Day 08 North Cape Tour Orsvagvaer Straumsjoen
This route was brought to you by:
RouteXpert René Plücken (MRA Master)
Last edit: 12-03-2021
Route Summary The Lofoten consists of a number of islands. The most famous are: Røst Værøy Gimsøya Moskenesøya Vestvågøy Austvågøy Flakstadøya Some places in Lofoten are Svolvær, Leknes, Vågan, Ramberg, Moskenes and Reine.
You drive longer distances in Norway without encountering a gas station or restaurant, keep this in mind before you drive. Make sure your tank is full and bring food and drinks. Bring a few bottles of water or Camel bag and fill it up when you stop to refuel. A number of breaks are scheduled along the way for refueling, eating and drinking.
You have the choice to stay overnight at campsites or in hotels. Hotel prices in Norway are not particularly high and breakfast is usually included. Camping is free almost everywhere, except on private property or where camping is prohibited, indicated by prohibition signs. If you don't want to camp, there are often cabins for rent on the campsites. For a trip through Norway it is always advisable to bring a tent and other camping gear.
I rate this route with 5 **** stars because of the beautiful roads, beautiful nature and some beautiful places to stop.
This route can also be divided into several days in order to enjoy all the beauty of the Lofoten even more.
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Verdict
Duration
10h 52m
Mode of travel
Car or motorcycle
Distance
274.37 km
Countries
RouteXpert Review Less than 4 kilometers from the starting point in Ørsvågvær is the SKREI Experience Center with the Lofoten aquarium (RP3) and the Lofoten Fishery museum (RP4). For those who want to visit these two interesting points, turn right at RP2. If you do not want to visit these route points, you can simply continue on the way.
At the Lofoten Aquarium “Lofotakvariet” (RP3) you can learn more about the Lofoten cod, also known as skrei, the East Atlantic cod that migrates every winter from the Barents Sea to the Lofoten to spawn. Skrei is the base for fishing in Lofoten and has been one of the most important fish in Europe for centuries. In addition to the skrei aquarium, there are other aquariums with other fish species, crustaceans and marine animals that live in the waters around Lofoten. You can also enjoy the exhibition "The Art of Coexistence", with information about fishing, aquaculture, oil and gas activities in Norway.
In the Lofoten museum (RP4) you can experience the history of Lofoten fishing. On the site of the medieval town of Vågar (now called Storvågan) you will find the stately main building from 1815, authentic fishing huts and boathouses with Nordland boats.
The museum also offers photo games and exhibits on Lofoten fishing, coastal harbors and lighthouses, traditional crafts and a beautiful garden with historic perennials. Guided tours by appointment.
The next interesting place where we stop longer is Svolvær, here we visit the Lofoten Krigsminnemuseum (RP7). The Lofoten War Memorial Museum is an apolitical association and private World War II museum in Svolvær that deals with informative work about World War II with particular emphasis on events in the Lofoten region and Northern Norway. The museum opened on June 15, 1996 after lengthy collection activities and planning by William Hakvaag and is part of Museum Nord
A must to visit is the “Magic Ice Bar” (RP8) in Svolvær. Welcome to the world's first permanent ice gallery and magical adventure, a sub-zero experience you will never forget. Step inside the largest Magic Ice gallery and be amazed when you come face to face with the fascinating history of Lofoten and its fishermen and Vikings. You will receive a warm welcome, winter poncho and gloves to wear inside and a special signature drink served in an ice glass. The Ice-bar is open every day, in the summer season from June 1 to September 6 between 12:00 PM and 10:00 PM and off season from 6:00 PM to 10:00 PM.
Via the E-10 we drive to the North, on the way you can enjoy the beautiful fjords, mountains and beautiful views. There are more opportunities to stop for a photo along the route. As with RP12, Stop on your right at Austnesfjorden rasteplass. This is a picnic area with wooden walkway. To protect the site, the wooden walkway has been created that floats over the landscape and up to the top of Austneset. From the walkway you have a beautiful view of the alpine coastal landscape and the Sildpollneset chapel.
