In 60 seconds
Ice-free Arctic ore port on the Ofotfjord, celebrated for the historic Arctic Ofoten Railway (Ofotbanen), Narvik War Museum, Narvikfjellet cable car and Norway's national mountain Stetind.
Best for
Known for
Skip if
You are looking for quaint flat farmland rather than stark Arctic industrial history and sheer granite mountain walls.
Your match
Choose a few travel interests and we will show how well Narvik & Ofoten fits them. Choose interests
See
The things that would make the trip incomplete without them.
Spectacular 43-kilometre railway line carved through sheer granite cliffs and tunnels in 1902 to transport Swedish Lapland iron ore from Kiruna to the ice-free port of Narvik
Ride the Arctic Train from Narvik station past the foaming Rombaksfjord rapids to the high-mountain border station of Riksgränsen.
Flawless, smooth 1,392-metre granite obelisk rising vertically from the waters of the Tysfjord/Ofotfjord system
Drive the scenic coastal route through the Stetind tunnels or hike to the Presttinden viewpoint to marvel at the granite colossus.
Architectural, emotionally profound modern museum exploring the 1940 Battles of Narvik, naval warfare and human rights during wartime occupation
Tour the multimedia galleries featuring salvaged naval guns, ship torpedoes and wartime personal stories.
Eat
A short list, kept short on purpose. Each entry answers one question: when is this the right choice?
Too few picks yet for their own heading, so they share this list.
Top-floor restaurant in Quality Hotel Grand Royal offering panoramic city and fjord views and seasonal northern Norwegian cuisine
Order the pan-fried Arctic cod or venison.
Historic fish market restaurant on the town square serving pristine locally landed seafood, fish cakes and bacalao
Stop for lunch with local harbour workers and residents.
Panoramic mountaintop restaurant perched 656 metres above Narvik serving local reindeer, Arctic char and steaks
Enjoy dinner with views of iron-ore ships loading in the fjord below.
Cosy specialty coffee shop on Kongens gate serving barista-brewed coffee, sandwiches and cinnamon buns
A warm retreat before boarding the Arctic Train.
Beyond the obvious
Less obvious, rarely queued for, and usually the part people remember.
Modern gondola lifting visitors 656 metres above the city and fjord in under five minutes
Step out onto the panoramic viewing terrace for uninterrupted midnight-sun vistas or ski straight down to the fjord edge in winter.
Historic navvy trail followed by the railroad builders, descending through high birch valleys and waterfall gorges to the fjord
Ride the Ofotbanen train to Katterat station and hike the 6-kilometre trail down to the abandoned boomtown of Rombaksbotn.
Thousand-year-old medieval stone church and colossal WWII German land-based fortress gun 50 minutes north in Harstad
Tour the world's largest functioning naval fortress gun (40.6 cm) guarding the approaches to Ofoten.
After dark
Lively local bar on the top floor of the hotel with open-air views of the illuminated ski slopes and harbour
Sip a regional craft beer after descending from Narvikfjellet.
Orientation
How the city is actually divided, and what each part is for.
Urban town centre on the slopes above the colossal LKAB iron-ore railway terminals and shipping piers
The hub for dining, the war museum and shopping.
Mountaintop alpine ski resort and quiet fjord villages across the suspension bridge
Best for skiing, cable car views and coastal hiking.
Stay
Areas rather than hotels — pick the right one and the rest follows.
Classic town hotels near the railway station and war museum
Convenient for train connections to Sweden and airport buses.
Design cabins with floor-to-ceiling glass windows perched on the mountain slopes above the city
Prime spot for watching the northern lights or midnight sun from bed.
Practical
Plan this trip — useful links
Context
Enough to make what you are looking at legible.
Construction begins on the Ofoten Railway to provide an ice-free winter shipping port for the colossal iron-ore mines of Kiruna, Sweden.
The Battles of Narvik mark Nazi Germany's first major tactical battlefield defeat of WWII, fought fiercely between British, French, Polish and Norwegian forces and German mountain troops.
Stetind is officially named Norway's National Mountain by listeners of the Norwegian national broadcasting network NRK.
Further out
Worth a day if you have one to spare.
Abisko National Park, Kungsleden hiking trail and Aurora Sky Station across the Swedish border
The Arctic Train connects Narvik seamlessly with Sweden's classic Arctic national park.
The dramatic granite peaks and fishing villages of the Lofoten archipelago
Narvik is the primary overland rail gateway to Lofoten.
