dåger under midnåttssølen
From New York we took a plane to Zurich. It felt strange to be back in Switzerland. However, the information of our quick return had leaked and some of our friends and our family surprised us with a “welcome to stop over” celebration (thanks a lot guys!). We spent less than 48 hours at home. With our Volvo, a ‘84 240 GL (probably one of the best cars ever built…) which we can convert into a cozy double bed and equipped with camping chairs, table, water tank, a cooker that runs on petrol as well as curtains to provide some privacy, we embarked on another epic road trip. We were heading for cape north.
On our first day we made it all the way to a small town one hour north of Hamburg. The next morning we had breakfast in Lübeck and took a stroll through its charming old town district.
Lübeck:
Later we took the ferry from Fehmarn to Røgbyn in Denmark. We rushed through Denmark and reached Malmö in Sweden via the Öresund Bridge. From there we drove a bit further north to Örkelsjunga, where we spent the night in a campground and got surprised by a heavy thunderstorm. The next day we passed Stockholm and stayed in a campground in Söderfors right next to a lake. We wanted to spend some time along the Höga Kusten. Therefore we stopped at the Rotsidan Coast and took a short walk along the rocky coastline. In Norrfällsviken we ate a delicious crispbread topped with freshly caught salmon and herring. We found a very nice camp spot in Mäviken right at a little beach along the Bothnian Sea. The days were already getting longer and longer and the trees were getting shorter and shorter.
Söderfors:
Höga Kusten:
The next morning we drove all the way to Töre, where we took a quick look at Gammelstad and camped at a beautiful campground in Rörbäck, where we could marvel at a 3,5 hour long sunset.
Rörbäck:
The next day we crossed the Arctic Circle and for the following three weeks we would have 24 hours of sunlight. We also reached the border of Finland (Lappland). That’s when we started seeing reindeers crossing the street every once in a while. We had now reached the land of the Sami people, the last indigenous group of Europe who spread across the northern parts of Finland, Sweden and Norway. We spent the night in a cabin right at a lake close to Inari. We couldn’t resist taking a quick dip in the lake, where upon the midnight sun left a golden shimmering reflection. The place was beautiful, but we got almost eaten alive by hundreds of hungry mosquitoes. Somehow they managed to creep inside our cabin. We tried to kill them all, but they kept coming and coming. It was awful!
The following morning we finally crossed the border of Norway into Finnmark and drove on until Vardø, which is the easternmost point of Europe. At this latitude there were no more trees growing. The landscape looked magical and it made us feel like we were exploring a young foreign planet. Vardø turned out to be a nice fishing town surrounded by crystal clear waters. We took a boat to the island of Harnøya and were greeted by large swarms of screaming seagulls. The island was literally covered with various kinds of seabirds nesting there, it was a breathtaking sight. We were able to observe nesting puffins only from a few meters away – they even flew right over our heads to go fishing! Along the stunningly beautiful coastal road we then drove to Tana Bru, where we spent the night in a campground.
Vardø:
Birds of Harnøya:
We slept a bit longer the next morning as it was raining heavily. Then we continued driving through the dreamlike landscape until Ifjord and slept in a cozy cabin in Repvåg. Before dinner we went out for a quick run along the rocky coastline next to the sea and ran into a herd of reindeers. Through rough landscapes and thick fog we drove on until we reached cape north the next day. Unfortunately we couldn’t see any further than 20 meters! We had reached the northernmost point of our journey and started heading back south. We continued direction Havøysund and hiked up to an impressive waterfall in Lillefjord. We camped in Havøysund on a small cliff overlooking the sea.
Cape North:
Lillefjord:
Havøysund:
The following morning we were woken up by the loud horns of a Hurtigruten Ferry announcing its arrival in the port of Havøysund. When we stuck our heads out of the Volvo we were greeted by sunshine. We drove through the beautiful Porsanger Peninsula and hiked up a mountain offering a great view over the fjord. In the evening we reached Altafjord, where we stayed on a campground.
Porsanger Peninsula:
Altafjord:
We made a quick stop in Tromsø where we met Mathias, a Norwegian friend of one of us. He showed us around town and we had lunch together in a café. He also gave us some much appreciated advice for our southbound route. We headed east to Sommarøy and stayed there for two nights in a nice hotel because of the rainy weather. It was a great spot to relax and we hiked up a small mountain from where we enjoyed a nice view of the surrounding islands.
Sommarøy:
Next we took the ferry to a region called Senja. From the village of Skaland we hiked up the Husfjellet mountain, but the weather was still rainy and the summit was covered in thick clouds so we weren’t able to enjoy the view. We spent the night in a campground in Torsmoveien.
On the way to Gryllefjord we stopped quickly to see the Senjatrollet. From Gryllefjord we took a ferry to Andenes in the Vesterålen region. There we stayed in Bleik for the night.
