Misplaced Pages

#362637

124-689: The European route E6 highway passes through the Dunderland Valley, following the Ranelva river. The Illhøllia Tunnel on the E6 highway, between Nevermoen and Røssvoll , was opened in 2002. The Nordland Line also follows the river through the valley. Today, the valley only houses a small number of people, and it has two stations on the Nordland Line: Dunderland Station and Bolna Station . The mountain rocks in

248-410: A European regulation on tolls. NRK spoke with angry locals who were contemplating on closing roads popular with tourists. NRK also spoke with Germans who had not registered their camper van, because they were told that they would get a letter with a payment request sent home into their mailbox. Norway was trying to strike deals on enforcing payment of road tolls with individual countries, to compensate for

372-492: A barren, mountainous coastline, with smaller islands offshore. The Lyngen Alps are the highest mountains of the area, rising to 1,833 metres (6,014 ft), an area of glaciers and waterfalls. The 269 metres (883 ft) Mollisfossen waterfall in Nordreisa Municipality is the highest waterfall in the north, while Målselvfossen is Norway's national waterfall. Finnmark county has fjords and glaciers in

496-517: A comeback, as it was less dependent on fish exports. After 1700, Russian Pomors started to come every summer on trading expeditions, bringing rye in exchange for fish. Although this was in violation of Bergen's trade monopoly and the Danish–Norwegian monarchy made some attempts to curtail the Pomor trade, the trade was vital to the survival of many Northern Norwegian fishing communities. In the 1740s

620-478: A cream sauce. Reindeer filets have become more popular in high-end restaurants in recent years, but the price can be prohibitive as the reindeer industry is shielded from market forces by the Norwegian government (in essence, it is treated as a vital component of Sami culture, rather than a competitive industry, which means there is little pressure to actually sell the meat products). Lamb meat from sheep following

744-474: A gate was built at the county border at Namsskogan Municipality , Nordlandsporten , to welcome travellers on E6 into northern Norway. The Norwegian Public Roads Administration , Statens Vegvesen , started the Helgelands project in 2009, a project to modernise E6 and make the road wider and safer between the county border and Saltfjellet. This project is expected to be ready by the end of 2025. The E6 road

868-405: A lot of foreign visitors to Norway do not understand how roads that are not motorways can even be toll roads. Others are complaining that the Norwegian road toll system works like a trap, because the amount of road toll in cities like Oslo and Trondheim tends to depend on multiple factors, like time of travelling and emission category of the vehicle, making it impossible to predict the exact price of

992-465: A new Mjøsa Bridge ) postponed to a later year, around or after 2030. In Trøndelag , several sections north and south of Trondheim are under construction or planned as motorways. This project is planned to be 106 kilometres (66 mi) long and it will go from the junction with Norwegian National Road 3 at Ulsberg in the south to Åsen north of Trondheim Airport, Værnes , set to be finished in 2027/2028. It will be financed by Nye Veier [22] ,

1116-400: A new permanent bridge over Badderelva ( elva means river ) will not open before 2025. On 23 September 2023, a large landslide destroyed a section of about 700 metres (2,300 ft) of the highway, near Stenungsund , north of Gothenburg . The landslide also destroyed a local road, a fuel station, a fast food restaurant and a hardware store. Parked trucks got trapped in crevasses around

1240-416: A result of surplus childbirths and immigration from abroad), this is significantly lower than in southern counties, although the regional centres of Bodø, Tromsø and Alta continue to grow at a relatively brisk pace. Lately, the off-shore gas field of Snøhvit , off Hammerfest, has brought hopes of new development in the north. The Northern Norwegian dialects share a common, musical intonation, different from

1364-544: A road trip from the Swedish border at Svinesund till Nordkapp (North Cape). Most toll calculation apps, tools, or websites will not allow you to set out a road trip that keeps you driving on E6 all along the way. Electric cars have large discounts on tolls, but it can be fairly hard to obtain this discount with a foreign electric car. Scammers have been reported to jump on the bandwagon, by sending fake toll bills, to obtain credit card information. Increasing road tolls were also

