Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
WORTH A TRIP
HAMSUNSENTERET
Around halfway between the E6 and the ferry crossing to/from the Lofoten Islands at
Presteid, Hamarøy; adult/child Nkr100/50; 11am-6pm Jun-mid-Aug, 10am-3.30pm Tue-Fri &
11am-5pm Sat & Sun rest of year, closed Jan) is a must for anyone with a vaguely literary bent.
The daring architecture of the museum is one of northern Norway's most striking ex-
amples of contemporary design, while the museum commemorates the life of Knut Ham-
sun, who won the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1920. The museum covers his life and work
with well-presented displays and helpful staff keen to promote Hamsun's works.
Hamsun moved to Hamarøy with his family at age three and later returned here for a
number of his working years as a writer. If you've the time and the inclination, the road
from Presteid to Skutvik has a number of Hamsun-related sites signposted, including the
school where he studied, as well as some information boards by the roadside about local
Hamsun landmarks.
Narvik
Pop 18,705
Narvik has a double personality. On the one hand, its location is spectacular, pincered by
islands to the west and mountains in every other direction, while spectacular fjords stretch
north and south. At the same time, heavy industry casts a pall of ugliness over the rather
scruffy downtown area - the town was founded in 1902 as the port for the coal-mining
town of Kiruna in Swedish Lapland and the trans-shipment facility bisecting the city still
loads several million tonnes of ore annually from train wagons onto ships.
But Narvik's appeal lies elsewhere, with unique sporting and sightseeing activities
offered by its majestic surroundings and the spectacular Ofotbanen Railway to Sweden.
