Historic Harstad

In the middle of Northern Norway, at the gates of Vesterålen and Lofoten, lies Harstad. The region offers nature experiences all year round, either in the mountains with extreme views or in the archipelago where you can go for walks, bike and paddle. In Harstad you can easily combine city and culture with grand nature experiences.

Culture

Travel back in time and visit Trondenes Church. It is the worlds northernmost medieval church and was built in 1250 during the Viking era. The stone church lays steady right next to the ocean and in rough nature. Strategically built in Trondenes with views towards Grytøya, Andøya, Senja and Andørja is the Adolf gun. This is the only remaining German gun of its kind from World War 2. During summer you can join guided tours starting under the gun, going up in the tower and ending up by the 21 metre long gun.   

If you’re looking for recent time culture experiences you can visit Kulturhuset where there’s events and concerts throughout the year. Positioned in the archipelago, makes the events even more memorable.  

Outdoors

Harstad offers citylife with shopping and restaurants, but there’s great opportunities for beautiful nature experiences, as well as outdoor activities. Harstad Turlag has marked several tracks and areas around Harstad, with various levels of difficulty. From Folkeparken you can walk up to Keipen, as well as other mouintain tops.  

Go island hopping in the archipelago by bike. Sykkel&Motor rents out bikes and electrical bikes. B&B touring also offers archipelago safaris where you’ll get closer to the bird mountains along the coast, as well as seeing orcas and whales if you’re lucky.

Family

Travelling to Harstad with your family is always a good idea. There are several attractions and activities that are tailored for families. Folkeparken has outdoor recreation facilities for the whole family, including walks, biking, fishing and swimming.

And speaking of swimming. In Harstad you can swim inside the mountain in the waterpark Grottebadet. Bring your family and play, swim and relax.

You will also find the Polar Park only a couple of hours away from Harstad, where you can visit wolf, moose and bears in natural habitats.

How to get there 

By car: Drive along the E6 going south from Tromsø and follow the road towards Narvik and Harstad. It's about a 4 hour drive.

By boat and bus: The express boat runs daily to and from Tromsø (about a 3 hour journey). There’s also buses going to Narvik, with transfer to Harstad.