SECTION 10

#1732786902363

1488-464: A train on the Nordlandsbanen railway line crashed into a rock that had fallen on the tracks. According to VG newspaper, there were 46 passengers and 3 staff members on board of the train, so 49 persons in total, although some foreign media reported 55 people in the train. The train derailed, sliding down an embankment, towards the road below, which is the E6. Train driver Rolf Henry Ankersen

1612-449: A truck were involved, but no one was seriously injured. There were no good alternative routes past the site, so only narrow roads, different per direction, with long detours, were signposted as alternatives. A small road via Skredsvik, not mentioned in recommendations, was used by most local residents and also bus traffic. The Bohusbanan railway was also destroyed in the landslide. The road was reopened on 15 February 2007 and rebuilding of

1736-495: Is Gothenburg-Kungälv from 1958, meaning the motorway construction through Sweden took 57 years. Between 2012 and 2018, the road was shortened by 39 kilometres (24 mi) between Narvik and Alta, by building the Hålogaland Bridge and more bridges and tunnels. The 60-kilometre (37 mi) road between Moelv and Øyer is under conversion to a 4-lane motorway, partly set to be finished around 2025, partly (including

1860-512: Is a chain of peaks that jut out of the ocean. From the mainland side it looks very barren, but behind the violet-black peaks there are also flatlands with good grazing for sheep, partially on soil made from seaweed . The Vesterålen islands consist of smaller and bigger islands with a huge variation in landscape. Ofoten , further inland, is a fjord landscape with high mountains, the highest is Storsteinfjellet in Narvik, 1,894 m above sea level, but

1984-489: Is a transitional period when the sun rapidly returns, and March and April often feel like an explosion of light with long daylight hours and snow cover in most areas except the coastal strip of Nordland. The Aurora Borealis can be seen in the whole area from autumn to mid-April, after which it gets too bright to observe the Aurora. It is a natural phenomenon arising due to the collision between electrically charged particles from

2108-475: Is based on the assumption that every road user has a credit card and a smartphone to register their vehicle at www.Autopass.no, a website owned by the Norwegian national road administration. There is no place or way to pay for your tolls with cash money. If the tolls aren't paid by registering the vehicle online, a bill with a higher price will be sent to the vehicle owner's address. It is also not possible to evade toll sections by taking smaller parallel roads. Quite

2232-636: Is cut into two pieces ( Norge er delt i to ), as E6 is the only continuous road in many isolated areas in Norway; Detours around incidents in the north of Norway are often hundreds of kilometres longer than driving on E6 would be. Some mountain passes along E6 in Norway are frequently closed due to snow storms in winter. These passes are: On the night from 19 to 20 June 1996, around 0h30, a large quick clay landslide took place in Finneidfjord. Two residential houses and 300 metres of E6 road disappeared into

2356-588: Is limited by climatic factors, but still has a long history in the southern half of the region. Rhubarb and redcurrant has been used for more than 100 years; redcurrant also grows naturally in much of the region, blackcurrant is also common in gardens. In addition to potatoes and carrots, rutabaga and sometimes cabbage have traditionally been grown (very little in Finnmark). Many wild plants were used for medical purposes or as spices, such as Garden Angelica , but this has become rare in modern times. More lately

2480-582: Is normally solid but can become fluid and form landslides when under pressure or otherwise disturbed. After E6 was gone, traffic had to be diverted through Sweden, using European route E12 . On 20 December 2006, a large landslide occurred in Småröd, just south of Munkedal , in Bohuslän , in Sweden, in connection with the construction of a motorway at the site which also affected the old road. About 15 cars and

2604-474: Is not to suggest that no prejudices remain, however. Sami is spoken in three main dialects (or languages, depending on the definition): Southern Sami south of the Arctic Circle, Lule Sami mainly between Bodø and Narvik, and Northern Sami in the rest. Originally, Pite Sami and Ume Sami were spoken around Bodø, but these dialects are now extinct on the Norwegian side of the border. Eastern Sami

