Rana. Leave early in the morning so that you have enough time to have lunch and to enjoy the beautiful views during the route. Today is the first time you ride along fjords, at least 150 km. The route brings you more to the north. The vegetation is getting less and less and the deciduous forests are more and more exchanged for pine forests. You end the day in Mo i Rana, which is right on the edge of Ranfjorden. On the other side, you can see Norway's highest mountain, Oksskolten, rising almost 2000 metres into the sky. Feel free to walk around the town in the evening to reinforce the pure feeling of Norway.

This day you will pass the Arctic Circle! The Visitor Centre is worth a visit if only for the coffee and waffles with jam and cream. You can also buy an Arctic Circle certificate here and many other Norwegian articles. After the Arctic Circle, the route continues to include fjords such as Saltdalsfjord, Leirfjord, Mørsvikfjord, Tysfjord and Ofosfjord. You also ride along the Norwegian Sea. Today, for the first time on the route, you will also encounter a ferry, which is a wonderful experience with wonderful views. After an impressive route, you arrive in the historic village of Narvik. The cable car takes you up to 655 m and gives you a fantastic view of the village, the islands and the mountains. It is also a great place to see the midnight sun.

On todays' schedule is a drive across Andoya. An island which is part of the Vesterålen. A beautiful group of islands off the coast of Norway. They lie in the wild Norwegian sea and are known for their beauty that is almost unbelievable. One of the most beautiful islands of this trip, due to its ruggedness, purity chance of seeing whales and much more. Via the northern Vesterålen you continue to Andenes and then to Stokmarknes. Here you first catch a ferry as a connection between Revsnes and Flesnes. The hotel in Stokmarkenes is your first overnight stay in the Lofoten region. The hotel is centrally located in a picturesque area by the sea in Stokmarknes and a short walk from the town centre.

This day you will drive through the western Vesterålen to Sto. From there, you follow a winding road along the coast back to the south. There you catch the ferry to Melbu and set foot on the Lofoten Islands. You drive over impressive bridges and through several tunnels. Again, spectacular views are to be enjoyed. The route ends in the beautifully located village of Henningsvaer, where you spend two days in a renovated hotel. Henningsvaer is home to many artists. This is quite understandable because of the beauty of the surroundings and all the wonderful bridges you have to cross just to get there. The landscapes in the Lofoten are unlike any other area in Norway and Europe. The rawness of the mountains, the idyllic fishing villages and the sea full of whales are extraordinarily beautiful and special!

Today's programme includes a tour of the beautiful Lofoten. It is amazing how the landscape keeps changing and fascinating. The places you drive through are wonderful. In Njusford, there is the Viking Museum and you can take a look at this museum and find out how the Vikings used to live high up in the north. Super interesting! A little later you drive through the village of Reine, which is even on the World Heritage List with its typical and wonderful fishermen's houses on red and yellow poles. You also drive through Å, the village with the shortest name in the world. Besides the shortest name, there is also a museum, where you can have a look around. Don't forget to bring your camera to capture all the incredible beauty that the Lofoten has to offer. After a 300km drive, you will arrive back at the hotel for the second night.

From Henningsvaer, you drive via Solvaer to Sommarset. You will pass the Raftsundet and take the ferry to the mainland. The last day on the Lofoten, you will of course enjoy the beautiful landscape and the wonderful roads of the Lofoten to the max. At the end of the route, you take the ferry from Lodingen to Lognes. This ferry takes ±2 hours to arrive in Lognes. After this, it is just two kilometres to the hotel. The hotel is located in a picturesque spot overlooking the Tysfjord and the national mountain Stetind (1.392m). Close to the hotel you will find beautiful rock drawings. The fireplace at the reception completes the atmosphere. This hotel is comfortable and a nice addition to this trip. Also a sauna and solarium are not missing here either.

Today you tour to Bodø, where you can visit the Saltstraumen. The route is a semi-rest day with only 220 km of daily route. This gives you time to sleep in and have dinner on the way and visit the Saltstraumen. This impressive natural phenomenon forces 400 million m3 of water through the fjords at a speed of 40 km per hour during low tide. An impressive sight. The route is mainly along the E6, where the roads are undulating and the views are different around every corner. You will also pass several fjords during the route, where you can take fantastic pictures.

