Here are some tips for you who want a taste of the life of a native Helgelander. That does, of course, mean getting close to the land and the sea, but it also means getting to know the people who have adapted to life here, their culture and their heritage.

Live amongst the Helgelanders

The best way to get a flavour of the life here is to find a place where you can actually live amongst the locals and see what their daily life is like. Here are some suggested accommodation options where you can do just that.

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Terråk Gjestegård – Comfortable Accommodation and Good Food in Bindal
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Fertility Exhibition at Fallosen on Dønna
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Sæterstad Gård
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KRED Pub & Café in Brønnøysund
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The Romantic House on Herøy
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Augustbryggo – Accommodation on Seløy in Herøy
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Bolga Brygge – Sleep to the soothing sound of waves
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Sjokoladebrygga on Dønna
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Skolo – an architectural gem in Herøy
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Vevelstad Gjestegård and Rorbuer
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Myken bed and soup
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Arctic Circle Classic Motorcycle museum
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Hattfjelldal Hotell – GoExtreme
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Fiskebruket Restaurant – A dining adventure at Myken
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Sømna Bygdetun – An open-air museum
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Laksforsen – Generations of tratidional food
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Løkta Museum
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Local food in Sømna
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Thon Partner Hotel Mo i Rana
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Onkel Oskar – Pub, Food, and Beer Tasting
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Etcetera – botaniske utskeielser
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Velfjord Museum
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Himmelblå Brygge: Dining and accommodation at Ylvingen
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Torghatten Strandrestaurant – A dining close to the ingredients
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Norwegian Aquaculture Centre – A salmon success story
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Adventure Helgeland – dining and accommodation
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Hotel Scandic Seven Sisters – Accomodation Sandnessjøen
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Kvarøy activity hall
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Træna museum
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Your own island adventure at Myken Lighthouse
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Fru Haugans Hotel in Mosjøen
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Jacobsenbrygga and the folk museum in Mosjøen
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Dønna Rorbuer Bøteriet – A charming restaurant and accommodation
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Bindal Museum and the old croft at Vassås
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Krambua Café in the coffee roastery at Forvik Old trading post
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Bysprinten ski festival
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The Coast Coffee
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Selsøyvik Trading Post in Rødøy
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8770 Træna
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Nordvika Old Trading Post, on Dønna
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Myken Handel – local shop and gathering spot
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Lyngvågen Café on Gjerdøya in Rødøy
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Restauranthuset Tipperary
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Halibudskole Vandve – A holiday home with boat rental and a nearby glasblowers workshop
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Gildevangen Konditori – Lunch, coffee, and cakes
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Savory farm food from Vega
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Restaurant Gammelbutikken – authentic local seafood
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Hildurs Urterarium – Culinary adventures
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Dønnes Gård – Accommodation in historical surroundings
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An evening wilderness adventure with a taste of Sámi culture
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Nerstua Guesthouse- accommodation on Selvær in Træna
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Idyllic farm retreat on Dønna
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Exhibition: The Life and Work of Ole Edvart Rølvaag
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Træna Arctic Fishing
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Kråkeslottet – Unique woollen design at Hemnesberget
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Hattfjelldal Museum