SECTION 20

#1732786902363

2728-619: Is official in addition to Sami and Norwegian in Porsanger municipality. Very few first language Finnish speakers remain in Northern Norway, and unlike Northern Sami, the Finnish language lacks a core region where it is still dominant in daily life. Coastal and fjord areas of Northern Norway have much in common with Western Norway , sometimes imagined in cultural terms as a shared "coastal identity". The topography and fjord landscape,

2852-408: Is often served on the beach, boiled in seawater over an open fire, or fried (typically the smaller coalfish). Halibut is traditional Christmas food. Most fish is served plainly poached, only accompanied by boiled potatoes, carrots and possibly fried bacon. A more particular kind of fish is "gammelsei", saithe that has been conserved for a year or more. Other traditions are lutefisk and boknafisk ,

2976-404: Is quite distinct, although comprehensible for people from Finland. Further east, around Vadsø and Kirkenes, the spoken Finnish resembles standard Finnish. People of Finnish descent in these eastern areas are also typically more likely to consider themselves as " Finnish Norwegians " rather than Kvens , arguing that the term Kven represents an attempt to cut them off from their Finnish roots. Finnish

3100-619: Is the imported strawberry which has become popular and are grown locally (mostly southern half of region). The unique growing conditions, with ripening in 24-hr daylight and modest warmth is sometimes claimed to enhance flavor. Bioforsk , with research in terrestrial effects of climate and subarctic agriculture, has branches in four places in Northern Norway – Tromsø, Bodø, Tjøtta and Svanhovd in Sør-Varanger Municipality . There are large climatic differences from southwest to northeast in this region. Finnmarksvidda in

3224-637: The Late Middle Ages . There were numerous wars with the Novgorod Republic in Russia at the time, that stopped by the late 15th century. Reduced fish prices in the 17th century and the exploitative trade practices of merchants from Bergen, who had been granted a royal monopoly on fish trading, led to a significant decline in the population and grinding poverty for those who remained. Large coastal areas were depopulated, and Sami culture made

3348-554: The Arctic archipelago of Svalbard , traditionally not regarded as part of Northern Norway. The region is multi-cultural, housing not just Norwegians but also the indigenous Sami people , Norwegian Finns (known as Kvens , distinct from the " Forest Finns " of Southern Norway) and Russian populations (mostly in Kirkenes ). The Norwegian language dominates in most of the area; Sami speakers are mainly found inland and in some of

3472-533: The British blockade of the Napoleonic wars, this introduced a period of unprecedented growth in the north as the trade monopoly had previously made cities nonviable in Northern Norway. Bodø was founded in 1816, and Vadsø in 1833. The Hurtigruten shipping line, introduced in 1893, gave quicker communications with the south. In 1906, the iron mines in Kirkenes opened. At the same time, the ethnic diversity of

3596-522: The Bronze Age 1000 BC. A larger settlement by people of Germanic origin, with substantial archeological evidence, seem to have occurred 200–300 AD. These settled along the coasts roughly up to Tromsø. The two ethnic groups traded with each other, and there seems to have been quite a lot of intermarriage. The nature of the co-existence is hotly debated. In the Viking Age , several chieftains along

3720-474: The Dunderland Valley are a caledonian shale , known from its occurrences of iron ore , mica schist , and marble . Its mining industry has produced Fauske marble , also present in Fauske Municipality to the north. At Storforshei , there has been a large-scale iron mining industry. There are also pyrite mines. The valley has several stalactite caverns in the limestone , with some of

3844-625: The Dunderlandsdal accident occurred, it was one of the worst bus accidents in Norwegian history to date. For the Sámi , the valley has a special symbolic value due to a tragic incident that occurred about one hundred years ago. In the early 1900s a bus returning from a Sámi conference in Tromsø drove off the road and crashed into the Ranelva river at the bottom of the valley. Of the 23 people on board, 16 were killed and 4 were never found. Most of

