Island in the Norwegian archipelago. Trip to Norway. Senja Island. What to see in Norway

The Kingdom of Norway is located in Northern Europe. It occupies the western part of the Scandinavian Peninsula and many small islands that are adjacent to it. The islands of Norway are also located in the Arctic Ocean (Bear, Jan Mayen). The country owns the large archipelago of Spitsbergen. Its overseas territory in the Atlantic is Bouvet Island. Norway lays claim to Queen Maud Land and Peter I Island - Antarctic territories covered by the 1961 convention. In total, this country includes at least 50 thousand islands of various sizes. The most famous and largest are the islands of Senja, the Lofoten Islands, and the Spitsbergen archipelago.

a brief description of

The Lofoten Islands are located above the Arctic Circle. The nature of those places is distinguished by its unique beauty. The islands are located one after another in a chain, forming a barrier between the North Sea and the mainland. Near their eastern shores passes the North Atlantic Current, which interacts with tidal waves and forms the most dangerous whirlpool on the planet - the Maelstrom. The population of the Lofoten Islands is 24 thousand people. The climate is mild due to the Gulf Stream. This segment of the sea never freezes. The largest land areas of the archipelago are considered to be Outsvagey, Westvogey and Mosknesey. Ferries run between them. The main city of the archipelago is Svolvær.

When considering the islands of Norway, special attention should be paid to Spitsbergen. It is located at a great distance from the Scandinavian Peninsula, in the Norwegian Sea. This is a huge reserve where representatives of the northern fauna are preserved. Walruses, polar bears, deer, seals, and arctic foxes live there. Whales come right to the shores, and large bird colonies are located on the rocks. Only Western Spitsbergen is an inhabited island. About 3.5 thousand people live on it, half of them have Russian roots. Svalbard annually welcomes at least 2,000 tourists, who are attracted by sea rafting and dog sledding.

The second largest island in the country is Senja, famous for its stunning nature. The Enderdalen National Park was created on its territory.

To the north of Lofoten lie the Vesterålen Islands. Tourists go there to see the seals. On the border of the Norwegian and Greenland Seas is the island of Jan Mayen, which is of volcanic origin. It has an active Berenberg volcano. The nature of this landmass is tundra, interspersed with rare meadows.

Climatic conditions

The country is characterized by a not very harsh climate, despite its northern location. Many of Norway's islands have a maritime climate with mild winters. The reason for the relatively warm weather is the action of the Gulf Stream.

The island of Senja is the second largest, not counting the Spitsbergen archipelago (taking them into account, it ranks 5th); its area is 1586 sq. km. Senja is known primarily for its amazing nature - it is often called “Norway in miniature” because here you can see a wide variety of landscapes: high mountains starting right from the coast, full of salmon, small ones, plains covered with thick grass, forests.

Senja attracts tourists not only with its nature, but also with its picturesque fishing villages. The island is also a favorite place for lovers. The famous English writer David Howarth mentioned the island of Senja in his novel We Die Alone.

general information

Finding the island of Senja on the map is very simple: it is located in the north of the country, a little north, almost in the middle of the coastline of the Troms county. The outline of Senya resembles the paw print of some strange animal.

About 10 thousand people live on the island. They are mainly engaged in fishing, growing fish on special sea “farms” and agriculture. Some residents are employed in the tourism sector. The territory of Senja is partly located on the mainland, but is mainly divided between four communes:

• Torxen (in the west of the island);
• Berg (in the northwest);
• Tranøy (south and southeast);
• Lenvik (northeast and east of the island).

The north and west of the island are rocky; Here you can see quite steep mountains. But the southern and eastern parts of the island are characterized by softer landscapes. There are more plains here, and the main agricultural lands are located in the southern and eastern regions of Senja.

Climatic conditions

The climate on the side of the island facing the mainland is somewhat harsher than on the coast of the Norwegian Sea. Winters are mild; on the eastern side, the temperature drops below zero (the average daily temperature in January is approximately -4°C, and can drop to -6...-7°C. On the western side of the island, the temperature rarely drops below 0°C during the day, and there are slight frosts at night. However, At times, strong winds blow here, which reduces the level of comfort and makes it seem colder than it actually is.