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Terråk Guesthouse
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Herøy Bygdesamling – A rural museum
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Sauna in Træna’s Old Boathouse
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Blomsterbua Food & Wine in Mosjøen
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To Elise from Marius – From farm to table
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Falch Old Trading Post, Rødøy
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Offersøy Camping Helgeland – Camping, boat and bike rental
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Bitteliten Gård – A peaceful island farm experience
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The Mountain Way
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Hunting the Northern Lights at Støtt
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Winter dream at Støtt
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Torghatten Camping – Fishing, dining and much more
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Sijti Jarnge – Center for sami language and culture
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Storli Camping and Aernie – Accommodation and a sámi experience
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Sure Hotel by Best Western Ole Tobias
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Træna Kaffekollektiv – Charming coffee bar in Træna
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Audio guide Brønnøysund – a walk through 10,000 years of history
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Støtt in Meløy – Top of Helgeland
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Grønsvik coastal fortress, Lurøy
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Galleri Stokland in Mosjøen
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Velfjordferie – A holiday stay for guests who love fishing!
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Bergh-brygga and Gammelskolen in Leirfjord
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Rana Museum, Stenneset open-air Museum and Bredek Mountain Farm
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Inderdalen Gård – Charming farm stay with rich history
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Korgen Camping – An idyll by the Røssåga River
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Whisky Carthedral at Myken
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Hotel Sjyen – with fjord and mountain views
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Dønnesfjellstua – Dining on a mountain top overlooking the Helgeland coast!
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I Ro og Mak at Straumen Farm
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Cosy farmhouse stay at Stavseng Gård
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Raus Brewery
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Gilles Cafe & Restaurant in Mosjøen
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Plahtes Eiendommer – Fishing, hunting and wilderness adventures
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Kulturbadet in Sandnessjøen
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Bakarstuo – Year-round guesthouse by Trofors
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Augustbryggo – Restaurant with Local Food on Seløy
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Kulturverkstedet Mosjøen – A cultural workshop
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Eider ducks, luxurious down and the bird guardians of Lånan
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Svang Restaurant & Wine Bar – In the heart of Brønnøysund
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Guest Houses in the historic area in Mosjøen
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Tampen Café on Kvarøy
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Dønnes Skolestua – Accommodation and RV parking
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Seil Norge – Sailing adventures on the Helgeland coast
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The Petter Dass Museum
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The Sami Way
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3 Kalver – Hearty dining at a farm restaurant
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Forvik Old Trading Post
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Festspillene Helgeland
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Vega World Heritage Center
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Hildurs Urterarium – Accommodation
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Ristning-Tjaalege, Vevelstad museum and bygdetun
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Aloha Cafe on Træna
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The Zahl building and the old sexton´s residence in Nesna
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Skillevollen Sports Park
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Tømmerstua – A year-round log house at Strandli Farm
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Hemnes open-air museum
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Tjøtta Gjestegaard – Accommodation and café in historical surroundings
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Oscarbrygga – Accommodation and dining
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Nordland Theatre – Magical Moments
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Grane Museum