Dunderland Valley - Misplaced Pages Continue

3968-484: The E6, into cities with toll rings, either for sleeping in a hotel or for sightseeing. The number of toll stations one encounters on E6 can decrease when road projects have been paid for and toll stations are abandoned. The number of toll stations can also go up in the future if new roads need to be financed. As of October 2024, there are no electronic road tolls on E6 in Finnmark. The Norwegian system of electronic tolls

4092-401: The E6. Moreover, on the stretch from Oslo to Trondheim, following E6 strictly is a 40-kilometre (25 mi) detour compared to using Norwegian National Road 3 or Norwegian National Road 4 for their applicable portions of the trip. The road is a 2+2 lane motorway from outside Trelleborg to Moelv , about 740 kilometres (460 mi). The last Swedish part of the E6 motorway through Bohuslän

4216-604: The Heathens"), was built in Tromsø, along with a small rampart intended to serve as protection against Karelian raids. This was followed in 1307 by the consecration of Vardø Church in what is now eastern Finnmark. Finally, Vardøhus Fortress was constructed to mark and defend the border with the Karelian tributary lands of the Novgorod Republic . The traditional view has been that the fortress and church were constructed at roughly

4340-675: The Northern Norwegian chieftains. In the Middle Ages , churches and fortifications were built along the coast in an effort to stake a more firm claim for the kingdom of Norway along what was then the frontier of Norwegian settlement. By 1150, Lenvik Church was the northernmost church in Norway. In 1252 the first church, the Ecclesia Sanctae Mariae de Trums juxta paganos ("The Church of Saint Mary in Troms near

4464-506: The Norwegian state-owned company that designs roads. Apart from being the most important road between Oslo and Göteborg, E6 is functioning like Norway's backbone, but this road is rather vulnerable to snow storms, rockfalls, landslides, flooding, bridge failures and even train wrecks on the parallel railroad. Whenever E6 is closed ( stengt in Norwegian) due to any such aforementioned incident, Norwegian journalists often write that Norway

4588-494: The Norwegian stretch of E6 between Svinesund and Bjerkvik. Without prior registration, the cost of a straight trip from Svinesund to Kirkenes, with a petrol or diesel car weighing less than 3500 kilos, remaining only on E6, was NOK 1072 ( about €90,45 ) with rush hour fares included, by the end of October 2024. The last electronic toll station would be Hålogaland Bridge , between Narvik and Bjerkvik. The number of tolls to pass and pay for will however increase as soon as one drives off

4712-684: The Ranelva river. There have been settlements in the Dunderland Valley since the Stone Age . In the summer of 2003, a Danish tourist discovered a battle axe (Streitaxe) close to the river Eiterå . The axe was delivered to the Cultural Department of the Rana Museum on 1 July 2004. This is the first discovery of the battle axe culture in the inner parts of Northern Norway . In 1913, a 20-centimetre (7.9 in) long axe from

4836-460: The Stone Age, and the comparatively large areas of sparsely settled valleys, fells and mountains still hold wildlife. In the winter, the codfish comes to the coastal waters to spawn, especially to the cod fisheries of Lofoten. Mølja , boiled codfish with liver and roe , is a delicacy that today is served in the best restaurants. In the summer, the coalfish , or saithe , bites, and fresh saithe

4960-489: The age of 6 and her mother were found killed in the barn. The father was found hung in the same barn. In 1995, another tragic event hit the valley. During a Boy Scout camp at an old farm, a 12-year-old girl disappeared. The girl was from the town of Tromsø in Northern Norway . The event was widely covered in Norwegian press. Crews searched for her for two years, but all they found was her backpack lying alongside

5084-410: The area ( Helgeland , Salten , Lofoten, Harstad- Kvæfjord ). In addition to fishing, each family traditionally had a small farm with a few cows (see Pietro Querinis shipwrecked at Røst in 1432 ), sheep or goats (goats being preferred in many places due to their superior adaptation to the rough and mountainous terrain found in much of Northern Norway) and had small grain fields (mostly barley ). After

Dunderland Valley - Misplaced Pages Continue

5208-541: The area between the Russian border and the Lyngen fjord , as part of their tactics . The population was forcibly evacuated, although a third of them chose to hide in the wilderness instead. All who were found were shot. After World War II, Norway made a huge effort to rebuild the destroyed towns and villages. Modernizing fishing and agriculture was important, as Northern Norway was considerably poorer and less developed than