Spring is late; in April there are still frosts at night on the eastern part of the island. Summer in the eastern part is relatively cool; in July and August the air warms up to +15°C on average. In the west, summer is warmer, about +20...22°C, sometimes the temperature warms up to +30°C.

There is little precipitation, about 900 mm per year. The greatest amount of them falls in the fall; the rainiest month is October (about 120 mm), the snowiest month is December (98 mm).

Leisure

The north of Norway is famous for its fishing. And fishing on the island of Senja in Norway is considered the best; lovers of this pastime come here from all over the country, as well as from other countries of the world. Here you can fish both in mountain rivers, where salmon, trout and other valuable varieties of fish are found, and in the open sea, where you can catch halibut, cod, and Norwegian herring.

Offers island and winter ice fishing. And those who just came to relax will be interested in going on a whale safari.

Sights of Senja Island

The main objects of interest for tourists are the following:

Where to live?

The Senja Islands in Norway are very popular among fishing enthusiasts, so if you want to go there during the season, it is better to book rooms in advance. One of the popular islands is the aparthotel Hamn i Senja. Initially it was planned simply as a hotel for families and corporates, but later it was expanded, now it is also a fishing base.

In the fishing village of Mefjordvær, Mefjord Brygge offers cozy apartments and cottages, as well as boat rentals. In the same village you can rent a Five-Bedroom Holiday home in Skaland. Cottages can also be rented in such settlements as:

• Torsken;
• Seafjord;
• Galnslotta;
• Gibostad;
• Celestletta;
• Svanelvdalen;
• Senjahesten;
• Buvika;
• Scrollswick;
• Senyahopen.

Restaurants and cafes

A very original cafe is located in the Senyatrolet Park. There, visitors are served by waiters dressed as trolls and other fairy-tale characters; There is a special children's menu.

Very good restaurants at the Hamn i Senja hotel. Fish dishes are excellent here, including fish caught by fishing enthusiasts staying at the hotel. Very good restaurant at the Mefjord Brygge hotel. Other popular cafes and restaurants on the island are:

• Widsten Handleri AS;
• Senjastua;
• Dorotheas Fryd;
• Thaimatservice.

Shopping

There are shops in the "capitals" of the communes; Some villages also have large shops, but most often they only sell food. On weekends there are markets in the main settlements of the communes. There are souvenir shops at the hotels, in Troll Park and in the national park. from the island of Senja - a troll figurine and a “troll mitten” from Senyatrollet Park

Transport

The islands are represented by buses that communicate between its towns and villages. In addition, here you can rent a boat and go to your destination by water, which, given the rugged coastline of the island, is often faster.

How to get there?

It takes almost 24 hours to get to Senja Island by car: the journey along the E45 highway takes 22 hours, and 22.5 hours along the E10 highway. Both routes have toll sections and partly pass through Sweden.

The fastest way to reach the island is by plane - from Andøya in the city of Andenes. From there you can go by sea. The ferry service here is operated by The Senja Ferries. The ferry departs twice a day, three times in summer. Those who prefer the land option can travel by car along the E10 highway; the journey will take 6 hours 20 minutes.

To the ferry that was supposed to take us to the island of Senja. There we planned to quickly take a ride along the northern coast, visiting two equipped observation platforms along the way. There was also an optional program: subject to good weather, climb one of the highest mountains on the island - Keipen. And finally, a mere trifle: we had to travel 450 kilometers to the cottage we had booked in Finland. Well, it's all simple, isn't it?

And from the very morning everything went wrong. When I woke up and looked at the clock, the first fact became obvious: we had hopelessly overslept. While we were having breakfast and checking out of the hotel, a second fact was added to the first one - the Norwegian weather decided to once again show us its capricious nature, and instead of the “blue cloudless sky” performance promised by weather forecasters, it launched its own project - “hopeless gray clouds”.

