Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Pick up a tide table in advance from the tourist office in Bodø or your hotel; none are on
display at the site itself.
Saltstraumen is 32km south of Bodø by road (and much nearer by boat). There are sev-
en buses daily (two on Saturday and Sunday; one hour) between Bodø and Saltstraumen
bridge.
LOFOTEN
You'll never forget your first approach to the Lofoten Islands by ferry. The islands spread
their tall, craggy physique against the sky like some spiky sea dragon and you wonder how
human beings eke out a living in such seemingly inhospitable surroundings. The beauty of
this place is simply staggering.
The main islands, Austvågøy, Vestvågøy, Flakstadøy and Moskenesøy, are separated
from the mainland by Vestfjorden, but all are connected by road bridges and tunnels, mak-
ing getting around easy. On each are sheltered bays, sheep pastures and picturesque vil-
lages. The vistas (the whole of the E10 from tip to toe of Lofoten is designated a National
Tourist Route, a title bestowed only upon the most scenic roads) and the special quality of
the Arctic light have long attracted artists, represented in galleries throughout the islands.
But Lofoten is still very much commercially alive. Each winter the meeting of the Gulf
Stream and the icy Arctic Ocean draws spawning Arctic cod from the Barents Sea. For
centuries, this in turn drew farmer-fishermen from the mainland's north coast. Although
cod stocks have dwindled dramatically in recent years, fishing still vies with tourism as
Lofoten's largest industry, as evidenced by the wooden drying racks that lattice nearly
every village on the islands.
