Norway : Lofoten Islands
Haukland Beach
I messed up
We had a 6:15am flight from the mainland of Norway to the Lofoten Islands. I thought that meant we were flying international. So…we got to the airport at 4:30am. The airport wasn’t even open until 5:45am. Ben was clearly not pleased with my over preparedness.
We were clearly exhausted from our super early wake up, but we wanted to make the most of the day. We drove to Haukland beach and hiked up Holandsmelen - a small hill near Leknes with an easy trail that allows you to see the beautiful views of the beach from above.
We accidentally made a wrong turn on the hike and came down a goat trail. We had to walk an extra 3 miles on the road to get back to the car. Plan ahead for this hike! 100% worth it, but there are no trail markers.
We stayed in the cutest fishing village hut in Flakstad. Amazing views and pretty central for driving to other locations. You felt like you were at home. There was a pizza spot, a general store, and a buffet - all beautifully decorated and fairly delicious.
Reine
A town that already gets a lot of recognition - it does not disappoint. It does smell a little like fish though. There are dried fish heads everywhere! We drove a little out of town and ate at Anitas.
Midnight Sun
Ryten Hike
During the Summer, if you’re above the Arctic Circle, you get sunshine for 24 hours a day. We decided to make the most of it and go on a night hike to see the Midnight Sun.
It took us about 1.5 hours hiking Ryten to get to the top where the Tiny Trolltunga is (little ledge we’re sitting on). Everything was gorgeous! We were there for about 2.5 hours before midnight - just walking around and exploring. There’s not much at the top besides the views…. but those views!!
The Perfect Night
The Midnight Sun made everything even more beautiful! Make sure you leave time to enjoy the views and not feel rushed. You can even camp at the top.
Sámi
Herding Reindeer
The Sámi people are the Indigenous people living in the northern parts Sweden, Norway, Finland and Russia. There are around 2,600 Sami people in Norway that make their living from herding reindeer.
On our last day in Norway, we drove up to Vesterålen to explore a Reindeer Farm. Laila and her family have been herding Reindeer for 150 years. We were able to learn about the Sami culture from Laila and feed some of the reindeer. It was definitely worth the drive to experience a tiny piece of their culture.
I will not even attempt to write more about these people as I will not do them justice. If you are interested, I encourage you to watch this Nat Geo live recording of Erika Larsen’s experience living with the Sami people. I was lucky enough to hear Erika talk when I was at RIT. Her work is truly one of a kind.
** these animals are very well taken care of. It is Summer so they have molted their thick winter coats and are in the process of growing back their antlers.