There were 50 minutes left to the ferry and exactly the same number of kilometers along a narrow winding road winding along the coast. The next ferry was supposed to leave only in an hour and a half, which did not suit us at all.

The sleepy silence of the Norwegian villages was broken only by the roar of a gasoline engine. A silver Mazda with Russian license plates, brazenly violating all conceivable rules, flew along the smooth asphalt along the coast of the fjord, indented by bays. If she meets the police on the way, the driver is guaranteed a fine of about ten thousand Norwegian kroner. And in addition to it, there is also a moratorium on obtaining a Schengen visa for five years. But that morning the Norwegian gods were clearly on our side: when the ferry sounded a long whistle and began to move away from the shore, we were already climbing the stairs leading from the car deck to the stuffy cabin. Forty-five minutes passed and the silver Mazda, as if nothing had happened, following the rules, slowly drove along the road along the northern coast of the island of Senya.

Our first stop is the fishing village of Husøy (in Norwegian - Husøy), located on a small island in the middle of a picturesque fjord. They say that the winds here in winter are so strong that sometimes the roofs of houses are torn off. The village is very small, population is about 250 people.

Once upon a time, several Spanish ships were wrecked in these parts, and since then some village residents have looked suspiciously like Spaniards. Moreover, the village has been observing a siesta for several centuries - regardless of the time of year, the entire local population goes together to rest after lunch.

While my crew members are studying the assortment of the local store, I’m trying to find a gas station - in the morning, rushing to the ferry, I completely forgot that there was almost no gasoline left. Having taken a victory lap around the village, I find everything, but not a gas station. There is a kindergarten, there is a school, there is a restaurant, there is no gas station.

The next stop is a small parking lot at the base of a large mountain. Two routes start from here - to Mount Keipen and Mount Barden. We want to conquer Capen. Its height is 938 meters above sea level.

The weather is not conducive to walking in the mountains, but the weather forecasters promised us good weather. Look, while we are climbing up, the sun will come out.

We persistently climb through the swamp to the saddle, in the hope that the weather will change for the better, revealing the mountain to us.

Here the route bifurcates. To the left is the path to Barden, to the right is to Keipen.

Clouds hang directly overhead. We are thinking about what to do next.

Suddenly the Norwegian sky decides to make our choice easier - it starts pouring rain. Continuing to climb in this weather is madness. We go back down.

Along the way we admire the local flora.

At the same time, we also reinforce ourselves with it.

Having changed clothes and warmed up in the car, we set off in search of gasoline - the threat of being left without fuel in the middle of a deserted Norwegian island is becoming more and more real. To solve this problem we have to make an additional detour of almost a hundred kilometers. Finally, the car is fully fueled and you can continue your journey.

We return back to the northern shore. The national tourist route "Senja" is located here.

Suddenly the clouds break, and warm sunlight begins to stream along the opposite shore of the fjord.

In less than ten minutes we arrive at the Tungeneset viewpoint (in Norwegian - Tungeneset). This is one of two equipped observation platforms on the island.

The weather changes dramatically by this time.

The observation deck consists of a small parking lot and a short wooden path leading to the coast of the fjord.

There are two natural attractions here.

The first is stone baths, partially filled with water.

They say that tourists like to swim in them in good weather. During those twenty minutes, while the weather on Senya that day was good, we not only didn’t see anyone wanting to swim, we didn’t meet a soul at all.

The second attraction is a pointed mountain range nestled on the opposite shore of the fjord.

For some reason, they like to call it “Dragon’s Teeth,” although, in fact, this rock massif has an official name - Okshornan (in Norwegian - Okshornan), which translates as “Bull Horns”. Although, to be honest, these rocks still look more like dragon teeth than bull horns.

The way back is always long. Our return home from Northern Norway was no exception. Having left Senya, instead of calmly heading back along the short road, for some reason we went to look. While we were getting back, night fell. We only got there in the morning. The day that replaced it was devoted to rest. Some were leisurely walking around the immediate surroundings, others were sleeping. The evening was marked by a festive dinner in honor of the imminent return home. The night was calm.