5332-657: The area came under threat. Particularly after Norwegian independence (from the United Kingdoms of Sweden and Norway ) in 1905, the Norwegian authorities were insistent that all should speak Norwegian only and schools became active tools of assimilation. The Sami language was banned in schools, churches and in public administration. Concerns about possible Finnish irredentism also led to increasing pressure on Kvens to assimilate. People who wanted to buy state-owned land in Finnmark had to prove they could speak Norwegian before they were allowed to settle. This region of Norway

5456-554: The barren coasts that rise directly up from the sea. The landscape towards the Russian border is comparatively flat. Knivskjellodden on the island of Magerøya marks the northern end of Europe; tourism is directed to the much more accessible (and dramatic) North Cape , whereas Kinnarodden on the Nordkinn Peninsula is the northernmost point of Europe's mainland. Finnmark is situated north of northernmost Finland, and to

5580-791: The capital Oslo . North of this, it passes by Gardermoen , Hamar , Lillehammer , Dombås , Oppdal , Melhus to Trondheim . Beyond Trondheim, the E6 meets Stjørdalshalsen , Verdalsøra , Steinkjer , Grong , Mosjøen , Mo i Rana , then over the Saltfjellet mountains. It then passes through Rognan , Fauske , and Hamarøy towards Bognes , where there is a ferry crossing over the Tysfjorden to Skarberget . It then runs through on via Narvik , Setermoen , Nordkjosbotn , Skibotn , and Alta to Olderfjord , where European route E69 continues north towards Nordkapp . The E6, meanwhile, turns south towards Lakselv and Karasjok , then runs on

5704-467: The closure of E6: On top of the closing of E6, both detours have also been closed at times, due to bad weather and traffic accidents. Storm Jakob, which triggered red alerts south of Trondheim, has aggravated the landslide risk and delayed the removal of the crashed locomotive at Finneidfjord. An orange alert was issued locally, with a warning not to travel if not necessary. During this episode of bad weather both detours failed on 29 October 2024, when

5828-558: The coast played a significant role in Norwegian history, usually resisting unification of Norway . The voyage and story of Ottar from Hålogaland was recorded by King Alfred the Great in Wessex . Hårek from Tjøtta and Tore Hund , who killed Saint Olav at the Battle of Stiklestad in 1030 were important leaders according to Heimskringla . The chieftain and poet Øyvind Skaldespiller was

5952-468: The coast. Shark meat has traditionally not been used as food, even if some can grow nearly 10 metres (33 ft) long. In later years, the large Red king crab has invaded Norwegian waters from the east and, having reached west to Hammerfest, are now served in the finest restaurants. The large sea bird colonies along the coast provided eggs for the local population, yet most of these are now protected by law. However, in Tromsø, sea gull eggs and beer from

6076-518: The dates are 17 May to 25 July, and 26 November to 15 January, respectively; and for Bodø from 30 May to 12 July (no polar night in Bodø). The mid-winter darkness is not totally dark on the mainland; there is twilight for about three hours around noon in Tromsø. Helgeland does not have true midnight sun, but the upper part of the sun disc never descends below the horizon as far south as Mosjøen in June. February

6200-518: The detour road through Sweden had become so bad, that taking the detour through Sweden was no longer recommended. The second train car was lifted away on Monday morning and the locomotive was salvaged on Tuesday. Statens Vegvesen had planned for E6 to remain closed until Thursday, but with the train wreck gone, E6 was reopened for traffic under guidance on Wednesday morning, 6 November 2024. BaneNOR however announced in their last update of their press release that they expect to be doing repair works until

6324-613: The earliest settlers in Northern Norway is being used to question their status as an indigenous people. Metals were introduced around 500 BC. The Sami culture can be traced back at least 2,000 years. There is also some archeological evidence of Bronze Age agricultural settlements about 2,500 years old, as in Steigen Municipality and Sømna Municipality . In 2009, archeologist discovered evidence of barley grown in Kvæfjord Municipality (near Harstad ) in

