Nature is powerful in Norway, perhaps nowhere more so than in the Lofoten Islands, 123 miles north of the Arctic Circle.
This 118-mile-long archipelago of small fishing communities set against a dramatic wall of towering snow-patched peaks – granite formations that date back several billion years – has drawn increasing numbers of mainlanders (and foreign artists) attracted to its seclusion, special light, bracing vair, and unpolluted waters.
Viking woman at Saltstraumen
The traditional rorbu (fishing cottage)was traditionally built on the docks extending out over the water; today they are popular as rentals for their simplicity (and the insight into the local way of life). This steep island-world is bathed in summer nights of eight-hour dusk, with the midnight sun shining from June until late July. Svolvaer (population 4,000), the main town for the islands, has a thriving summer art colony. Ferries arrive here from mainland Bodø, where Edgar Allan Poe spent a number of years writing A Descent into the Maelstrom, describing the unique phenomenon of immense volumes of water flushed through deep, narrow gorges with the outgoing tide.
Saltstarumen maelstroen
A maelstrom – the word, of Dutch origin, means “grinding stream” – is a furious, natural whirlpool (also known as “kettle”) thatr creates a goose-bump-inducing howl. Before catching the ferry to the Lofoten, visit Saltstraumen Brygge on the mainland to see what mesmerized Poe.
Fishing village Roest
I dare claim: Lofoten – an isolated archipelago of striking beauty!
Text and photos: Tor Kjolberg (Featured Image on top: The Island of Roest)
Only two months until the start of The Tall Ships Races 2014 and fifty nine vessels have already entered. The excitement is building and plans are being finalized for a fantastic summer of sail training, exciting racing and host port festivities.
Race entries are still being taken and all remaining vessel operators are urged to submit their completed entry forms by the closing date of Thursday 1 May 2014.
Ports, times and races
Harlingen, The Netherlands Thursday 3 – Sunday 6 July
Race 1
Fredrikstad, Norway Saturday 12 – Tuesday 15 July
Cruise-in-Company
Bergen, Norway Thursday 24 – Sunday 27 July
Race 2
Esbjerg, Denmark Saturday 2 to Tuesday 5 August
The Races start with a grand port event in Harlingen, The Netherlands. This will be the first Tall Ships event in Harlingen and the most impressive event of the year in the northern region of The Netherlands. Harlingen is one of the oldest seaports in The Netherlands and the Whadden Sea is on the UNESCO World Heritage list for its large marine nature reserve. It is a Tall Ships friendly port and at the forefront of all their activities will be the organization of activities for young people.
From Harlingen the vessels will race to Fredrikstad, Norway, a host port in 2005. The Tall Ship Races in Fredrikstad coincides with the celebrations of the 200th anniversary of Norway’s Constitution and independence. The port therefore promises a social and cultural program to give every crew member and visitor the ‘experience of a lifetime’. The port is at the center of the city, which is rich in culture and has hundreds of years of maritime traditions.
From Fredrikstad vessels and crew can leave race conditions aside and enjoy a Cruise-in-Company to Bergen, Norway – a Tall Ships host port for the fourth time. This will be the biggest and most attractive event in the western part of Norway, with an estimated 500,000 visitors over four days. Bergen is one of the world’s most beautiful natural harbors and promises the experience of a lifetime for the crews.
The final leg is a race from Bergen to Esbjerg, Denmark where a maritime celebration, enthusiastic crowd and great atmosphere are promising to greet the fleet. The port anticipates this to be the event of the year – if not the decade, with the whole community becoming involved – from sports clubs, to shops, restaurants and local businesses.
What is sail training?
Sail Training is an adventure activity, which includes far more than sailing instruction. Participants are required to confront demanding challenges, both physical and emotional. It is an activity that inspires self-confidence and personal responsibility. It promotes an acceptance of others, whatever their social or cultural backgrounds, and develops a willingness to take controlled risks. Those who undertake Sail Training on Tall Ships generally find it a positive life-changing experience.
About Sail Training International (STI)
STI is the international voice of Sail Training, a registered charity (not-for-profit organization), which has worldwide membership and activities. Its purpose is the development and education of young people through the Sail Training experience, regardless of nationality, culture, religion, gender or social background. It organizes the annual Tall Ship Races and other international Tall Ship sailing events. STI members are 29 national Sail Training organizations around the world and STI’s head office is in Gosport, Hampshire, UK.
