Why this ride
214 km from Melbu to Reine, about 3 h 50 of riding. It goes by way of Svolvaer, Henningsvaer and Leknes. It suits an unhurried touring pace.
CURVESCOUT / MOTORCYCLE RIDE
Norwegian Scenic Route Lofoten
Plan this ride
- Recorded distance
- 214 km
- Riding-time estimate
- 3 h 50
- Journey
- One way; return travel is separate
Distance and timing basis
Ordered leg totals agree within rounding. Stop distances are approximate sums of rounded legs. Stops, delays, approach and any separate return travel add time. Basis: producer-declared routed record.
Reading history stays on this device. My road watch requires a separate selection; opening it does not subscribe this ride.
Distance and riding time are measured on the routed road. Check local closures and conditions before you ride.
Scenic road chapters
Lofoten Norwegian Scenic Route
Expect company on a summer weekend. Early is better than fast. For about 63 km this is Lofoten Norwegian Scenic Route, a road with a name of its own and a reason for it.
Chapter facts
- Length
- 63 km
- Named road
- Lofoten Norwegian Scenic Route
Waypoint introductions and full write-ups
1. Raftsundet
Raftsundet is the narrow strait between the islands of Hinnøya and Austvågøya, and it is the gateway to Lofoten from the east. The strait is about twenty kilometres long and in places only a few hundred metres wide, with steep mountains rising on both sides, and it is the route taken by the Hurtigruten coastal ferries. The famous Trollfjord, a short, narrow side fjord with sheer walls, opens from the strait, and ships sail in to turn around. The nearest towns are Melbu, Stokmarknes and Svolvær, each a short ride away, so fuel and food are not a worry.
Read the complete Raftsundet write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
Raftsundet is where the day begins. Next is Svolvaer.
2. Svolvær
The Svolværgeita, the Svolvær Goat, is a pair of rock horns on a peak above the town, and climbers jump the gap between them for the thrill of it. That is the sort of place Svolvær is. It is the largest town in the Lofoten islands, with some four thousand people on the island of Austvågøya, and it sits on the edge of a harbour surrounded by jagged mountains that rise straight out of the sea.
Read the complete Svolvaer write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
Svolvær comes up about 63 km into the recorded legs. Next is Henningsvaer.
3. Henningsvær
Henningsvær is a fishing village scattered over a few small islands off the south coast of Austvågøya in the Lofoten Islands, and it is often called the Venice of Lofoten, though a better comparison would be a sheltered harbour with bridges and a big mountain looking over its shoulder. The houses stand on stilts at the water's edge, the old fish factories and warehouses line the quay, and the jagged peak of Vågakallen rises behind. In winter the racks outside are hung with cod to dry in the cold air, as they have been for a thousand years, and the smell of that trade is part of the place. The cod fishery here begins in January and runs until April, and it is the reason Lofoten was settled at all.
Read the complete Henningsvaer write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
about 87 km into the recorded legs you reach Henningsvaer. Next is Leknes.
4. Leknes
Leknes is the practical heart of Lofoten, a modest town with a lot to be grateful for. It sits on Vestvågøy, the flattest of the larger islands, and has the airport, the biggest supermarkets and the hospital, so everything you forgot to bring can probably be bought here. If you have ridden the long, scenic road from Svolvær, the sight of a proper grocery store is welcome.
Read the complete Leknes write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
Leknes, about halfway. Next is Reine.
5. Reine
Reine is one of those places that looks unreal in photographs and looks better in life. A cluster of red and ochre fishing cabins, the rorbuer, stand on stilts at the edge of a narrow fjord, with the sheer spire of Reinebringen rising straight behind them, and the whole scene sits at the southern end of the Lofoten archipelago, a long wall of peaks that rises out of the Norwegian Sea well inside the Arctic Circle. Only a few hundred people live in the village, and in summer the number of visitors dwarfs them.
Read the complete Reine write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
Reine sits at 193 km, late in the day. Next is A i Lofoten.
6. Å i Lofoten
Å is the last village on the Lofoten road, at the very end of the E10, and it has the shortest name in Norway. The village is a collection of red and ochre fishing huts, called rorbuer, on rocky shores, with drying racks for cod and a small harbour. About a hundred people live here, and Reine, a few kilometres back, is a little larger. The mountains behind are steep and jagged, and the sea is deep blue, with the outer islands of Værøy and Røst visible on clear days. Beyond Å, the road simply stops, and the sea goes on.
Read the complete A i Lofoten write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
The route ends here after 214 km.
Leg by leg
Raftsundet to Svolvaer
Raftsundet → Svolvaer is 63 km of rhythm rather than effort. Let it flow and let the view breathe.
Svolvær to Henningsvaer
Svolvær → Henningsvaer is 24 km of rhythm rather than effort. Let it flow and let the view breathe.
Henningsvær to Leknes
Henningsvær → Leknes is 61 km of rhythm rather than effort. Let it flow and let the view breathe.
Leknes to Reine
Leknes → Reine is 57 km of rhythm rather than effort. Let it flow and let the view breathe.
Reine to A i Lofoten
Reine → A i Lofoten is 9 km of rhythm rather than effort. Let it flow and let the view breathe.