SECTION 50

#1732786902363

6448-643: The east Norway has a 196 kilometres (122 mi) border with Russia. The oldest known historical culture in the region is called the Komsa culture , named after a mountain in Alta . The first people possibly arrived 12,000–13,000 years ago, but it is uncertain whether they came from southern Norway or from the Kola Peninsula . Today the rock carvings at Hjemmeluft in Alta or at Leknes in Nordland are among

6572-583: The embankment, or more rocks would fall. Once again, Norway's main road was closed and Norway was cut in two. One detour, using FV17, involved a ferry ship crossing between Levang and Nesna, where waiting times were very long, as the ferry ship did not have enough capacity to absorb the volume of traffic that usually drives on E6. The other option for a detour went along FV73 in Norway and through Sweden, following LV-AC1116 and European route E12. Both detours cost lots of extra fuel and driving time. The detour trough Sweden, for driving from Bjerka to Finneidfjord,

6696-404: The end of November 2024, so traffic on E6 can be temporarily closed for up till half an hour, whenever repair works on the railway might cause risk of rockfall. Northern Norway Northern Norway ( Bokmål : Nord-Norge , Urban East Norwegian: [ˈnûːrˌnɔrɡə] , Nynorsk : Nord-Noreg ; Northern Sami : Davvi-Norga ) is a geographical region of Norway , consisting of

6820-431: The far southwest, and the northwestern coasts are characterized by big islands, like Sørøya and Seiland . The inland is covered by Finnmarksvidda , a relatively barren plateau about 300 to 400 metres (980 to 1,310 ft) high, with many lakes and rivers like Alta-Kautokeino and Tana-Deatnu . Even at this latitude, pine forests grow naturally in lowland areas inland. East of Honningsvåg , there are no islands protecting

6944-511: The ferry service between Nesna and Levang was interrupted for several hours and the detour through Sweden was temporarily blocked by a truck that needed to be salvaged. E12 got covered in deep snow and long traffic jams started to form at the Swedish-Norwegian border. When the ferry between Nesna and Levang resumed its service, they were sailing with only one ship, since the second ferry ship had technical issues. The E12 detour road

7068-518: The first one starting in 1902. The river Ranelva provided water power to the miners. The mining company was closed in 1947. Since 1937, Rana Gruber has mined iron ore . Norsk Jernverk was established in 1946, and it began mining magnetite and hematite from the iron ore in 1964. This valley was the site to several accidents and recorded events in Norwegian history. During the World War II , Nazis had several concentration camps in

7192-557: The first settlers started arriving in Northern Norway from Finland. The traditional view is that these were refugees escaping famine and warfare at home, although modern scholars have pointed out that many were simply looking for their own piece of land, which was getting scarce in Finland as a result of rapid population growth. In 1789, the trade monopoly of the city of Bergen was lifted, Hammerfest and Vardø were issued their city charters, and Tromsø followed suit in 1794. Interrupted by

7316-460: The first to receive international acclaim, as his poems were rewarded when the Icelandic parliament organized a money collection to buy him a thick ring of gold. This flourishing period of resistance was followed by consolidation and centralization of the Norwegian state, which was (and is) dominated by southerners (in the relative sense of south of Northern Norway), reducing the power and wealth of

7440-487: The fjord areas of Nordland, Troms and particularly Finnmark – though ethnic Sámi who do not speak the language are found more or less everywhere in the region. Finnish is spoken in only a few communities in the east of Finnmark. Northern Norway covers about a third of Norway. The southernmost part, roughly the part south of the Arctic Circle , is called Helgeland . Here there is a multitude of islands and skerries on

7564-478: The fjords, and the coldest are inland. Inland Finnmark, as in Karasjok, average temperatures remain below freezing for 7 months (October–April). In Tromsø, average temperatures stays below freezing for 4–5 months. Even if winter temperatures depends largely on the distance to the sea, the length of the season varies mostly with latitude (and altitude). While the southern coast of Nordland have four months of summer,