The eleventh day of our expedition has arrived. Having said goodbye to the owners of the cottage, we moved on. Another evening found us in the Finnish city of Iisalmi, where something unexpected happened in the local culture of drinking alcoholic beverages. The morning passed in the fight against a natural hangover. I didn’t want to get up at all, and only at the cost of incredible efforts did I find the strength to have breakfast, after which the journey home continued. Finally, on the evening of the twelfth day, we solemnly returned to St. Petersburg. Our journey north is over.

Stretched in a thin, jagged line in the Norwegian Sea, the Lofoten Islands are an excellent place to relax for a few days. It has a surprisingly mild climate for the north and plenty of accommodation in fishermen's cottages (rorbuer), which are now well equipped and sleep 2-6 people. In addition, there are five hostels and many campsites on the Lofoten Islands. Coastal ships Hurtigrute call at the ports of Stamsund and Svolvær, and from Bodø they sail to the southern islands of Moskenes, Värøy and Røst. Slightly cheaper high-speed passenger ships are also connected to Svolvær. An intercity bus service connects the mainland and the islands (from Bodø to Svolvær via Fauske and from Narvik to Svolvær).

The town of Svolvær and the village of Henningsvær on the island of Eustvågøy

The main town on the largest of the northern islands (Eustvågøy) is Svolvær, an unremarkable place where all the island buses stop. Ships from Bodø moor about 1 kilometer west of the city center, while Hurtigrute ships moor in the center, next to the bus station and tourist office, where you can get information about the island and find out bus timetables (from late May to mid-June Monday-Friday 9.00-16.00 and Saturday 10.00-14.00; from mid-June to mid-August Monday-Friday 9.00-16.00 and 17.00-19.30/21.30, Saturday 9.00/10.00-14.00/16.00, Sunday 16.00-19.00; from mid to late August Monday-Friday 9.00-19.00 , Saturday 10.00-14.00; from September to mid-May Monday-Friday 9.00-16.00).

It's nice to live in the old water houses Svolvoer Sjohus on the shore near Parkgata, 5 minutes walk from the square. The price of accommodation includes the use of a well-equipped kitchen. In the eastern part of the harbor, a dam leads to the islet Svinoya. On the island there is Svinoya and Rorbuer, these are simple fishing huts and luxurious houses with all amenities. From Svolvær you can take a bus to the much more attractive village of Henningsvær, 23 kilometers to the southwest, with winding streets and brightly painted wooden houses on the harbour. It’s worth spending the night here: in the very center there is accommodation available in Den siste Viking, Misvaerveien 10, on the right is the Klatrekafeen cafe.

Stamsund village on Vestvågøy island

The next large island in the southwest, Vestvågøy, attracts tourists in no small part due to the charm of Stamsund, where old buildings line the rocky coast. This is the first stop of the Hurtigrute coastal boats on their way north from Bodø and the best place to stay on the islands. It’s easy to get here from Estvogøy by bus, although with a change in Leknes, 16 kilometers to the west.

In Stamsund, the first step is to go to a friendly hostel (closed from mid-October to December), consisting of several fishermen's houses (rorbuer) on the shore of a small bay, about 1 kilometer from the port and 200 meters from the Leknes bus station. The fishing here is first-class: the hostel rents boats and nets, so you can cook dinner from your catch on the wood-burning stoves in the hostel.

The islands of Flakstadøya and Moskenesøya in Norway

The next two Lofoten islands, Flakstadøya and Moskenesøya, are surprisingly good. The E-10 highway follows a rocky coastline with tunnels and bridges to the port of Moskenes, halfway between Bodø and the bird islands of Værøy and Røst to the south. After about 6 kilometers, the highway ends at one of the most charming villages on the islands, called “O,” with a row of old buildings nestled between grey-green mountains and stormy seas.