Today, we're exploring the Vesterålen and some more places in Norway and Sweden.
Day 8: Vesterålen
Another day, another ferry. With our next destination being the Vesterålen, we had to take a ferry. The little red cottage where we would be staying had grass on the roof. This is something typical for Norway.
Hotel: Andoy Friluftssenter, Risoyhamn
Lots of small villages in Norway have houses by the water with small piers and small ports. This is something we don't have in Belgium and I think it's rather typical for Norway. I love seeing those houses and ports, so you can imagine how much we stopped to see them.
We woke up in the middle of the night to see the northern lights and even though it's very rare in the summer to see them, we got a little show and I already loved it. Now I want to go back in winter for the real deal! If you plan on going aurora hunting, download an aurora forecast app. Then you know when you have to wake up (because when it's cold, you want to stay in bed of course) and won't be disappointed.
It's really hard to take pictures of the lights. Try to spot them on the picture below.
Places to visit: Vesterålen
Things to do: See the Northern Lights
Day 9: Nyksund
Nyksund is a small fishing village with a population of 30 to 40 people in the summer. In the winter only a few people stay due to bad weather conditions.
During the 70s, it became a ghost town, because the place was shut down. It wasn't until the 21st century that people began living there again.
It really was a tiny town, but also so beautiful. The few citizens treat everybody as friends and all the houses have unique colours. I wouldn't want to live there, but I will go back when I'm in Norway again.
Places to visit: Nyksund
Day 10: Salmon farm and mini cruise
In the morning, we went on an educational boat trip to a salmon farm. Norway is the world's largest producer of Atlantic salmon, so we had to see where they come from.
After the trip, we boarded a small cruise ship called the Hurtigruten, that would bring us from Stokmarknes to Svolvaer. We passed the Trollfjord on the way. It was our first cruise and although I get seasick quickly, it was also a nice experience for me, because of the large ship and calm water.
Places to visit: Akvakultur i Vesteralen
Day 11: Viking museum
At the Lofotr Viking Museum, my brother and I got to try our hand at archery. Just a 15 minute walk from the largest Viking longhouse in the world, you can see a beautiful Viking ship. In the summer, there are lots of activities for you to do, such as row the Viking ship and trying your hand at archery. The museum also has an exhibition hall with archaeological artefacts and a film theatre. In the longhouse, different Viking meals are served.
We ate a fish burger at Anita’s Sjømat before we continued to our next destination.
Places to visit: Lofotr Viking Museum, Bostad
Restaurant: Anita’s Sjømat, Reine
Day 12: Å
Å was a small fishing village, but since the 90s tourism has taken over as the main economic activity. The Lofoten Stockfish Museum and the Norwegian Fishing Village Museum are two big tourist attractions in Å.
Å is pronounced as "o" and means river. It's actually not a very rare name for a villages in Scandinavia.
Places to visit: Å
Day 13: Horseback riding
Exploring a new place on horseback gives you a different and unique view on the area. I love the presence of the horse while riding on the beach and walking through meadows. Since our first ride back in 2013 in America, we have tried to do this on every trip and I've loved it.
Day 14: Kiruna
Kiruna is a city located 145 km north of the Arctic Circle. It's home to the Institute of Space Physics and the Department of Space Science belonging to Luleå University of Technology. Mining is a very important income for Kiruna as the area is rich with magnetite.
Places to visit: Kiruna
We saw a beautiful female moose next to the road.
In the winter, it's possible to sleep in the Ice Hotel. In summer, with no ice of course, it's not possible. We did however make a quick stop there. I think it's so cool that the hotel is built again every year, because it's never exactly the same. It's made of natural ice from a local river and in the spring, the hotel melts back in to the river (that is so strange to say).
Even though I didn't sleep in the Ice Hotel, I would already recommend it as a honeymoon or just a getaway, because I can only imagine it being a super nice experience.
Hotel: Ice Hotel, Jukkasjärvi
(This picture is from icehotel.com)
Day 15: Muddus National Park
On our last day we took a long hike through the national park. We saw reindeer, a beautiful waterfall and lots of berries. Unfortunately, the end of this hike also meant the end of our holiday. We drove to Luleå and flew back to Belgium.
Places to visit: Muddus National Park, Gällivare
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