Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
whole family. The center gives an in-depth preview through exhibits and arti-
facts tracing the history of the area and its people from the Ice Age to the com-
ing of the Vikings. An on-site aquarium includes a pond for seals and fish found
in regional waters. Admission is 60NOK ($8.50). From May to mid-June it's
open daily from 11am to 6pm; from mid-June to late June and from mid-
August to late August, it's open daily from 10am to 7pm; from July to mid-
August it's open daily 9am to 8pm; and in September it's open Saturday and
Sunday only 11am to 6pm.
EXPLORING A SPECTACULAR LANDSCAPE
THE MAELSTROM
From Bodø, you can take a bus to the mighty mael-
strom, the
Saltstraumen Eddy
, 33km (20 miles) south of the city. The vari-
ation between high- and low-tide levels pushes immense volumes of water
through narrow fjords, creating huge whirlpools known as “kettles.” When the
eddies and the surrounding land vibrate, they produce an odd yelling sound.
Saltstraumen is nearly 3.3km (2 miles) long and only about 167m (500 ft.)
wide, with billions of gallons of water pressing through at speeds of about 10
knots. Buses from Bodø run five times a day Monday to Saturday, twice on Sun-
day. The cost is 56NOK ($7.95) for adults round-trip, half-price for children
under 12. A round-trip taxi excursion costs 500NOK ($71) for two passengers.
VISITING A GLACIER
One of Norway's major tourist attractions,
Svar-
tisen Glacier
was previewed under Mo i Rana (see earlier), but can also
be visited south of Bodø. About 161km (100 miles) from Bodø, the glacier can
be reached by car, although a boat crossing over the Svartisenfjord is more excit-
ing. Tours to the glacier on the Helgeland Express, a combination bus-and-ferry
excursion, are offered from Bodø several times in the summer (usually every sec-
ond Sat July-Aug). The cost is 390NOK ($55) for adults, 200NOK ($28) for
children under 16. The tours leave Bodø at 1pm and return around 8pm on the
same day. You can go ashore to examine the Engaglacier and see the nearby vis-
itor center (
&
75-75-00-11
). The local tourist office, or the local tour operator
Nordtrafikk
(
&
75-72-12-00
), can provide more information and make reser-
vations. Depending on ice conditions, the visitor center may be able to arrange
boat transportation across a narrow but icy channel so you can have a closer look
at the ice floe.
WHERE TO STAY
The
Bodø Tourist Office
(see “Visitor Information,” above) can help you book
a room in a hotel. It also maintains a list of local B&Bs and will book you a
room for a fee of 15NOK to 25NOK ($2.15-$3.55).
Many locals within this maritime community, as well as the staff at the Bodø
tourist office, will be alert to the schedule of high and low tides on the day of
your arrival. The phenomenon occurs four times within any 24-hour period,
twice for incoming tides, twice for outgoing tides, with a brief interlude between
high and low tides when the waters are almost eerily still.
EXPENSIVE
Radisson SAS Royal Hotel
By far the finest and most expensive hotel
in the area, this glistening structure is an inviting oasis. A complete renovation
of the exterior, bedrooms, and public rooms last occurred in 2000, but there
have been minor upgrades annually ever since so that the hotel still looks fresh.
The good-size guest rooms are furnished in sleek contemporary style and deco-
rated in a number of motifs, including Japanese, Nordic, Chinese, and British.
