Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
For a taxi, phone
Narvik Taxi (
07 550)
.
Ofotbanen Railway & Rallarveien
The spectacular mountain-hugging
Ofotbanen railway ( 76 92 31 21)
trundles beside
fjord-side cliffs, birch forests and rocky plateaus as it climbs to the Swedish border. The
railway,whichopenedin1903,wasconstructedbymigrantlabourersattheendofthe19th
century to connect Narvik with the iron-ore mines at Kiruna, in Sweden's far north. Cur-
rentlyittransportsaround15milliontonnesofironoreannuallyandisalsoamajormagnet
for visitors.
The train route from Narvik to Riksgränsen, the ski resort just inside Sweden (one way
adult/child Nkr100/free, one hour), features some 50 tunnels and snowsheds. Towards the
Narvikendoftherailline,youmightmakeoutthewreckoftheGermanship
Georg Thiele
at the edge of the fjord.
You can run the line as a day or half-day trip, leaving Narvik at 10.26am. The 11.39pm
return train from Riksgränsen allows time for coffee and a quick browse or you can walk
a trail in this stunning alpine country and catch the 4.02pm back to Narvik. For the best
views, sit on the left side heading from Narvik.
Meteorologen Ski Lodge ( 46-7350 324 17 in Sweden;
www.meteorologen.se
;
s/d
from Nkr1000/1490; )
Occupying what was originally a weather station, this is a
veryattractiveoptionshouldyouwishtoovernightuphigh.Roomsallhavelargewindows
giving vistas of either lake or mountains and there's a pleasant dining room and restaurant,
primarilyforguests.Italsomanagesself-cateringapartmentsyear-round(three-/six-person
Nkr800/1000) in the vast adjacent winter hotel.
InSweden,severallong-distancetrailsradiateoutfromtherailway,includingtheworld-
renowned Kungsleden, which heads south from Abisko into the heart of Sweden.