Husfjellet:
Senjatrollet:
The following day we drove to Nyksund, a tiny fishing village where we camped wildly on a small peninsula. Early the next morning, we embarked on the Dronningruta, a 15 km round trip hike going over steep mountains and along the coast. It was finally sunny again and we really enjoyed the long and strenuous hike. Later we drove on to a beautifully located campground in Krakberget.
Camping in Nyksund:
Hiking the Dronningruta:
Camping in Krakberget:
The next day we did a 16 km hike along the coast from Vikan to Åsand on which we came upon a beautiful and lonely white sandy beach. As there was no one around, we couldn’t resist skinny-dipping in the crystal clear, but very cold water. We spent another nice evening at the same campground as the day before.
Hiking along the coast:
View from campground:
We climbed another mountain the next morning. From its summit we spotted another beautiful beach over in Hovden and decided to drive there for lunch. Afterwards we headed direction Lofoten and camped in Laukvik. The tent area was quite swampy. There was a family from Belgium that got stuck with their car and had to be pulled out with a tractor.
Summit view:
Hovden:
On the way to Laukvik:
Swampy campground:
Right next to Henningsvær we climbed up the Festvågtind mountain. It was a pretty steep ascent, but it was definitely worth the spectacular 360 degree view of the Lofoten coastline. We drove on through picturesque fishing villages and slept in Fredvang.
On the way to Henningsvær:
Festvågtind:
Lunch stop:
The next morning we woke up covered in thick fog. But luckily on our way to Reine the fog started to clear off and we had a clear view and perfect weather to hike up the Reinebringen. Reaching its peak and walking further up along the ridge to another summit, the views we got were beyond our wildest expectations. We dwelled up there for a moment to soak up the moment in this beautiful environment before descending and driving on to Moskenes, where we took the ferry to Bodø.
Reinebringen:
Before the ferry:
Bodø:
We continued on the coastal Route 17 and stopped at Malmstrøm in Saltstraumen to watch the swirls of the world’s strongest tidal current. A few kilometers further we spotted a big moose on the side of the road. But when we turned back to take a picture it had already disappeared into the woods. We continued to Holandsfjord where we took a boat to get to the other side. From there we hiked 5 km to the Svaritsen glacier, the lowest glacier in Europe and the second largest of Norway. We walked over a rocky landscape which had obviously been smoothened by the glacier for thousands of years. As there was no snow on the glacier tongue, its ice was clearly visible and shimmered in all different shades of blue. We were able to get up close and even look underneath it. Before we hiked back to the boat we filled our empty bottles with refreshing glacial water. For the night we found a nice campground in Forøy.
Svaritsen glacier:
The next day we took a ferry from Forøy to Åkskarget. From there we drove to Jektvik and took another ferry to Kilboghamn. On the way we crossed the Arctic Circle again, which meant there would be no more midnight sun. We had now reached the Helgeland coast and drove on until Sandnessjøen. There we found a nice campground right at the sea. As we were relaxing in the evening we watched an old Swedish couple which was struggling setting up their tent. For a while it was quite amusing, but then we felt pity and decided to help them. It turned out to be a very cheap and low quality tent and the way it had to be set up was very unusual. In the end it took six people to get it right. The camp host was a funny and friendly guy. He told us that he is very busy and tries not to sleep more than four hours during the summertime. He stays awake by drinking one glass of Kaluha and a cup of coffee and by dancing salsa with his Cuban wife every night. He suggested that we borrow his fishing rod as the sea was full of mackerels this time of year. We gladly accepted his offer and went down to the shore to give it a try. We both had never properly fished before and we must have made a very amateurish impression as a Swedish guy approached us to offer us his counsel. After a few tries the hook of the lure got stuck on the ocean ground and one of us had to dive into the cold water to release it. After that it didn’t take long until a fish bit and it was a big mackerel. We pulled the fish out of the water. It fought for its life and jumped around frantically. During this struggle the hook of the lure got stuck again, but this time in one of our legs. It was quite an operation to get it out of there again, but eventually we succeeded. Only a few minutes later we pulled out another mackerel. All of this happened while the sun was slowly setting in the background. We hadn’t seen a sunset in a while and this one was truly dramatic. Before we went to sleep we put our catch in the freezer.
View from the ferryport:
Sandnessjøen:
(we climed the peaks of the three summits on the left…)
Fishing at sunset:
We got up early to hike to the summits of three of the Syv Søstre (Seven Sisters). The 7 hour hike through the rough landscape and over snowfields was very exciting and we enjoyed great views from these three majestic peaks (Skjæringen and the two Twillingene). Back at the campground we jumped into the cold sea for a quick swim. Afterwards we went for another round of fishing. We caught two mackerels again which we ate for dinner – and it was the best fish we’ve ever tasted!