In Laukvik (RP13) we stop for a short break to have a drink, if you want to stretch your legs you can walk to the pier where the small white lighthouse “Laukvik Lighthouse” is located. In Laukvik you can also stock up on some provisions at the COOP Supermarket (RP14).
In Fiskebøl (RP18) we board the ferry to Melbu, the crossing takes about 30 minutes, so it is nice to have a rest and enjoy the view on deck.
We drive via a beautiful coastal road over the island of Hadseløya to Stokmarknes, here at RP20 you can visit the Norwegian Coastal Express Museum “Hurtigrutemuseet” and the ship MS Finnmarken 1956. As a monument to Norwegian coastal history, the MS Finnmarken 1956 stands right in the center of Hurtigruten's birthplace, Stokmarknes. In the salons of DS Finmarken 1912 and on board MS Finnmarken you can feel the atmosphere from different eras. Visit the bridge, galley, engine room, old cabins and more. Enjoy food and a drink in the 1956 drawing room.
Via the Børøybrug in Norwegian the Børøybrua (RP21), a concrete bridge that connects the island of Hadseløya with Børøya. The 1967 bridge is the oldest larger bridge in Vesterålen. At RP23 lunch is planned at Restaurant Isqueen, a unique restaurant in the region with a boat as a frame. The Isqueen is an old whaling ship that has been put ashore and has been converted into a restaurant with seating for 70 guests. The bar in the ship itself has 20 seats. The Isqueen is decorated in a maritime style that gives a unique atmosphere of a run-down environment.
At RP24 we stop at Rasteplass Stokmarknes to admire the view. You have a great view over the Fjord and the Hadsel Bridge (Norwegian: Hadselbrua), a beautiful concrete bridge, more than 1 kilometer long and 30 meters high, connecting the islands of Langøya and Børøya.
The second half of the route we drive on the provincial road Fv885 to Fjordcamp in Straumsjøen, where we spend the night. At RP27 you have the choice to turn right, end the day and check in at Fjordcamp or continue the ride and visit Fjærvollsanden beach (RP31), one of the many beautiful beaches on Vesterålen and the Hike trail to Hovden lookout point (RP32), where you have a beautiful view over the beach.
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Changes may nevertheless have occurred due to changed circumstances, road diversions or seasonal closures. We therefore recommend checking each route before use.
Preferably use the route track in your navigation system. More information about the use of MyRoute-app can be found on the website under 'Community' or 'Academy'.
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Nordland
About this region
Nordland (Norwegian pronunciation: [ˈnûːrlɑn] (listen); Lule Sami: Nordlánnda, Southern Sami: Nordlaante, Northern Sami: Nordlánda, English: Northland) is a county in Norway in the Northern Norway region, bordering Troms og Finnmark in the north, Trøndelag in the south, Norrbotten County in Sweden to the east, Västerbotten County to the southeast, and the Atlantic Ocean (Norwegian Sea) to the west. The county was formerly known as Nordlandene amt. The county administration is in the town of Bodø. The remote Arctic island of Jan Mayen has been administered from Nordland since 1995. In the southern part of the county is Vega, listed on the UNESCO World Heritage Site list.
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Route Collections in this region In 12 Days from Oslo to the North Cape
This is a route collection of a motorcycle tour from Oslo to the North Cape, based on a journey by Thomas Falck Østli. A total of twelve routes have been described, but the tour can be extended to more days, more information about this in the reviews.
The routes run through the beautiful landscapes of Norway, including the Lofoten, with many lakes, fjords, rivers, beautiful bridges, beautiful green forests and rugged mountains. During the trip there are also many ferry crossings, keep this in mind in your planning.
You drive longer distances in Norway without encountering a gas station or a restaurant, keep this in mind before you drive. Make sure your tank is full and bring food and drinks. Bring a few bottles of water or Camel bag and fill it up when you stop to refuel. Along the way, breaks are planned for refueling, eating and drinking.