SECTION 60

#1732786902363

7688-532: The freezing highlands out through the large fjords, −10 °C (14 °F) and strong breeze will feel very cold on the skin. Mild westerlies are still much more common in most winters. Weather patterns are inherently unpredictable in this northern region—both low pressure and high pressure weather can occur at any time of year, although the strongest winds occur in winter. Along the coast of Nordland north to southern Vesterålen, average winter temperatures hover just above freezing, getting gradually colder winters into

7812-474: The fuel station. The pre-1990 E6 through Ucklum was used while the motorway was closed. Shortly before King Carl XVI Gustaf arrived to cut the ribbon, on 3 July 2024, and declare the route reopened, a truckload of rotting salmon was cleared away from the site of the landslide. E6 motorway was finally reopened to traffic on 5 July 2024, several months ahead of the previous schedule, that was aiming for December 2024. On 24 October 2024, around 14h15 ( 2h15 PM )

7936-405: The geologist Barbara Prisemann (Department of Natural history, Rana museum), the axe is made from the green shale rock type . European route E6 European route E6 ( Norwegian : Europavei 6 , Swedish : Europaväg 6 , or simply E6 ) is the main north–south thoroughfare through Norway as well as the west coast of Sweden . It is 3,056 km (1,899 mi) long and runs from

8060-840: The glacier Okstindbreen . The Saltfjellet range, with its Svartisen glacier and intersecting Arctic Circle , divides Helgeland from the next region, called Salten . Notable peaks in Salten are the Børvasstindan south of Bodø , Suliskongen near Fauske (1,907 metres or 6,257 feet, highest mountain north of the Arctic Circle), the Steigartindan and the phallic Hamarøytinden. Between Saltfjellet and eastern Finnmark, Norway spruce trees have originally been planted and are mostly privately owned. The older plantations are now producing lumber , 80 years after planted. Lofoten

8184-441: The interior of Finnmark and some valleys in the interior of Troms, experience a more continental climate with much less precipitation and much colder winters compared to the long coastal region. There are extreme variations in daylight between winter and summer. In Nordkapp Municipality the midnight sun can be seen from 11 May to 31 July, and the sun does not rise above the horizon from 19 November to 22 January. For Tromsø,

8308-529: The introduction (and somewhat later acceptance) of potatoes from the Americas, these became a main staple in much of Northern Norway, as well as many other parts of Norway. Agriculture gradually becomes less important as a food source as one moves further north, and in the northern half (north of Balsfjord/Tromsø area) was usually of minor importance and certainly less important than fishing or Sami reindeer nomadic pastoralism . Hunting has been important ever since

8432-470: The latter always served with sugar and cinnamon . None of the aforementioned are distinctly Northern Norwegian foods, however, but are popular throughout Norway. There are a number of local traditions in this long region, including goat cheese from Balsfjord Municipality , Blanklefse and other variations of lefse from Helgeland, and a number of variations of reindeer, an integral part of traditional Sami culture. Wild berries have long traditions in

8556-442: The latter made from stockfish , and in Nordland often from herring . Seawolf and rose fish are regarded as good food, the latter often eaten salted and poached, with the brain ( krus ) highly regarded, sometimes fried with onions. In addition to cod, herring and potatoes were traditional staple foods (except in the most northern area). Salmon has long traditions as food along the rivers, and also trout which are common also in

8680-429: The local brewery is still a highly regarded dish to enjoy in the sun of late spring. Tender whale meat is usually served as steaks, whereas seals are an acquired taste, due to the smell. However, when processed into "Barents ham", it gets more palatable. Fresh seal meat is served at the end of the hunting season in spring, and Tromsø is the place to look for it. Reindeer are often served as finnebiff , thin slices in

8804-458: The local cuisine, and the most sought after is the cloudberry , used in marmalade, desserts and cakes. Other popular wild berries are bilberries , lingonberry , raspberry (southern half of region, also cultivated in some private gardens), and there are also a number of less well known berries used for food. Mushrooms are common in the forests from late July to September and also has seen some use in traditional food. The use of kitchen gardens