The organization was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize 2007 for its work in promoting international understanding and friendship.
Umeå – where the hell is it? And what’s so special about it? No doubt you’ve already heard about Stockholm. Umeå on the other hand, you’re probably still having trouble pronouncing. Well, it’s ‘u-may-o’.
Umeå is actually situated along the coast of the Baltic Sea, one of the last cities before the polar circle. Oh, and to answer your (unbidden) question – yes it’s a real city. With normal people, 118,000 of them in fact.
What’s worth seeing in terms of culture?
Culture isn’t just galleries and museums; in Sweden, music’s pretty high on the list. Umeå is no exception. To combat the blues induced by the long winters this far north, Umeå holds a Jazz Festival every October. It’s been running since 1968, making it Europe’s oldest, and it is still among Scandinavia’s largest jazz festivals.
Despite the reputation for ABBA-love, northern Swedes like to go to the opera. Created in 1978, Norrlands Operan is the city’s opera house and one of the strongest drivers of culture in the region with both modern and classic performances showing all year round.
Still, they do know how to rock. As well as having lots of local bands, there’s now a dedicated space for the icon of rock: the guitar. The newly-opened Guitars – The Museum is one of the world’s largest privately-owned vintage guitar collections, with 500 electric and bass guitars, and amps. There are enough instruments here to start a very large electric orchestra.
If music isn’t your thing, the local art museum Bildmuseet (the Museum of the Image) situated along the riverbank, is a center for contemporary art and visual culture as well as a place for experience, reflection and discussion. Designed by Henning Larsen Architects in collaboration with White, the building is definitely one of the most striking in the city. It was nominated for the European Mies van der Rohe Award 2013 – so the architecture buffs can geek out too.
Photography fans should visit the Sune Jonsson Centre for Documentary Photography at the Västerbottens Museum, which has an exhibition by famous local photographer Sune Jonsson’s depicting regional life in Västerbotten from the 1940s up until the 1960s. The center also holds workshops, seminars and a photo archive, so you can get a sense of just how much Umeå has changed.
Anything I can skip?
Umea’s pretty small, so you’re unlikely to need to skip things but if you’re short of time, don’t miss the Bildmuseet.
I’ve had my fill of culture – what else can I do? Umeå is the gateway to Sweden’s epic natural landscape – meeting an elk here is like meeting a sheep in Wales… sort of. If you want to get up close and personal with the ’king of the forest’, take a day trip to Älgens Hus, an elk farm around 80km (50 miles) outside Umeå, where visitors can pet these beautiful animals.
Let there be no soubt about it: Umeaa is a Swedish music loving city!
Norwegian director/writer Mona Fastvold received a prestigious production grant from The Norwegian Film Institute for her directorial debut, The Sleepwalker, which was co-written by Fastvold and Brady Corbet. The Sleepwalker premiered at Sundance last January in the US competition. The two of them are next set to shoot Corbet´s directorial debut which they also wrote together, The Childhood of a Leader. Her previous credits include a wide variety of well-regarded Music Videos.
“Two semi-estranged sisters and their mates spend an uncomfortable country weekend together in The Sleepwalker, a consistently intriguing psychodrama that may nonetheless leave many viewers feeling that it’s all buildup and scant payoff. Commercial prospects look iffy for helmer/co-writer Mona Fastvold’s debut feature, which gestures toward thriller and explosive-family-secrets terrain without ever quite committing to either,” wrote the entertainment paper Variety.
“The Sleepwalker proves all too apt a title for MonaFastvold’s debut feature, an oblique, haltingly paced drama concerning family secrets and wounded psyches. Euro fests and markets may warm to the film’s emotionally distant tone, but attracting American audiences could turn out to be a tough sell,” wrote the Hollywood reporter.