The total trip of almost 3700 kilometers is broken down as follows;
• Day 1 is a 434 kilometer drive from Oslo to Geiranger
• Day 2 is a 238 kilometer drive from Geiranger to Kristiansund
• Day 3 is a 298 kilometer drive from Kristiansund via Trondheim to Verdal
• Day 4 is a 333 kilometer drive from Verdal to Brønnøysund
• Day 5 is a 267 kilometer drive from Brønnøysund to Furøy
• Day 6 is a 296 kilometer drive from Furøy Lofoten to Reine
• Day 7 is a 218 kilometer drive from Reine to Ørsvågvær
• Day 8 is a 274 kilometer drive from Ørsvågvær to Straumsjøen
• Day 9 is a 327 kilometer drive from Straumsjøen to Senjahopen
• Day 10 is a 321 kilometer drive from Senjahopen to Tromsø
• Day 11 is a 420 kilometer drive from Tromsø to Alta
• Day 12 is a 239 km drive from Alta via the North Cape to Skarsvåg
You have the choice to stay overnight at campsites or in hotels. Hotel prices in Norway are not particularly high and breakfast is usually included.
Camping is free almost everywhere, except on private property or where camping is prohibited, indicated by prohibition signs.
If you don't want to camp, there are often cabins for rent on the campsites. For a trip through Norway it is always advisable to bring a tent and other camping gear.
Information about hotels and campsites is included in the directions
Have fun reading, planning and driving this scenic journey to the northernmost tip of Europe.
The routes run through the beautiful landscapes of Norway, including the Lofoten, with many lakes, fjords, rivers, beautiful bridges, beautiful green forests and rugged mountains. During the trip there are also many ferry crossings, keep this in mind in your planning.
You drive longer distances in Norway without encountering a gas station or a restaurant, keep this in mind before you drive. Make sure your tank is full and bring food and drinks. Bring a few bottles of water or Camel bag and fill it up when you stop to refuel. Along the way, breaks are planned for refueling, eating and drinking.
The total trip of almost 3700 kilometers is broken down as follows;
• Day 1 is a 434 kilometer drive from Oslo to Geiranger
• Day 2 is a 238 kilometer drive from Geiranger to Kristiansund
• Day 3 is a 298 kilometer drive from Kristiansund via Trondheim to Verdal
• Day 4 is a 333 kilometer drive from Verdal to Brønnøysund
• Day 5 is a 267 kilometer drive from Brønnøysund to Furøy
• Day 6 is a 296 kilometer drive from Furøy Lofoten to Reine
• Day 7 is a 218 kilometer drive from Reine to Ørsvågvær
• Day 8 is a 274 kilometer drive from Ørsvågvær to Straumsjøen
• Day 9 is a 327 kilometer drive from Straumsjøen to Senjahopen
• Day 10 is a 321 kilometer drive from Senjahopen to Tromsø
• Day 11 is a 420 kilometer drive from Tromsø to Alta
• Day 12 is a 239 km drive from Alta via the North Cape to Skarsvåg
You have the choice to stay overnight at campsites or in hotels. Hotel prices in Norway are not particularly high and breakfast is usually included.
Camping is free almost everywhere, except on private property or where camping is prohibited, indicated by prohibition signs.
If you don't want to camp, there are often cabins for rent on the campsites. For a trip through Norway it is always advisable to bring a tent and other camping gear.
Information about hotels and campsites is included in the directions
Have fun reading, planning and driving this scenic journey to the northernmost tip of Europe.
