8 Reasons To Visit Lofoten, Norway’s Must-See Islands

If you love nature and history, you'll want to plan to visit Lofoten, Norway's must-see enchanting islands.
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When you visit Lofoten, Norway, you're rewarded with views like this. Photo by Johny Goerend on Unsplash

On the northwest coast of Norway, a cluster of islands in the shape of a lynx’s foot are connected by roads, bridges, and tunnels. Or rather, they look like a lynx’s foot to the very creative eye! The Lofoten Islands are named for “ló,” the Old Norse word for lynx. But while the furry lynx may have once called this area home, another mammal is in charge today - humans! The Lofoten Islands, more than 100 miles above the Arctic Circle, are one of the world’s northernmost populated regions. Here are eight reasons to visit Lofoten, Norway’s must-see islands.

The weather in Lofoten is amazing

Photo by Valdemaras D. on Unsplash

Lofoten is north of the Arctic Circle, but it doesn’t feel like it. The region has the largest temperature anomaly in the world relative to its latitude - a positive anomaly. Visitors can expect temperatures more in line with Nova Scotia or northern Italy than the Arctic. And between late May and mid-July, the sun stays above the horizon 24 hours a day. 

Alas, from early December to early January, the sun never rises, and sleet and snow are common. Rain and wind storms at Lofoten are also nothing to laugh at. However, for such a northern location, it’s generally a surprisingly mild place to visit.

You can see the Northern Lights in Lofoten

Photo by Federico Di Dio photography on Unsplash

Seeing the Northern Lights in Lofoten is an unforgettable experience. The area sits beneath the auroral oval, a geographic zone above the earth’s geomagnetic north pole. Add in the warm climate, and you have perfect viewing conditions. 

However, it would help if you still planned to see the Northern Lights in Lofoten. Unfortunately, high rainfall makes for a lot of misty nights. If you hear that the lights will be good on a particular night, clear your schedule to enjoy them and don’t assume that the next day will be better.

One additional tip for seeing the Northern Lights in Lofoten: Be mindful of superstition, which says you shouldn’t whistle. People once believed that the lights were angry gods eager to capture unprepared souls. Don’t give away your position by whistling!

Hiking Lofoten Islands’ trails is an unforgettable way to explore

Spoiler: This is NOT me. Photo by Manuel Meurisse on Unsplash

The Lofoten Islands’ hills, valleys, craggy rocks, mountains, and coastlines are the perfect place for hiking. 

A moderate trail for fit beginners is the Ryten train, which offers excellent beach and coastline views. It’s a 5.4-mile round trip journey that covers over 2240 feet in elevation. There are a couple of different starting points to access the main trail, but a good one to choose is the Peat Museum. You can combine a short visit to this interesting museum with your hike, and the museum has parking options. 

If you’re short on time, the 1.7-mile hike from Bunes Beach offers a good balance of beautiful scenery and outdoor adventure. Along the way, you gain 260 feet in elevation. The area is particularly famous for sunsets, so bring your camera along. 

The bird watching is sublime

If you love bird watching, Lofoten is already on your travel list. It’s home to mainland Europe’s largest seabird colony. The islands are famous for having a vast population of sea eagles, cormorants, and puffins. The area also caused a stir when there was a rumoured sighting of the long-extinct great auk - alas, the culprits behind this mistaken identity were nine king penguins released in the area in 1936. 

(There are also great wildlife sightings in the area, but alas, I’ve never heard of anyone who has spotted the islands’ namesake lynx!)

The food is amazing

It’s no exaggeration to say that the food scene around Lofoten centres around one thing: cod. 

The islands have been at the centre of the world’s cod fishery for over 1,000 years. Much of it is sold internationally, but a good deal remains in Lofoten, eaten fresh or preserved through salting, drying, and smoking. There are several restaurants where you can try the cod in various preparations, plus enjoy local berries, herbs, and wild game.

At the “Kitchen On The Edge Of The World,” renowned chefs put on seasonal food programs that follow specific themes (in 2020, for instance, food and art was the theme). If your visitation dates line up with any program events, be sure to take advantage of them. Some other highly recommended restaurants include Fiskekrogen, Krambua, Gammelbua, Anitas Sjomat, and Maren Anna.

The art scene is thriving

The combination of a remote and rugged coastline, beautiful, unspoiled nature, and even bouts of round-the-clock sunshine has made Lofoten a beloved spot for painters. Gunnar Berg called Lofoten home and famously painted everyday life scenes in a fishing village. Other artists associated with the area include Otto Sinding, Lev Lagorio, and Adelsteen Normann. 
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If you’re looking for a unique piece of Lofoten art to take home, the  Engelskmannsbrygga artists’ studios, located in an old cod liver oil factory, carry works by potters, photographers, and glass blowers.

History is beautifully preserved

Photo by Mika Korhonen on Unsplash

The tiny communities of the Lofoten Islands are tremendous gatekeepers of history and tradition. Nowhere is that more apparent than in Nusfjord. This fishing village is also an open-air museum with a working sawmill, general store, blacksmith, boat repair workshop, and cod liver oil factory. In both Nusfjord and elsewhere around Lofoten, you can stay in a historic building known as a rorbu.

​A rorbu is a small fisherman’s cabin, elevated on stilts, perched over the water. Many have been renovated, and guests can expect comfortable bedrooms with a small kitchen and living room with great water views.

Lofoten In Summer is AMAZING! For starters, you can go surfing!

Sure, Lofoten is gorgeous with the snow, but I’m here to say that It is incredibly underrated in summer. One big reason for that is surfing!

Arctic surfing is everything you think it is not. For one thing, it’s not cold. Apparently, not even a little bit, thanks to the incredible technology behind the wet suits. It’s not extreme, either. Summer weather sees just 3 to 8 feet of waves, and Unstad Arctic Surf, the world’s northernmost surf school, runs lessons for families with children and beginners. And it’s not elitist. There’s no ‘get your own beach’ attitude here. While September’s annual Lofoten Masters surfing competition attracts some of the best athletes in the world, there’s nothing exclusionary about Unstad and the local surf community. They pride themselves on embracing the spirit of Aloha. If you were ever considering learning how to surf, even just a little bit, this is the perfect place to try it.


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