Perhaps the most daring film in the U.S. Dramatic Competition, Mona Fastvold’sThe Sleepwalker is an elliptical, borderline surreal study of childhood trauma and repressed memories. Director Fastvold lets the story simmer as the action builds in and around a secluded, half-renovated house in the woods. Ingenious use of sound design and atmospheric score drive the psychological turmoil as the film slowly reveals what the characters have been through. Actors Gitte Witt, Stephanie Ellis Christopher Abbott and Brady Corbet (who co-wrote the screenplay with Fastvold) create a mounting feeling of tension as odd behavior, inappropriate dinner stories and poor manners bring out everyone’s madness.
Mona Fastvold had her Norwegian directorial debut at Sundance January this year.
Northern Norway is known for northern lights, wildlife safaris and midnight sun. It is also home to the Sami, Norway’s indigenous people.
Cities and places
Many of the most important Sami institutions, such as the Sami Parliament, are located in Karasjok. Kautokeino is Norway’s largest municipality, covering 9,687 square kilometres, with a population of 3,000 people and 100,000 reindeer. Alta is one of Northern Norway’s largest educational and research centres and is home to the Finnmark University. Lofoten is known for spectacular nature attractions and good fishing.
Vadsø is the administrative centre of Finnmark and has offices belonging to the state government as well as the Finnmark county council.
The North Cape is the northernmost place on mainland Europe. Northern Norway consists of the counties of Finnmark, Troms and Nordland. Midway between Norway and the North Pole you will find the islands of Svalbard.
Landscape
Northern Norway’s landscape changes from alpine mountains and narrow fjords, with thriving coastal communities, to endless tundra and wilderness. There are mountains plunging into the sea from over a thousand meters at some stretches along the coast.
What to do
There is a selection of wildlife safaris in Northern Norway. Get close to whales, eagles, sea birds and king crabs. You can visit the North Cape and feel the breeze from the North Pole. Take a cruise with Hurtigruten (The Norwegian Coastal Voyage), which calls at many ports in Northern Norway. Snow scooter safaris and dog sledding are popular activities at winter.
Midnight sun and northern lights
In summer, night-time is just a dimmer version of daytime. The light of the midnight sun gives the landscape a magical and romantic dimension.
At winter the sun never rises and you can experience the magical northern lights, or aurora borealis, a spectacular colourful lightshow which dances across the sky.
The Sami
You can meet the Sami, Norway’s aborigines, who have their own language and culture. These indigenous people have strong traditions in fishing, hunting and reindeer herding, but have also adopted new technology and modern ways of living. There is a Sami theme park in Karasjok.
Scandinavia’s Gourmet Capital Continues to Influence the Global Culinary Landscape through New Restaurants and Star-Powered Chefs.
On the heels of San Pellegrino’s “World’s 50 Best Restaurants” list, Copenhagen continues to influence the global culinary scene, with Noma at number two and Geranium at number 45 on the list. While the ongoing influence of New Nordic cuisine has created waves of new interpretations from both former Noma chefs opening their own restaurants and foreign chefs coming to Denmark, Copenhagen’s culinary culture also embraces craft beer, rustic cooking, and designer-hotel cocktails.
New Nordic 2.0
Food fads come and go but New Nordic cuisine has a proven staying power. The opening of Noma in 2004 began a culinary movement that now inspires a new generation of chefs and a team of alumni who have branched out to create their own restaurants and are redefining the New Nordic philosophy.
Restaurant Noma
The chefs behind Restaurant Bror, Victor Wågman from Sweden and Samuel Nutty of the United Kingdom, showcase their Noma roots through a clean menu full of fresh, seasonal vegetables and foraged edible flowers. Former Noma head chef, Matthew Orlando is starting his own venture with the opening of Amass in July last year offering a menu of New Nordic cuisine influenced by his international travels. Other takes on the New Nordic movement include Höst, meaning harvest, a concept from Cofoco (Copenhagen Food Consulting) headed by Jonas Christensen. The young talent is taking the cuisine to the next level by making it more accessible for a broader audience. Kadeau, a newcomer to the Michelin star family, continues the New Nordic movement with a menu focused on produce from the Danish island of Bornholm, the ‘sunshine island’ in the Baltic Sea.