View Route Collection
6500 kilometers through Scandinavia with the highlights of the Lofoten and the North Cape
The Arctic Challenge Tour, on which this 26-part tour is partly based, is not a speed race. It's a tour. It comes down to agility, good navigation and anticipation. The participants are obliged to adhere to the speed limit of the country concerned. The participants must find the ideal route with the shortest possible distance by complying 100% with the locally applicable traffic rules. Of course, also take maximum speeds into account. The organization checks for violations of the speed limit. In case of gross or repeated exceeding of the maximum speed, disqualification for the relevant stage and for the final classification will follow. Control of the route and speeds is done by means of a track and trace system. This equipment is installed in every vehicle. You can then follow each team accurately in the Back Office. Those staying at home, interested parties and participants can also see the performances of the teams, because you can be followed live via the Internet. The Back Office takes action when a team gets into trouble. (source: website The Arctic Challenge)
That's quite a luxury, having a back office behind you that keeps an eye on you. Most of us will not have that and are on our own or the fellow traveler(s). The only agreement you have with the participants is that you also have to abide by the rules. Fortunately, you don't have to complete this tour in 9 days, like the participants, but you can take it a little longer.
The highlight of the Arctic Challenge in 2020 was the Lofoten, an island group northwest of Norway. The Lofoten archipelago is located 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. The Lofoten makes a prosperous impression despite their isolated location. The entire economy revolves above all around fishing. The image of the Lofoten is mainly dominated by wooden racks with cod, which hangs to dry. Lofoten fishing has been a household name for centuries. In the middle of winter, the ships set out to catch the fish in just a few months. The rich fishing grounds are due to the North Atlantic Warm Gulf Stream around the islands, in which the fish have their spawning grounds. Oil drilling is not permitted around Lofoten and the cod spawning grounds there.
The next destination for the participants was Sirkka, also known as Levi, a winter sports resort in Finnish Lapland. They stayed there for a few days to go ice-karting and to enjoy the snow by going on a snowmobile or skiing trip. This tour also takes you to Sirkka, but instead of staying there for a few days, you have the option to continue to the North Cape, the second highlight of this trip.
Imagine a place in the far north, where the Atlantic Ocean meets the icy waters of the Arctic Ocean. This place is the North Cape in Western Finnmark in Northern Norway. From here, only the archipelago of Spitsbergen lies between you and the North Pole and the sun shines for 2.5 months at a time; from mid-May to the end of July. Many visitors admire the midnight sun or the sunset over the Barents Sea from the North Cape plateau.
With each route you will find a review with a description of the route, where you pass and what to see along the way. It is also briefly described how the participants in the Arctic Challenge in 2020 had to drive it anyway, from which point to which point. Along the way, markings (route points) have been included that indicate the end points of the stages that the participants had to complete. As mentioned, they covered the distance in 9 days, stages of more than 1000 kilometers were no exception.
Each route ends at a hotel. It is of course not an obligation to use these hotels, you can always find another place to stay in the area, that decision is up to you. My experience, however, is that they are all simple but good hotels for a very reasonable price. They are known and can be booked at booking.com.
The routes of these collections:
R01 - Puttgarden to Angelholm, 280km
R02 - Angelholm to Alingsas, 281km
R03 - Alingsas to Mysen, 261km
R04 - Mysen to Rena, 312km
R05 - Rena to Orkanger, 306km
R06 - Orkanger to Grong, 292km
R07 - Grong to Mo i Rana, 290km
R08 - Mo i Rana to Bodo, 231km
R09 - Roundtour Bodo to Lofoten part 1, 314km
R10 - Roundtour Bodo to Lofoten part 2, 250km
R11 - Roundtour Bodo to Lofoten part 3, 291km
R12 - Bodo to Arjeplog, 295km
R13 - Arjeplog to Jokkmokk, 244km
R14 - Jokkmokk to Pajala, 239km
R15 - Roundtour Sirkka to North Cape part 1, 257km
R16 - Roundtour Sirkka to North Cape part 2, 300km
R17 - Roundtour Sirkka to North Cape part 3, 244km
R18 - Roundtour Sirkka to North Cape part 4, 275km
R19 - Roundtour Sirkka to North Cape part 5, 332km
R20 - Sirkka to Kemi, 299km
R21 - Kemi to Ylivieska, 251km
R22 - Ylivieska to Jalasjarvi, 236km
R23 - Jalasjarvi to Turku, 279km
R24 - Stockholm to Askersund, 271km
R25 - Askersund to Varnamo, 224
R26 - Varnamo to Trelleborg, 259km
Have fun driving these routes!
