The Route to the North Cape - Norway - page 404

Although we think that the rebuilt town of Narvik can be an eyesore, its
panoramic woodlands, fjords, and mountains are appealing and worth a visit.
ESSENTIALS
GETTING THERE From the Lofoten Islands, take the car-ferry to Skutvik.
It operates three times a day. Take Route 81 northeast to the junction with E6,
and then take E6 north to Bognes. Cross the Tysfjord by ferry. Continue north
on E6 to Narvik.
The train from Stockholm to Narvik takes 21 to 24 hours. From Stockholm
to Narvik, the train costs 800NOK ($114) one-way. There are also two buses a
day from Fauske/Bodø (5 hr.). Check www.nsb.no or www.nor-way.no for
information.
VISITOR INFORMATION The Narvik Tourist Office is at Kongensgate
26 ( & 76-94-33-09; [e-mail]). It's open Monday to Friday from
9am to 4pm; June to August it's also open on Saturday from 9am to 2pm.
SEEING THE SIGHTS
To get a good look at Narvik, take the Gondolbanen cable car ( & 76-96-
04-94 ), whose departure point is located directly behind the Norlandia Narvik
Hotel, a 10-minute walk from the town center. The car operates from March to
October, and the round-trip fare is 100NOK ($14) for adults, 50NOK ($7.10)
for children 6 to 15 (free for 5 and under). In just 13 minutes it takes you to an
altitude of 640m (2,100 ft.), at the top of Fagernesfjell. Here, you can soak in
the impressive panorama of the town and its surroundings or visit the simple
restaurant at the tip.
From the peak here, you can “hike till you drop,” as a local advised us.
Marked trails branch out in several directions, all equally impressive. A downhill
mountain bike trail also starts near the cable car's final stop. From mid-Febru-
ary to mid-June, and in August and September, the cable operates Monday to
Friday from 1 to 9pm and every Saturday and Sunday from 10am to 5pm. From
mid-June to the end of July, it operates daily from noon to 1am.
The midnight sun shines from May 27 to July 19.
Nordland Røde Kors Krigsminnemuseum (War Museum) Near
Torghallen in the town center, this is one of the most important sights in
Narvik. Events from Narvik's destruction by the Germans, who occupied it until
the end of the World War II, are the focus here. Exhibits detail Germany's bat-
tle for Narvik's iron ore, and how German forces fought troops from France,
Poland, and Norway, and a considerable British flotilla at sea. Experiences of the
civilian population and foreign POWs are also highlighted.
Kongensgate. & 76-94-44-26. Admission 50NOK ($7.10) adults, 25NOK ($3.55) children. Mar-June 7 and
Aug 21-Sept daily 11am-3pm; June 8-Aug 20 Mon-Sat 10am-10pm, Sun 11am-5pm; ; Oct-Feb Thurs-Sat
11am-3pm.
Ofoten Museum The Ofoten Museum has artifacts tracing the oldest
human settlements in the area. They go back to the Stone Age, which is revealed
in rock carvings. Other exhibits (including a scraper for animal skins and a flint-
and-tinder box) show how ancient people lived and worked in the area. Most of
the displays are from the 20th century, beginning with the construction of the
rail line.
Administrasjonsveien 3. & 76-94-47-32. Admission 25NOK ($3.55) adults, 5NOK (70¢) children. July
Mon-Fri 11am-3:30pm, Sat-Sun noon-3pm; Aug-June Mon-Fri 10am-3pm, Sat-Sun noon-3pm.