New Kadeau Restaurant
Restaurant Bror
Copenhagen chefs have also developed concepts that are unpretentious and playup Danish humor such as Pony, serving rustic cuisine such as pig, sausage, and steak tartar. Please note that this is a gay bar. Other irreverent concepts include Congo, owned by Casper Christensen, a comedic actor and talk show host in Denmark who has put his energy and love of humor into the restaurant. Informal spots like Marv & Ben (meaning marrow & bone), located on the oldest street in Copenhagen, offer traditional Danish cuisine in a warm and modest atmosphere.
Congo Restaurant
Beers and Bars
Drinking is as essential as eating in Copenhagen and the gourmet capital offers plenty of libations from micro brews to expertly crafted cocktails. Inconspicuous bars such as Lidkøb Bar located in an old half-timbered house in the back of an alley on Vesterbrogade Street, are packed with full-bearded men in lumber jack shirts and open fireplaces. Housed in a former pharmacy lab, the bar will soon feature a whiskey lounge on the top floor.
Lidkoeb bar
Beer enthusiasts flock to taste the elixir of ‘the beer gypsy’ at Mikkeller, a brewery with locations in Vesterbro and Nørrebro and coming soon to San Francisco. Founder Mikkel Borg Bjergsø is known internationally as one of the most innovative and cutting-edge brewers and has made house brews for some of Denmark’s most prominent restaurants including Noma, Mielcke & Hurtigkarl and Kiin Kiin. The teacher turned brewer now runs the Copenhagen Beer Celebration 2013 which he started last year for beer geeks to celebrate extreme beer culture. More traditional Danish beer lovers are drawn to the Copenhagen Beer Festival, where guests are invited to celebrate the diversity of Danish beers, try rare foreign brews, and sample beer and food pairings.
At Mikkeller Bar
Gourmet Hotels – Copenhagen’s New Trend
From fine dining to world-class brews, Denmark has a little of everything and Copenhagen’s top hotels are establishing themselves as destinations for both luxury accommodations and exceptional food experiences. Hotels are keeping the gastronomic-traveler in mind with award-winning chefs and chic bars including the recently renovated and über luxurious Hotel ‘DAngleterre, boasting the brand new restaurant Marchal from Michelin-starred Chef Ronny Emborg. The hotel also added Balthazar, Copenhagen’s first Champagne bar a few months ago.
Atop the Radisson Blu Royal, a uniquely designed hotel from Danish modern architect Arne Jacobsen, is the restaurant Alberto K. Also bearing the stamp of Jacobsen’s design, the restaurant has some of Copenhagen’s best views and will soon be helmed by Chef Jeppe Foldager, the winner of last year’s Bocuse d’Or Silver medal. Not far from there, The Nimb Bar at Copenhagen’s upscale Nimb Hotel, is a classic bar with an innovative and rotating cocktail list and was recently added to the eponymous “World’s Best Bars” list.
Alberto K Restaurant
To get a taste of all that Copenhagen has to offer, travelers can indulge in social dining experiences such as: Copenhagen Food Tours, Dine with the Danes, CPH: Gastro Tours from CPH: Cool, Guerilla Dining by Silver Spoon, or with one of the city’s exciting food festivals like the Copenhagen Cooking Festival running from August 22-August 31, 2014.
Wer hope you’ve got a taste of Copenhagen’s culinary scene by now.
The 31 March Air France opened a new route from Stavanger Airport Sola to Paris Charles de Gaulle.
This means that the residents of Stavanger area and visitors to Norway’s oil capital now have access to two daily direct flights to and from the French capital.
Paris is one of the world’s most popular destinations, and more than 30 million tourists visit the city every year. Now they can expand their flying schedules directly to Stavanger. Ticket prices from NOK 459 one way (including all taxes) make Stavanger a very affordable destination for visitors.
The two daily flights will be operated by Embraer 170 aircraft with seating for 76 passengers.
– We have very great faith in the Stavanger region. Sola will be our main airport in Norway after Oslo. The Stavanger region is a very exciting area, both oil capital, but also as a growth area for many other industries, says Daniel Eggenberger , Norway Head of AIR FRANCE KLM to Travel News.