That's quite a luxury, having a back office behind you that keeps an eye on you. Most of us will not have that and are on our own or the fellow traveler(s). The only agreement you have with the participants is that you also have to abide by the rules. Fortunately, you don't have to complete this tour in 9 days, like the participants, but you can take it a little longer.
The highlight of the Arctic Challenge in 2020 was the Lofoten, an island group northwest of Norway. The Lofoten archipelago is located 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. The Lofoten makes a prosperous impression despite their isolated location. The entire economy revolves above all around fishing. The image of the Lofoten is mainly dominated by wooden racks with cod, which hangs to dry. Lofoten fishing has been a household name for centuries. In the middle of winter, the ships set out to catch the fish in just a few months. The rich fishing grounds are due to the North Atlantic Warm Gulf Stream around the islands, in which the fish have their spawning grounds. Oil drilling is not permitted around Lofoten and the cod spawning grounds there.
The next destination for the participants was Sirkka, also known as Levi, a winter sports resort in Finnish Lapland. They stayed there for a few days to go ice-karting and to enjoy the snow by going on a snowmobile or skiing trip. This tour also takes you to Sirkka, but instead of staying there for a few days, you have the option to continue to the North Cape, the second highlight of this trip.
Imagine a place in the far north, where the Atlantic Ocean meets the icy waters of the Arctic Ocean. This place is the North Cape in Western Finnmark in Northern Norway. From here, only the archipelago of Spitsbergen lies between you and the North Pole and the sun shines for 2.5 months at a time; from mid-May to the end of July. Many visitors admire the midnight sun or the sunset over the Barents Sea from the North Cape plateau.
With each route you will find a review with a description of the route, where you pass and what to see along the way. It is also briefly described how the participants in the Arctic Challenge in 2020 had to drive it anyway, from which point to which point. Along the way, markings (route points) have been included that indicate the end points of the stages that the participants had to complete. As mentioned, they covered the distance in 9 days, stages of more than 1000 kilometers were no exception.
Each route ends at a hotel. It is of course not an obligation to use these hotels, you can always find another place to stay in the area, that decision is up to you. My experience, however, is that they are all simple but good hotels for a very reasonable price. They are known and can be booked at booking.com.
The routes of these collections:
R01 - Puttgarden to Angelholm, 280km
R02 - Angelholm to Alingsas, 281km
R03 - Alingsas to Mysen, 261km
R04 - Mysen to Rena, 312km
R05 - Rena to Orkanger, 306km
R06 - Orkanger to Grong, 292km
R07 - Grong to Mo i Rana, 290km
R08 - Mo i Rana to Bodo, 231km
R09 - Roundtour Bodo to Lofoten part 1, 314km
R10 - Roundtour Bodo to Lofoten part 2, 250km
R11 - Roundtour Bodo to Lofoten part 3, 291km
R12 - Bodo to Arjeplog, 295km
R13 - Arjeplog to Jokkmokk, 244km
R14 - Jokkmokk to Pajala, 239km
R15 - Roundtour Sirkka to North Cape part 1, 257km
R16 - Roundtour Sirkka to North Cape part 2, 300km
R17 - Roundtour Sirkka to North Cape part 3, 244km
R18 - Roundtour Sirkka to North Cape part 4, 275km
R19 - Roundtour Sirkka to North Cape part 5, 332km
R20 - Sirkka to Kemi, 299km
R21 - Kemi to Ylivieska, 251km
R22 - Ylivieska to Jalasjarvi, 236km
R23 - Jalasjarvi to Turku, 279km
R24 - Stockholm to Askersund, 271km
R25 - Askersund to Varnamo, 224
R26 - Varnamo to Trelleborg, 259km
Have fun driving these routes!
View Route Collection