On this day, you will drive along the world-famous coast road 17. This road is known for its extraordinary beauty and magnificent views. The Norwegians call this road Helgelandskysten or Kystriksveien. You also take the ferry several times. During one of the crossings, you will pass the Arctic Circle. The route is not too long today, so you have time to see everything. You pass the Svartis Glacier, Norway's second largest glacier. A 20-minute walk will take you to the foot of this glacier. Once you arrive at the hotel in Mo i Rana, it's time for a drink at the bar.

From Mo i Rana, the route heads to Brønnøysund. You drive along the beautiful coast road 17 and see, among other things, the beautiful mountain massifs of the 'Seven Sisters' and the impressive Helgaland Bridge. Further on, you leave the road 17 for a little diversions past the Seven Sisters. These are seven mountains that lie side by side and look very similar. After this, it is another 50 kilometers to Brønnøysund. This is where the second part of the route to Torghatten starts. Here we highly recommend a short hike. This mountain is known for its characteristic shape. In the middle is a 35-metre-high and 160-metre-wide opening formed during the Ice Age. This is great for photos and makes your stay in Norway even more special.

Today you continue to enjoy beautiful Norway. You drive a nice route on shortcuts and of course you pass a number of fjords again. You will cross twice by ferry and take another part of road number 17. You get new impressions of the varied landscape of this country from the always rolling and sometimes winding roads. At the end of the route, you arrive in Åfjord. Åfjord means river and fjord. The hotel is located at the mouth of the Stordalselva River. The proximity of a lush river and a serene sea makes for a refreshing stay at the hotel. You can also have a good lunch and the breakfast is of good quality. You can also park your motorbike well and safely at the hotel.

After Åfjord, you drive along the beautiful rugged coastline to Kristiansund. Today's route drops you further south, following the coastline of the Norwegian Sea most of the way. Of course, the fjords and two ferries are not missing today. You continue to Kristiansund, where you sleep in a hotel at the harbour with a beautiful view. Kristiansund was completely destroyed in the World War II and rebuilt after that with more modern architecture. But still in the well-known Norwegian colours. Not so long ago, it was only accessible by boat and plane, but nowadays it can fortunately be reached via bridges and tunnels. As you have already experienced on this trip, the interplay of land, water, ferries and bridges makes the Norwegian land accessible. Kristiansund itself consists of three islands that are also connected by bridges.

You continue your journey in a southerly direction. You will also pass the famous Trollstigen with 11 hairpin bends. After 170 km, you will see a car park on the left at the Gudbrandsjuvet. Here you can see a fantastic rapids, and on to the next Norwegian highlight: the Geirangerfjord. Also along this road, you will find several of parking places with views that will make you think you're in the middle of a postcard. Via several hairpin bends, you descend this Eagle Road down through Geiranger and climb back up again with beautiful hairpin bends. After this, you have the choice to drive up the Dalsnibba (the route goes up here by default). After all these impressions, it's not over yet. After the Dalsnibba, follow the route to the left and drive around the tunnels via the old road.

On this day route, you stay in the winter atmosphere for a while with the ice lakes, waterfalls and snowfalls that you pass. This is the second-to-last route of this trip. And the beautiful Norway is still not over yet. In this route, you have the opportunity to visit two glaciers. The first is the Boyabreen (km stand 82), a branch of the Jostedalsbreen and the largest glacier in Europe. The next and second glacier (km stand 89), where you can drive to, 10 km extra h/t, is the Supphelle breen glacier. There is a footpath here that you can follow to the glacier. This is sometimes closed because of falling ice. Then you drive over the Aurlandsvejen, a unique plateau. You spend the night in the modern ski resort of Geilo.

The last day route in Norway with a "backpack" full of memories and impressions of Norway, you will drive back to Oslo, where the ferry departs around two o'clock in the afternoon (14:00h). Make sure you are on time. It is still a 240 km drive, which you can normally do in half a day. Try to be present around midday so you have time to board in time. This will be another luxurious crossing.