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Children at the beach© Barbro ErdahlSummer in Vesterålen
Get an unforgettable summer experience in the midnight sun, wild and beautiful nature, rich wildlife and flourishing coastal communities.
Active holiday with relaxing evenings under the midnight sun? Create great holiday memories with your family, group of friends or lover. See what beautiful Vesterålen has to offer.
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Hikers Paradise Whalesafari Midnight sun Experience the Trollfjord White-tailed Eagle Scenic Route Beaches Nyksund fishing village Sami Culture Culture and Attractions Food experiences
Hikers Paradise?
Vesterålen has more than 200 marked and signposted hiking trails, along the coast and in the mountains.
No matter where you hike, you'll have beautiful views of mountain ranges, fjords, islands and the open sea. The level of difficulty varies with trails suitable for the novice and seasoned walker alike, all in beautiful, exciting and varied terrain.
Whether you are out hiking with family or friends and looking for the feeling of freedom and peace, a hike in the mountains of Vesterålen or along the coast, can give you just that.
If you want a guided tour with a local guide, there are several operators to choose from in Vesterålen:
Møysalen Nasjonalparksenter
Offers guided tours to Møysalen 1264 m. above sea level, the highest mountain in Vesterålen.
Book your tour to Møysalen here
Adventure 4 Life
Offers guided tours with regular departures (registration tours) and private group tours. Tailor-made tours according to needs and preferences (experience/level).
Arctic North Adventures
Offers private group tours. Tailor-made tours according to needs and preferences (experience/level).
Whalesafari
The region's unique geographical location makes Vesterålen one of the best places in the world for whale watching.
In the summer, whale watching tours depart from Andenes and Stø on the outer side of Vesterålen out to the "Bleiks deep" several times daily. Midnight sun tours are another popular offer.
Families with small children are also welcome on board the whale watching tour.
Offer whale watching tours from Andenes:
Arctic Whale Tours
Whalesafari Andenes
Arctic Ocean Lodge
Offer whale watching tours from Stø:
Midnight sun
The sun doesn't set below the horizon and bathes the landscape in a golden glow.
During the summer months, the Arctic light takes on a whole new dimension. The sun doesn't set below the horizon and bathes the landscape in a golden glow. This phenomenon, known as the midnight sun, creates a surreal, almost dreamlike quality to the landscape that is impossible to describe in words.
In Vesterålen, the sun does not set between May 23 and July 23. For a truly special experience, we therefore recommend delaying bedtime a few hours in the summer and taking the trip in the evening or night instead. There are many advantages to turning the day around a bit in the summer.
During busy summer months a mountain hike, bike ride, or kayak trip would be ideal to do in the late-night hours. Less noise gives your senses a completely new and special experience. There is a tense silence "disturbed" only by birds and animals that may otherwise be at rest during the day. Smells are intensified and the light is very special.
Book your next midnight sun experience here
Experience the Trollfjord
Few fjords can compete with Trollfjorden
In Raftsundet – the most photographed and fabled fjord in Northern Norway throughout the ages. Few fjords can compete with Trollfjorden, 3 km long and with an opening 70 meters wide! It is a channel that cuts deep into the side of the 1000-metre-high Trolltind peak. Nature here is frighteningly dramatic.
We recommend guided RIB tours from Stokmarknes and Sortland, which goes all year round. These trips offer birdlife, history and steep mountain.
Offer tours to the Trollfjord:
From Stokmarknes:
From Sortland:
Vesterålen Adventures
Fjord Cruise Vesterålen
From Hennes:
Møysalen Nasjonalparksenter (boat model: 23-foot Buster Magnum)
White-tailed Eagle Safari
Join a white-tailed eagle safari in Vesterålen's rich nature.
Meet wild animals and birds amongst alpine mountains and peaks, green moors, white beaches and deep fjords. There is a large population of white-tailed eagles in the area, so the likelihood of getting close to the majestic bird of prey is high.
Offer White-tailed eagle safari:
From Stokmarknes:
From Sortland:
From Nyksund:
From Klakkjorda in Bø:
From Straumsjøen in Bø:
Norwegian Scenic Route Andøya
The Norwegian Scenic Route Andøya goes along the open, bare outer coastline of the island with white sandy beaches, green peaks and flat moors.
You can walk along some of Norway's most beautiful beaches and look out over the calm sea with the midnight sun as your only company in the summer.
Explore Andøya the Scenic Route with local guide
Experience wildlife, dramatic nature, white sandy beaches, and the iconic Andenes lighthouse with these companies:
Vesterålen Tours
Arctic North Adventures
Read more about Norwegian Scenic Route Andøya here.
