Norway: Lofoten Scenic Route

Lofoten is one of the absolute dream destinations of many campers and motorhome drivers. Anyone who has seen the "wall of jagged peaks rising from the sea" will remember the archipelago with its white beaches and crystal-clear water as an incomparable synthesis of nature. Depending on the season, the midnight sun or the northern lights offer an additional spectacle of nature that is worth a trip in itself. Nature lovers will find wonderful hiking trails and water sports enthusiasts will not miss out either. Picturesque fishing villages and the characteristic drying frames for stockfish indicate the close connection of the inhabitants with the sea.

Our motorhome route Lofoten follows the Norwegian Scenic Route Lofoten, which runs between Å and Raftsundet with detours to Nusfjord, Vikten, Utakleiv, Unstad, Eggum and Henningsvær. Depending on how much time you have available, other detours are worthwhile for hiking or simply enjoying nature.

Å - only one letter, but it stands for a picturesquely situated fishing village in the southernmost part of Lofoten, where the European Road 10 ('Kong Olafvs veg') ends or begins. The small village with its characteristic red fishermen's houses (rorbuer) is easy to explore, and a walk in the surroundings will give you a real "Lofoten feeling". In the Tørrfiskmuseum, you can learn interesting facts about the more than thousand-year history of stockfish as a commodity. You can also visit the Norwegian Fishing Village Museum with original 19th century buildings.

The village of Å i Lofoten can be reached in a few minutes from Moskenes, if you haven't already admired the panorama on the way. In Moskenes, most visitors cross over by car or camper van from and to the mainland. There is also a nice camping site with modern facilities.

Hamnøy is another picture-book village just a few kilometres from Reine. Here, the red fishermen's houses cling particularly photogenically to the rocky coast. The small village is also a popular motif for polar light hunters in winter.

As you continue along the Lofoten Scenic Route, you will pass the two towns of Ramberg and Flakstad, which offer some of the most beautiful beaches in Lofoten. Especially the snow-white Rambergstranda is more reminiscent of the Caribbean than the Arctic Circle.

Skagsanden beach near Flakstad is also very popular with surfers. The Lofoten Beach Camp is also a good place to spend the night. Brunstranda is also close by.

Before leaving the island of Flakstadöya through a tunnel to the next island of Vestvågøya on the Lofoten Scenic Route, you can take a short detour to the charming Nusfjord and the village of the same name. The once important village has been completely renovated and invites you to take a relaxing stroll. However, parking is limited, as is often the case in Lofoten.

A dream in white and turquoise: A small cul-de-sac that branches off the E10 leads to Hauklandstranda and Uttakleivstranda as well as to the lesser-known Vik Beach. The view is overwhelming and you think you are in southern climes - if it weren't for the water temperature...

At Uttakleiv there is a small parking space that currently costs NOK 250 and offers a wonderful view, but with very little comfort.

After a stopover at the Lofotr Viking Museum, our Lofoten motorhome route continues via a cul-de-sac to Eggum. Behind the old fishing village of Eggum there is a rest area, which was laid out openly towards the sea in the form of an amphitheater. Here you can enjoy the midnight sun.

Henningsvær is probably one of the most famous fishing villages in the north. The approach is already an experience: within sight of the almost 1000 m high Vågakallen, you pass the snow-white Rørvika beach after the turn-off from the E10. From here, the route continues along the R816 to the southern tip of Austvågøya, off the coast of which is the "Henningsvær Archipelago". Along the way, you enjoy a magnificent panorama of mountains, sea and archipelago until, after crossing three arch bridges, you finally arrive in the village of 500 inhabitants. Now you understand why Henningsvær is also called the "Venice of the North".

Between January and March, during the Lofot fishing season, hundreds of fishing trawlers are often anchored here. During this time, the cod are also hung up to dry on the characteristic scaffolding.

The small town has also become famous in other ways: it has an artificial turf football pitch, the picture of which was chosen as the best of the year by National Geographic, in the Cities section, in 2017. Since then, the pitch has been considered one of the most beautiful sports fields in the world.