Air France has opened new route to Stavanger, Norway:
Flight schedule:
AF 1747: Departure Stavanger 07:00, arrival Paris-Charles de Gaulle 09:10 (daily)
AF 1847: Departure Stavanger 12.45, arrival Paris-Charles de Gaulle 14.55 (daily)
AF 1846: Departure Paris-Charles de Gaulle 10.00, arrival Stavanger 12.05 (daily)
AF 1746: Departure Paris-Charles de Gaulle 19:20, arrival Stavanger 21:25 (daily)
Scandinavia is exotic, exciting, special and worth a visit. Here you may experience destinations and events not to be found nowhere else in the world.
Sami culture
The nomadic Sami still base their calendar and culture around ancient reindeer-herding traditions.
Swedish Lappland In Swedish Lappland, about 200 kilometers north of the Polar Circle in the small town of Jukkasjärvi, you will find the world’s largest hotel made solely by snow and ice.
Scandinavian style From Volvo cars and Arne Jacobsen chairs to Moods of Norway fashion, the success of Nordic design is a global phenomenon.
Christiania, Copenhagen A fascinating social experiment, the “Free City” is open to curious visitors.
Father Christmas Several places in Scandinavia claim Santa Claus as their own. Every year tons of letters to Father Christmas are received from all over the world from children with their X-mas wishes.
Norwegian Stave churches Two of the most striking of these ancient wooden churches are at Urnes at the west coast and the Heddal in Telemark.
These are some of the attractions you will find only in Scandinavia.
A couple of years ago, German photographer Thomas Senfassembled a crew of top ice climbers and riggers, a huge pile of gear, and Swiss artist David Hediger, who works with the medium of light, in Eidsfjord, three hours east of Bergen, Norway, where frozen waterfalls line the fjord.
Working with the support of Mammut, and using Mammut athletes Dani Arnold and Steph Siegrist, Senf and his team created perhaps the most original Norwegian ice climbing portfolio ever shot.
“I had considered for a long time how to work with artificial light,” Senf said, “which is normally only possible in a photo studio, in major mountains. The idea of illuminating frozen waterfalls was the result of a meeting with Mammut. The transparency and reflective properties of ice in the sun had often caught my eye. With its virtually unlimited number of icefalls, Norway seemed like the perfect place to put our ideas into practice.
“Photography and filming at night is a big challenge. The right lighting determines whether you succeed or fail. The ways to play with the factors of light, time, and environment are boundless and fascinating in equal measure.”
Swiss climber Arnold, who holds the speed record for climbing the north face of the Eiger, said, “One moment the icefall looked like a dripstone cave, the next like a gothic cathedral.”
Thomas Senf
grew up in Leipzig. In 2002 at the age of 21 his passion for mountains made him move to Switzerland. Today he lives in Interlaken in the Bernese Oberland. Besides his studies in mechanical engineering he was constantly drawn to the big mountain faces of the world. In this context he and his friends succeeded in the first ascents of both the route Harvest Moon at the Thalay Sagar and the North Face of the Arwa tower, two peaks that are situated in the Garhwal Himalaya in India. Besides his qualification as a mountain guide, photography started to play an increasingly important role for Thomas. Today he works in partnership with the outdoor photo agency Visual Impact.
To realize his photographic projects Thomas Senf works together with outstanding athletes. Because of his personal skills in mountaineering, he has primarily specialized in the following areas: Mountaineering, rock climbing, ice climbing, expeditions, B.A.S.E., outdoor, Air, Ski.
The mountain road over Gaustatoppen between Rjukan and Tuddal is a spectacular scenic experience.
You start off up the narrow, steep, twisting road from Tuddal and continue up to Flistjønnskaret at an altitude of 1,260 meters. This is one of the highest mountain passes in Norway, and from here you can see Gaustatoppen towering magnificently above you on your left with Heddersvann lake on your right.
Further on you will pass Svineroi, where there is a turning off to the right to the area around Gausta and Kvitåvatn, where there are several hotels and other places offering accommodation and various different activities.
From Svineroi, the road winds its way down to Rjukan.
The photos in this article are from the book Gaustatoppen sett fra oven (Gaustatoppen seen from above) taken by our associate photographer Lasse Tur.
“The Sleepwalker proves all too apt a title for Mona Fastvold’s debut feature, an oblique, haltingly paced drama concerning family secrets and wounded psyches. Euro fests and markets may warm to the film’s emotionally distant tone, but attracting American audiences could turn out to be a tough sell,” wrote the Hollywood reporter.
