Bodø



Bodø is the seat of Nordland county in Norway. With more than 50,000 inhabitants, it is the second largest city in Northern Norway, on a peninsula facing the open sea, and infamously windy. The road and railway come in via Fauske.

It is a gateway to the Arctic, being the northern end station of the Norwegian railway network (except the short connection from Narvik to Sweden), and an important ferry station.

Understand
In the Viking Age, the province was known as Hålogaland, and famous for shipmaking. In 1663, Bodø was mentioned as a village with postal service. In the 19th century, fish canning became an important industry for Bodø, and made the city grow. As Nazi Germany invaded Norway in 1940, they bombed Bodø on May 27, destroying most buildings. The city was rebuilt during and after the war, and therefore looks remarkably modern.

In 1960, the American spy plane U-2 heading for Bodø was shot down by the Soviet Union, and Soviet leader Nikita Chrushchev threatened to bomb Bodø.

Bodø has a university, and a young and growing population. Traditionally the city has grown from Bodø Main Air Station funded in large part by NATO. The station has housed Thunderjets, Starfighters and now all of Norway's F-16s. The military part of the airport is set to be reduced, with the airfield being moved south-east for a major freeing up of real estate for civilian development. All fighter jet activity will move to Ørland Main Air Station by 2022.

By ship

 * Ferry to Moskenes, Lofoten. Goes at least twice daily, from the Hurtigruten terminal.
 * Ferry to Moskenes, Lofoten. Goes at least twice daily, from the Hurtigruten terminal.

By train
Bodø is at the north end of the national railway system in Norway (Narvik is further north, but is only connected with the Swedish railways).

The long-distance trains to Bodø run via Trondheim. The train takes about 10 hr from there, and about 18 hr from Oslo. Trains leave and arrive several times a day, but only two a day come all the way from Trondheim (a day train and a night train). They are great if you want to have a look at the Norwegian scenery and nature, taking you from the rolling hills of Trondheim, through Saltfjellet mountain, to the weathered and rough terrain of Northern Norway. Tickets from 200 kr if you book early enough.

There are also regional trains from Fauske, Mosjøen and Mo i Rana and local trains from Fauske and Rognan.



The Nordlandsbanen railway passes trough Fauske to the terminus of Bodø to the west. Travellers going further north usually leave the train in Fauske, and continue their trip north with buses towards Narvik.

By plane




Tickets cost from 550–850 kr and up to 2500 kr for coach. Student and youth discounts on SAS. The airport is served by SAS, Widerøe's and Norwegian year round, with occasional guest appearances.

By car


Bodø is connected to main road network and E6 through Sweden and Norway at Fauske junction some 50 km east of Bodø centre.

Road 17 along the Helgeland coast is a particularly scenic approach from the south.

By bus
Route 720, the Nord-Norgeekspressen, runs along the E6 between Bodø/Fauske and Narvik thrice daily. Costs 407 kr and takes around 4.5 hours.

Get around
Bodø is a long, slender city around 2–3 km in width and over 10 km long in a roughly east-west line. This makes communication by bus well established for a city this size, and during weekdays busses go every fifteen minutes to-and-from town westwards. The Sentrumsrunden bus brings you anywhere you want within the city centre, and there are also buses going northwards to the suburbs. The bus system is zonal, meaning that you pay more the further you are going.

There is also a service of regional buses to other cities, but they only depart a couple of times a day, or even more rarely if the distances are long. A bus to Sweden goes on weekends, making it possible to take a weekend trip, Friday to Sunday, to anywhere between Bodø and Skellefteå.

Many international car rental businesses are established in Bodø. The city has a good road network and many scenic roads. A car is desirable if you are planning to stay in town for a while, or see the areas outside the suburban bus network.

Taxis are also available, but with typical Norwegian prices, you should be cautious about using them on longer trips. A 10 km trip costs about 200-250 kr in a normal size car, and you pay for the trip, whatever the number of passengers. A full car, four people, will often be cheaper than bus fare, to a certain point.

You can also bike virtually everywhere in Bodø and suburbs, and there is many scenic routes to see.

See and do

 * Bodø Cathedral, Southeast view 20150608 1.jpgFootball: FK Bodø/Glimt play soccer in Eliteserien, Norway's top tier. Their home ground Aspmyra Stadion (capacity 5600) is between town centre and the airport.

Music

 * Enjoy the many music festivals in the region every summer. The most renowned are Parkenfestivalen and Nordland Musikkfestuke.

The first is a popular music festival that is growing fast. Artists like Chris Cornell and Turbonegro have been there, along with major Scandinavian artists like Bo Kaspers Orkester, CC Cowboys, Dum Dum Boys and Timbuktu.

Nordland Musikkfestuke is a more 'cultural' festival, concentrating on jazz, choirs, classical, and many internationally renowned musicians.

The alternative music scene of Bodø has flourished. Bodø Hardcore Festival, a festival that attracts basically anything in the Scandinavian alt scene, is held every late autumn, and the very experimental Nødutgangfestivalen, with a focus on Industrial and Avant-Garde, is arranged every summer. Big acts that have visited are Faust, The International Noise Conspiracy, and KK Null.

Outside Bodø

 * Watch the midnight sun (around Midsummer) at the beautiful beach of Mjelle, 30 minutes out of town by car.
 * Ride by boat to the lighthouse at Landegode, and have a look at the Norwegian coastline.
 * Near Halsa south of Bodø you can attend guided glacier climbing and glacier walks.
 * Ride by boat to the lighthouse at Landegode, and have a look at the Norwegian coastline.
 * Near Halsa south of Bodø you can attend guided glacier climbing and glacier walks.

Eat
Bodø does not have a great abundance of eateries, but there is a decent selection of cheap restaurants, as well as a couple of good gourmet restaurants.



Drink
There are two Vinmonopolet shops in Bodø, one a short walk from the Glasshuset shopping mall, the other one inside City Nord, another shopping centre a somewhat far from the city centre.



Go next
Many travellers only pass Bodø on their way to the Lofoten islands. You can go there by boat (ferries, or the coastal express Hurtigruten), or by plane to one of the airports, one located close to Svolvær, and one located in Leknes. The plane trips to these places take about 25 minutes, while the ferry to Moskenes takes 3h15 (ticket bought on board, 187 kr, electricity and cafeteria on the boat).

You can go to Narvik by bus, and you can travel to most parts of Nordland by boat.

There is also a bus connection to Skellefteå from Bodø, which stops in several places in Norway and in Sweden.

Sulitjelma mining town in the hinterland, with trails and backcountry skiing tracks in the fells. Blåmansisen, Norway's 5th largest glacier, is in hiking range.

Bodø is the last (and northernmost) station on the Nordlandsbanen rail line, with which one can travel directly to Trondheim and a large variety of locations in the Helgeland region.


 * Drive 44 km east from Fauske to the village of Sulitjelma, where high mountains (Suliskongen reaches almost 2,000 m) and two large glaciers (Sulitjelmaisen and Blåmansisen – Norway's 5th largest) are within hiking range. Sulitjelma has lodging opportunities, and there is also Jakobsbakken a little further, which is an excellent base for cross country skiing in winter and early spring, and mountain hiking from July to late September.
 * The Nordkalottruta trail has a trailhead in Sulitjelma. This 800 km trek leads through Norwegian, Swedish and Finnish fell landscapes and ends in Kautokeino in Finnmark. If this feels too much, you can take the first legs to Swedish Laponia, Kebnekaise or Abisko – or switch over to trails to Narvik.