Scandinavia… Not a country, but a beautiful area. Scandinavia is the collective name for the following Northern countries; Norway, Sweden and Denmark. Looking at history, Finland and Iceland also belong to Scandinavia: according to the Norwegian council, they also belong. All in all, Scandinavia is huge (more than a million square kilometers), while about 24 million people live there. For comparison; The Netherlands is more than 41,000 square kilometers with about 17 million inhabitants.

Of all western European countries, the Scandinavian countries probably have the most more or less untouched nature. In addition, they are countries that are easily accessible from the Netherlands. Norway is characterized by, among other things, the fjords and the Trollstigen, known to many motorcyclists. And where Sweden is known as wide and relaxing, everyone knows Finland as the land of 1000 lakes. All in all, legitimate reasons to traverse this beautiful nature in the north of Europe by means of a number of routes.

The Lofoten archipelago lies in the middle of the wild Norwegian Sea, well above the Arctic Circle. This special region offers a beautiful landscape with imposing mountains, deep fjords and long, wild sandy beaches where the sound of the seabird colonies can always be heard.
The archipelago is best known for its rich fishing tradition. Despite their isolated location, the Lofoten make a prosperous impression. The whole economy is above all about fishing. The image of the Lofoten is mainly dominated by wooden racks with cod hanging to dry. Lofoten fishing has been a household name for centuries. In the middle of winter the ships set sail to catch the fish in just a few months. The rich fishing grounds are due to the North Atlantic Gulf Stream around the islands, where the fish have their spawning grounds. No oil drilling is allowed around Lofoten and the cod spawning grounds there.

The route starts in Kabelvåg on the beautiful island of Austvågøy, the second island you visit in this tour of the Lofoten. It doesn't take long before you drive up the third island, Gimsøya. This is one of the smaller islands of Lofoten. The island can be reached over the Gimsøystraumen bru, a cantilevered bridge that crosses the Gimsøystraumen strait. The concrete bridge is 839 meters long, the main span is 148 meters and the maximum distance from the sea is 30 meters. The bridge has 9 spans. The Gimsøystraumen Bridge was opened in 1980. It is one of many bridges connecting the islands of Lofoten as part of the European highway E10 (also known as Lofast).

The route runs over the island of Gimsøya almost entirely along the coast, which gives you a beautiful view over the Vesterålsfjorden. As the road curves away from the coast, you have a view of the mountains in the distance, which is also a pleasant sight.
Do not forget to stop every now and then to enjoy the great nature around you, of which you also have to take some pictures.

The crossing to the next island that is part of the Lofoten, Vestvågøya, is done via the Sundklakkstraumen bru, a cantilevered road bridge that crosses the Sundklakkstraumen strait. The bridge is 271 meters long and the main span is 90 meters (300 feet) long. This bridge is also part of the Lofast project.

Shortly after the coffee break in Stamsund you have the opportunity to visit Skaftnes gård Museum. This is a beautifully situated museum between the sea and the green mountains of Lofoten, close to Sennesvik and Ure på Vestvågøy.
The farm consists of a farmhouse, barn, dock and boathouse. The buildings are open to visitors and a skilled guide is available. If you are interested in the history of Lofoten, this is the place to learn about fishermen and farmers who lived between the sea and some bare ground. Visit Skaftnes Farm for an authentic and genuine Lofoten experience.

In Leknes you will pass an Esso gas station with a decent shop. So if you want to buy something for the road, it is wise to do so here, the fuel stations along the remaining part of the route are all unmanned and do not have a shop.

After any refueling stop, turn right on the way to the Lofotr Viking Museum. Actually a must now that you are in Lofoten. The museum is a historical museum based on a reconstruction and archaeological excavation of a Viking chief's village. It is located in the small village of Borg, near Bøstad. In 1983, archaeologists discovered the Chieftain House, a large Viking-era building believed to have been built as far back as AD 500. Excavations revealed the largest Viking-era building ever found in Norway. The foundation of the Chieftain House in Borg was 83 meters long and 9.5 meters wide, and the reconstructed building is 30 feet high. The seat in Borg is estimated to have been abandoned around the year 950.
After the excavation ended, the remains of what had once been the longhouse remained visible. The longhouse has been reconstructed slightly to the north of the excavation site. In 1995 the Lofotr Viking Museum was opened. The museum includes a complete reconstruction of the 83 meter long chief house, a blacksmith shop, two ships (replicas of the Gokstad ship, one full size) and their boathouses, and several reenactments designed to immerse the visitor. in life at the time of the Vikings. The main building was designed by Norwegian architect Gisle Jakhelln.
This museum is definitely worth a visit, walking through the immense Viking house or sailing in a Viking ship is not something you do every day.

