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

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

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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