Hiking the Syv Søstre:
Back at the campground:
Through rainy weather we drove on to Frosta where it was sunny again. There we found a nice campground and got a pretty space overlooking the fjord. Again we had delicious mackerels for dinner, namely the ones we froze two nights earlier.
View from campground:
The next day we drove to Trondheim, the third biggest city of Norway. We took a stroll through the famous old town and to the cathedral. Coincidentally the festival Olavsdagen was happening so we ate a Kraketburger at one of the many market stands that displayed local goods. After that we drove on and took a ferry from Tømmervåg to Seivika and spent the night in Byskogen.
Trondheim:
We continued to Kristiansund and drove along the famous Atlanterhavsvegen, a route that runs right above the sea level and connects eight small islands with bridges. The next stop was Åndalsnes where we camped for the night. Early the next morning we hiked up the summit of Blånibba and walked on the ridge of Romsdalseggen for the next 12 km. We had spectacular views of the surrounding mountains, fjords and waterfalls from up there. At times the hike was quite challenging as certain sections were very exposed and demanded proper focus. From Åndalsnes we drove over the winding roads of the Trollstigen and ended up in Linge. From there we had to take the ferry to Eidsdal. We spent the night on a campground in Geiranger.
Atlanterhavsvegen:
Romsdalseggen:
Trollstiegen:
Campground at Geiranger:
We decided spontaneously to take the ferry through the world famous Geirangerfjord from Geiranger to Hellesylt. While on board, we passed an impressive waterfall and two old abandoned farmhouses located right on the cliffs of the mountains. These were towering as high as 1700masl over our heads. After a couple of kilometers on the road we had to take yet another ferry from Sykkylven to Magerholm. We continued to the small city Ålesund which is known for its art nouveau buildings and spent the night in a nice hotel.
Geirangerfjord:
The next morning, after a huge breakfast, we drove to Sulesund and took the ferry to Hareid. We drove on to Runde at the Sunnmøre coast and took a short hike to a lighthouse. Afterwards we took a ferry from Koparnes to Arvika and just a few kilometers later another ferry from Måloy to Oldeide. Yes, we know, this is a ridiculously high amount of ferries, but with all those fjords there’s sometimes just no way around it. We stayed the night in Bremanger.
Runde:
We drove on to a small chapel in Huskår early the next morning. From there we started the challenging hike to the top of the Hornelen. With a staggering height of 860 meters straight down to the fjord, it is the highest sea cliff in Europe. It is also a place shrouded in legends of witches dancing with the devil. But it was all quiet when we were up there. Nevertheless, we got weak knees and dizzy minds just from the look of it. Back at the chapel, we drove on to Loen. On the way we took a ferry from Isane to Stårheim. In Loen we spent the night in the Tjungen camping.
Hornelen:
It was rainy the next morning and we continued driving. Due to a landslide we had to turn around and take a ferry from Lota to Ande instead (so much for avoiding ferries…). We camped right at a beautiful lake in Skjolden with dramatic waterfalls in the background. At dusk a thick layer of fog was slowly creeping over the lake towards its shore.
Skjolden:
The next day we drove through the Lærdalstunnel. With a length of 24,5 km it is the longest street tunnel in the world! By early afternoon we had reached the Aurland and stayed in a cabin in Østerbø.
The next day we spent hiking 20 km from Vassbygdi back to Østerbø through the Aurlandsdal, also known as “Grand Canyon” of Norway. We passed many waterfalls, crossed white rivers, walked through narrow gorges and balanced our way over the muddy parts in lush green forests. At times we felt like walking through a fairy tale and we very much enjoyed the magical atmosphere.
Auerlandsdal:
We arrived in Bergen under typical weather conditions: it was raining. Nevertheless we strolled through the city and along the pretty colored wooden buildings at the harbor. We drove on to Fusa and stayed there on a campground.
Bergen:
We slowly headed direction Oslo. We took a ferry from Gjermundsham to Årsens. Then we visited the Langfoss waterfall. We decided then and there that we would skip the hike to Trolltunga, because there were far too many tourists and it felt too commercialized. Besides we already enjoyed so many wonderful hikes in this country that we didn’t really care to miss this one. Shortly before we reached Oslo, we made another quick stop at the Heddal Stavkyrkje, an impressive ancient wooden church.
Langfoss:
Heddal Stavkyrkje:
In Oslo we stayed in a nice hotel for two nights, met up with our Norwegian friend Ole and his brother Nils and attended a concert of a Norwegian rock band in Oslo’s underground music scene.
From here we’re now slowly heading back home to Switzerland. Finally our big and diverse journey is about to come to an end. Driving around in our Volvo, hiking and spending so much time in this unique natural enviroment was a great way of ending our trip and an experience beyond our expectations. Norway is truly one of the most beautiful countries we have ever visited and with so many natural wonders to explore – fjords, lakes, coastline, glaciers, waterfalls and mountains – it has been a great time.
Cheerio, the steffles