The next and penultimate island of the Lofoten that you will visit, Flakstadøya, can be reached via the Nappstraum tunnels. This single-tube tunnel is 1,776 meters long and runs under the Nappstraumen strait at a maximum depth of 63 meters. After the tunnel was opened in 1990, the crossing, which was done by ferry from 1956, could not be done over the water, but underneath it. Initially a toll was levied, but after enough toll was paid in 2003 to cover the costs of the construction, the toll was abolished, and since then there is free passage.

In Flakstad you will pass the Flakstad kirke, a parish church of the Church of Norway. The red wooden church was built in a cross shape in 1780. The church can accommodate 300 people.
The long, low church building is of rack and pinion construction with wood cladding on the outside with red-painted wood paneling, as was common at the end of the eighteenth century. The small windows have white frames. The roof is covered with tiles and a ridge dome with an onion dome and a spire crowns the crossing of the cross arms.
A beautiful building that is certainly worth stopping, especially for taking a picture.

After lunch at Ramberg you will come to the point where you can turn to visit the Lofotodden National Park. To do this, keep in the direction of Fredvang and keep following this road.
The park was established in 2018 and is 99 square kilometers in size. The park extends over 86 square kilometers of land and 13 square kilometers of water.
You can take a beautiful walk here, if you park your vehicle in the indicated parking lot. The path that leads you to the park starts at the parking lot. Don't expect a nicely paved path, but rather rocks and planks that you have to walk on. However, the view that is offered to you more than makes up for it.

A little further you reach the last island of this Lofoten tour, Moskenesøya. From this island you will soon also board the ferry that takes you to Bodø. Before that, however, you will first pass a number of sights that may be worthwhile. For example the viewpoint over the harbor of Hamnøya. You know them, those picturesque photos of the wooden fishing boats that are waiting in the harbor to set sail ... could have been taken here.
A little further a similar scene, but from the harbor of Reine. However, you drive into this village for a cup of coffee, the last coffee stop in Lofoten. There is an unmanned gas station, a single pump, so if necessary you can fill the tank here.

The asphalt over the last bridge of this island, the Djupfjordbrua, ensures that you get to the other side of the Djupfjorden without wet feet. Just after the bridge there is a viewpoint that gives a nice view over the bridge, but also over the water. Definitely stop to enjoy the beauty that Lofoten has to offer one last time.

Two kilometers further, you can already see the ferry with a bit of luck, you can still choose to drive a short distance to the Lofoten tørrfiskmuseum in the town of Å. No doubt you have seen many racks along the way, depending on the time of year you are here they were filled with cod. In the Lofoten tørrfiskmuseum they can tell you everything about this stockfish, or unsalted dried cod.
Fishermen set out to hunt for skrei, the cod that migrates every year from the Barents Sea to the coast of Northern Norway to spawn. The large cod species can be found mainly along the coast of Lofoten, Senja and Vesterålen, between January and April.
The skrei's long journey ensures that their flesh is firmer than that of the common cod, which often stays in one place. The white, mild flesh is so tender that it comes off when you stir it gently with a fork.
In the museum they can tell you all about this important source of income in Lofoten, where you can see everywhere the racks on which you can see cod tied together in pairs to be dried in the open air. They call it the gold of the Lofoten. The inhabitants of Lofoten do not say it smells like fish. No, it smells like money.

Arriving in Moskenes, a 3.5-hour boat trip awaits you to take you back to the city where the Lofoten tour started, Bodø. The route ends at the same hotel where the tour started, the Skagen Hotel.
Two campsites are indicated for campers in the vicinity of the end point: Bodøsjøen Camping and Geitvågen Bad & Camping.

Have fun driving this route!