Learn our heritage

The natives of Helgeland and the lives they lead are shaped by nature. We come from a long line of fishermen-farmers, who tilled patches of fertile land, kept hardy livestock, rowed out onto the sea to catch fish, and were caretakers of the eider ducks that come to nest each year. Their heritage includes the Sámi reindeer herders who followed their migrating flocks as they roamed the mountains. Our ancestors were boat-builders and iron-workers, sailors and merchants – and some of us still are.

We have seen many summer nights lit by the midnight sun, but also cold dark winter days when the sun scarcely rose up to the horizon. Use your imagination; how do you think this has shaped life in Helgeland? How did we live in centuries past? And how are our lives and identities formed today?

Dine with the Helgelanders

One of the best ways to know the locals is to eat with them and take part in the conversation that flows naturally over a hearty meal. Listen to the music of our dialects, and how they might be subtly different from those of the neighbouring table, people who might be from another village, the next valley over, or perhaps a different island. In Helgeland there are many vibrant local communities, each of them distinct. To share a meal with us is to taste the local culture!

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Forvik Old Trading Post
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Hotel Scandic Seven Sisters – Accomodation Sandnessjøen
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Dønna Rorbuer Bøteriet – A charming restaurant and accommodation
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Terråk Guesthouse
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Augustbryggo – Restaurant with Local Food on Seløy
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Gildevangen Konditori – Lunch, coffee, and cakes
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Træna Kaffekollektiv – Charming coffee bar in Træna
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Torghatten Strandrestaurant – A dining close to the ingredients
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Fru Haugans Hotel in Mosjøen
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3 Kalver – Hearty dining at a farm restaurant
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Restauranthuset Tipperary
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Dønnesfjellstua – Dining on a mountain top overlooking the Helgeland coast!
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Vega World Heritage Center
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Kulturverkstedet Mosjøen – A cultural workshop
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KRED Pub & Café in Brønnøysund
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Aloha Cafe on Træna
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Dønnes Gård – Accommodation in historical surroundings
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Restaurant Gammelbutikken – authentic local seafood
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Storli Camping and Aernie – Accommodation and a sámi experience
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Tampen Café on Kvarøy
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Krambua Café in the coffee roastery at Forvik Old trading post
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Selsøyvik Trading Post in Rødøy
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Nordvika Old Trading Post, on Dønna
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Terråk Gjestegård – Comfortable Accommodation and Good Food in Bindal
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Fiskebruket Restaurant – A dining adventure at Myken
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Himmelblå Brygge: Dining and accommodation at Ylvingen
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Gilles Cafe & Restaurant in Mosjøen
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The Coast Coffee
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Oscarbrygga – Accommodation and dining
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Sjokoladebrygga on Dønna
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Lyngvågen Café on Gjerdøya in Rødøy
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Skolo – an architectural gem in Herøy
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Torghatten Camping – Fishing, dining and much more
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Svang Restaurant & Wine Bar – In the heart of Brønnøysund
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Laksforsen – Generations of tratidional food
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Blomsterbua Food & Wine in Mosjøen
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Tjøtta Gjestegaard – Accommodation and café in historical surroundings
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Hildurs Urterarium – Culinary adventures
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Whisky Carthedral at Myken
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To Elise from Marius – From farm to table
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Savory farm food from Vega
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Støtt in Meløy – Top of Helgeland

Join the locals on an excursion

You are, of course, free to explore Helgeland on your own. But a knowledgeable local guide can greatly enrich the voyage. They can teach you about the history and heritage of the places you visit, give you good advice and, if you are lucky, show you some hidden gems.

Kayaking Around Sandnessjøen and Herøy – Courses and Guided Tours

Explore stunning nature and vibrant coastal culture with Tømmervika Opplevelsessenter around Sandnessjøen, Tjøtta, and Offersøya. Join family-friendly day trips or exciting multi-day tours in Herøy and the Vega islands—and wrap it up with a fun game of football golf.

A weekend of high adventure on the lofty peaks!

The picturesque Meløy Alps offers some of the wildest off-piste skiing in Northern Norway!

A glacier trek on Svartisen

Join us for an exotic adventure: a guided glacier trek on Engabreen. The experienced guides from Meløy Adventure will ensure that this is a safe and unforgettable adventure.

RIB sea rafting trips with Meløy Adventure

You are invited to join Meløy Adventure on a RIB sea-rafting adventure to the island of Rødøya and Rødøyløva (443 m). Other great options include a sea-rafting safari to explore the scenic Nordfjord, the spectacular island of Træna, or a visit to the remote island of Myken with a tour of its whisky distillery. These excursions start from Ørnes in Meløy municipality – but for your convenience you can request to be picked up elsewhere en route.

Kayaking the waters around Ylvingen

Based on the island of Ylvingen, Himmelblå Brygge offers introductory and more advanced kayaking courses, kayak rentals, and guided kayaking trips on the nearby waters. Their beautiful island is situated just south of Vega.

Sailing trips to Vega, Lånan and Torghatten

You are invited on an unforgettable sailing trip to the UNESCO World Heritage Area of the islands of Vega and the eider duck nesting site, Lånan, that for many generations has been protected by the islanders. Or choose a voyage to the legendary mountain with a hole through it, Torghatten.

Tailored boat trips with Sea Adventure Helgeland

How would you like a cruise along the Helgeland coast, designed to show you and your friends the very best the scenic region has to offer? Or how about a shuttle boat that quickly takes you where you want, exactly when you want? Sea Adventure Helgeland offers you boat trips tailored to your needs and wishes.

An exciting half-day rafting adventure at Trofors with RiverNorth

RiverNorth’s most popular excursion is the Half-Day Rafting Adventure. You get to challenge big waves – and see if you’re brave enough to dive from a cliff!

Visit the recreated Viking chiefdom seat in Sandnessjøen

You are invited to an authentic Viking experience! Bring your family or friends and see the clothes and customs, partake in activities, and enjoy a Viking banquet.

Winter dream at Støtt

Do you dream of going from the hustle of the big city to “winter world” where the polar lights and the northern lights create magic? Visit the island Støtt and be close to nature, culture and history.

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