Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
For more exertion, drop down to Rombaksbotn at the head of the fjord and site of the
main camp when the railway was being built (it's since returned to nature). From here, a
boat (adult/child Nkr320/125) runs erratically to Narvik in summer. Check with the tourist
office to avoid an unwelcome supplementary 10km trek at the end of the day.
KYSTRIKSVEIEN - THE COASTAL ROUTE
Longer, yes, more expensive, yes (gosh, those ferry tolls mount up). But if you've even a
day or two to spare, divert from the Arctic Highway and enjoy the empty roads and solit-
ary splendours of Kystriksveien, the coastal alternative that follows the coast for 650km. If
the whole route seems daunting, it's quite possible to cut in or out from Steinkjer, Bodø or,
midway, Mosjøen and Mo i Rana. It's one to drive; don't even attempt it by bus or you'll
still be waiting when the first snows fall.
Off the coast are around 14,000 islands, some little more than rocks with a few tufts of
grass, others, such as Vega, supporting whole communities that for centuries have survived
on coastal fishing and subsistence agriculture. The sea was the only highway and the liv-
ing was harsh year-round - especially between mid-January and Easter, when the menfolk
would be absent, working the fishing grounds off Lofoten for cod.
For a budget approach to the notoriously expensive route, visit
www.backpacker17.com
.
Information
The splendid free
Kystriksveien
(Coastal Route) booklet, distributed by tourist offices and
many lodgings along the way, is a mini-
Bible
. Its website (
www.rv17.no
) gives even more
detail. For greater depth, invest in
The Coastal Road: A Travel Guide to Kystriksveien
(Nkr298) by Olav Breen.
Click on
www.rv17.no/sykkel
for a recommended 12-day bike-and-ferry journey along
the full length of the Kystriksveien. The free brochure
Cycling from Steinkjer to Leka
has
detailed maps, and lists highlights and bicycle-friendly accommodation.
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