Beaches
Vesterålen has many beautiful sandy beaches, which are worth a visit both on lazy and active summer days, or in slightly rough weather.
In this article we recommend some of our most beautiful sandy beaches in Vesterålen, read «Beautiful beaches».
Nyksund fishing village
Vesterålen has many small, vibrant and authentic fishing villages, but also some large and modern ones.
One of the most famous historical fishing village is Nyksund, which was one of the largest towns in Vesterålen around 1900. In the early 1970s, the harbor became too small for modern boats, the school was closed, and relocation subsidies from the state meant that Nyksund was abandoned.
Today, Nyksund is inhabited again and accommodation, fantastic food, and experiences are offered. The last part of the road to Nyksund is an experience in itself, with steep mountains on one side and the open ocean on the other.
Interested in discovering the fascinating history of Nyksund?
Book your guided tour here
Other activities you can do from Nyksund:
Seal and bird safari with Seasafari Øksnes.
For accommodation we recommend Holmvik Brygge
Nyksund is also the perfect starting/ending point for the Dronningruta, Vesterålen's most famous hiking trail. Read more about the hike here.
Sami Culture
Get a unique experience in Vesterålen with reindeer and authentic local Sami culture.
We highly recommend a visit to the Sami family, Inga Sami Siida, to learn about this culture and meet the reindeer - an important part of Sami culture.
Vesterålen Tours offers a combined tour, where you visit Inga Sami Siida and get to meet and hand-feed reindeer, hear about Sami culture and afterwards continue on a fjord and wildlife safari. You can book this tour here
Culture and Attractions
Hurtigrutemuseet
Today, the Hurtigruten Museum stands as a monument to Norway's coastal history in the center of the birthplace of Hurtigruten, Stokmarknes. Captain Richard With was born in Stokmarknes in Vesterålen and founded the original Hurtigruten (coastal express) in 1893.
Visit the bridge, old cabins, exhibitions, the café (which is serving drinks and meals) and the rest of the ship as well. Take part in guided tours and learn why the Hurtigruta holds such a strong position with the Norwegian people. Even a part of DS Finmarken (1912) is available to our visitors.
Memorable experiences are waiting you, wether you travel with children or adults only. A visit to Lofoten, Vesterålen and Northern Norway should include a day at the Hurtigrutemuseet!
You can book entrance tickets to Hurtigrutemuseet here
Andenes
Andenes lighthouse is 160 years old and one of Norway's tallest lighthouses. It provides the best view in Andenes. When you get to the top, you can step out on the balcony and take in every bit of the view. On clear days, you can see well over 20 kilometers, including Senja and Bleik island.
When you visit Andenes lighthouse, you get to experience an important part of both Norwegian coastal history and local history.
Read more about Andenes lighthouse and opening hours here.
«The Man from the Sea» - Artscape Nordland
Artscape Nordland is an international, outdoor art collection with 36 artworks by 35 invited artists from 18 countries. Five of the sculptures are in Vesterålen.
«The Man from the Sea» is probably the most popular sculpture in Vesterålen. «The Man from the Sea» is a 4.3 meters tall sculpture and made of cast iron. The obelisk he holds in his hand is made of rock crystal, an offering to his former residence. A female figure in gold is embedded in the back as a symbol of his family.
Availability: By Vinjesjøen. Follow signs to Bø Museum. Approx. 400m walk from the parking at the museum, you find the statue, and an outdoor art gallery.
Read more about Artscape in Vesterålen here.
Food Experiences
"Eat your way through" exquisite dishes made from Vesterålen's fantastic ingredients.
It is a short way from the pantries of the sea, the forest and the mountains to the restaurants in Vesterålen, which offer exquisite food experiences of several types of fish and game dishes. Delicate, locally sourced food from the sea and land.
Here are some recommendations.
Kvitnes Farm
At Kvitnes Farm, the best that Vesterålen has to offer is served, made from local ingredients, and the head chef, Halvar Ellingsen, is one of Norway's leading chefs.
At Kvitnes Farm, you'll find the peace, insight and flavors that awaken your protective instinct. The instinct that says nature is worth protecting. That's why they do this.
Book your unique experience package at Kvitnes Farm here
Ekspedisjonen
At the very edge of the ocean, in Nyksund, you will find Ekspedisjonen. Traditional northern Norwegian dishes with a continental twist and offering first-class seafood.
«Fantastic location with the best cod I've ever eaten," said celebrity chef Bent Stiansen after a visit to Nyksund. Perhaps Norway's most famous chef, Eyvind Hellstrøm, praises Haupt's fish meals.