Narvik



Narvik is a city in Nordland in northern Norway. The town of Narvik has a population of about 14,000, while the entire municipality has a population of about 18,000. The city sits along the southern shore of the Ofot Fjord, and is the centre of the Ofoten district.

Understand
The modern city was founded in 1902. It grew up as an important ice-free port for Swedish iron ore exports. Before the port and the iron-ore railway was constructed there were only a few farms on the peninsula. During the first attempt to establish a port and railway the place was called Victoriahamn (Victoria port), after the visit by Crown Princess Victoria of the joint kingdom of Sweden and Norway. When the iron ore railway (known as Ofotbanen in Norway and Malmbanan for the entire 500 km between Narvik and Luleå) was finally built from 1898 to 1902 there was an intense activity in Narvik and particularly in the mountains. Thousands of navvies poured in and created a temporary city at Rombaksbotn. The railway construction from Narvik through the wild mountains until the plateau on the Swedish side was a notable engineering achievement. The railway was electrified as early as 1923. Control of the iron ore fields at Kiruna and the port of Narvik was a key motive for German attack in 1940 and the allied intervention. During and after the German invasion of Norway, Narvik was the scene of fierce battles between allied (British, French and Polish supporting Norwegian army) and German forces, and the war museum commemorates the events of 1940. The Battle of Narvik was the first real engagement between Allied and German troops after months of phony war. The Battle of Narvik was a key event in the early phases of the war. The town was totally destroyed in the process and the fjord was full of shipwrecks. Some 20 major war ships sunk during the battle at Narvik. Today, the city offers several outdoor activities; in particular, alpine skiing is possible in the mountains around Narvik.

The Narvik district is called Ofoten, which is the original name of the fjord now known as Ofotofjorden. The fjord is some 500 meters deep in the central parts, more shallow in the inner part. Some wrecks from the Battle of Narvik rest at only 10-20 meters. In Rombaken, the inner branch of the big fjord, there is one wreck above the water line.

By rail


Narvik is the terminus of Malmbanan ("Iron Ore Railway", in Norway known as Ofotbanen), the railway from northern Sweden. It is mainly used for shipping enormous amounts of iron ore from mines in Lapland, it also offers passenger services. As part of the line runs through the very steep and inhospitable Narvik mountains, the construction was an engineering achievement. Control of this railway and the Narvik port was one aim of the German invasion of Norway in 1940.

Narvik is not connected to the rest of the Norwegian rail network, which ends in Bodø, southwards. You can book connecting rail and bus tickets from southern Norway via Vy.



A journey along Malmbanan gives spectacular views over large mountains of Narvik and the vast emptiness of Lapland. The Norwegian state railway company Vy has two daily services; one early morning and another at around 10:00 from Luleå (7 hr) via Boden (6½ hr), Gällivare (4½ hr) and Kiruna (2 hr 45 min). The morning service has sleeper carriages attached all the way from Stockholm, departures from Stockholm are daily at 18:00. Prices vary according to demand, booked early (bookings open 90 days before departure) tickets for the over-night trains can be as low as kr 450 and kr 195 for day trains. Narvik is the northernmost point that can be reached by train on electrified standard gauge railways from the rest of Europe.

By bus
There are long-distance bus lines from Fauske, Kiruna, Lofoten and Tromsø, and from several nearby places. Many routes are very scenic.
 * The bus station,, is on the west side of the inner city, near the AMFI shopping center. Buses to or from north also stop at E6 near the railway station on the other side of the city. A full timetable can be found at Reis Nordland.

Get around
Narvik is a compact city which is easy to navigate. The tourist information office is on the main street, and the railway station is easy to find as well. Destination Narvik and its links will help you to find most of what you are looking for about Narvik.

If flying in from Oslo Gardemoen to Harstad/Narvik/Evenes airport west of Narvik, a one-hour bus transit is available right to the town centre.

Narvik has a local bus service with routes to neighborhoods outside the centre, including Ankenes, Framnes, and Beisfjord. Tickets for short journeys are kr 31, kr 16 for children (under 16) and seniors (67 years and over). Most lines run Monday to Saturday, while a few major routes (in particular Ankenes) have very limited service Sunday afternoons as well. Schedules are available online (in Norwegian); the paper schedule for the Ofoten region can also be downloaded.

See




Do

 * Take the cable car to the top of Fagernesfjellet. Or better yet, climb it in the middle of the night during summer. There is a fantastic path the winds up the mountain that overlooks the city and one can reach the same destination as the cable car.

Buy
There are shops and kiosks on the main street, plus there are two large shopping centres: one near the railway station and the other in the centre of the town.

Sleep
For a town of its size Narvik offers a large selection of hotels, both more high-end and cheaper alternatives.



Go next

 * The Express Bus (northbound) goes to Finnsnes and Tromsø with connections to Alta and the North Cape. The southbound to Fauske (railway) and Bodø (bus, railway and airport)
 * Southbound bus to Fauske/Bodø daily
 * There are two bus departures daily from Narvik to Svolvær in Lofoten
 * There is an Airport Express Bus to Harstad/Narvik/Evenes Airport (EVE) that connects with flights to Oslo Gardermoen Airport (OSL).
 * Kiruna and Luleå in Sweden, connected by road and Malmbanan (Iron Ore Railway, known as Ofoten Line in Norway)