8928-466: The middle of the river for erosion. On 30 January 2023, Statens Vegvesen announced that they would set up another temporary bridge a little upstream, where the old E6 once used to be, so the damaged bridge could be dismantled, before melting snow would cause new high water levels in the river. A design for the new Badderen bridge was published for public hearings in September 2024. It is expected that

9052-499: The missing EETS regulation. This road was called E6 in the old "E" road system before 1975 and previously it continued to Rome (introduced in Sweden in 1962 and Norway in 1965). However, before 1969 E6 went only to Stjørdal near Trondheim and 1969 – 1983 to Nordkjosbotn near Tromsø. The road was considered in too bad condition to be E-routes further north until it got upgraded. Parts were gravel roads. The non-E-route sections were called National Route 6 from 1965. The northern part of E6

9176-448: The most well-known is Stetind , the national mountain of Norway. There are also glaciers, like Frostisen and Blåisen . Troms county has surprising greenery for the latitude, and the inner waterways and fjords are lined with birch forests, and further inland there are extensive pine forests and highlands around the rivers Målselva and Reisaelva . Big islands like Senja , Kvaløya and Ringvassøya have green, forested interiors and

9300-426: The northeasternmost areas just averages two months, such as Kirkenes and Vadsø. The warmest summer daily highs are in the inland valleys and sheltered fjords, in towns like Mosjøen, Rognan, Narvik, Bardufoss, Alta and Karasjok. A small strip of land along the extreme northeastern coast from Nordkapp Municipality to Vardø Municipality was earlier partly tundra (Arctic climate) due to lack of summer warmth, however with

9424-577: The numerous glaciers – more than 500, mostly in Nordland and Troms. Autumn, and some places along the coast winter, tend to be the wettest season, often receiving more than twice as much precipitation as does spring and early summer. Only the interior areas of Finnmark tend to be wettest in summer. The areas with the least precipitation are some inland valleys, like Dividalen in Målselv Municipality with only 282 millimetres (11.1 in) precip/year, and upper Saltdal and Skibotn with about

9548-455: The numerous lakes. In the latest decades consumption has increased in correspondence with increased salmon fish farming ; smoked salmon is very popular, often on open sandwiches , alone or together with boiled or scrambled eggs or salad . Traditionally, northerners regarded shellfish and prawns as bait, but lately they have developed a taste for it, and the freshest and most succulent prawns and shellfish are easily obtainable all along

9672-563: The opening of two new sections of road, between Fjerdingen and Grøndalselv and between the Trøndelag district border and the lake Lille Majavatn , with a similar picture taken on 18 October 2024. The speed limit on these 2 new straightened parts of E6 has been raised from 80 to 90 kilometres per hour (56 miles per hour). E6 was numbered RV50 between Oslo and Kirkenes in 1931, to tie the north and south of Norway more closely together, even though many road sections were still missing links. In 1991

9796-456: The other side of the river. After traffic had been interrupted for more than a week, a temporary bridge was installed over the damaged bridge and E6 was reopened for traffic on 8 June 2022. A final report about the causes of the collapse of Badderen bridge was published in December 2022. Stetens Vegvesen admitted that they could have done better in inspecting bridges with support columns in

9920-988: The outer seaboard. However, many winter days are completely calm. The most windy location in continental Norway (apart from mountain summits) is Fruholmen Lighthouse ( Fruholmen fyr ) in Måsøy Municipality not far from the North Cape . The most windy city in Northern Norway is Bodø with on average 153 days/year with strong breeze or more and 24 days with gale-force winds, while Vardø , also lacking shelter, sees 136 days of strong breeze or more and 18 days with gale. Inland valleys and sheltered fjord areas—particularly if sheltered by mountains—are much less windy. Tromsø, partly sheltered by large islands, experiences on average 27 days/year with strong breeze, and 1 day with gale, and Bardufoss sees on average only 11 days with strong breeze or more and scarcely ever experiences gale. In winter, there might sometimes blow cold winds from

10044-690: The outside of the coastal range, some flat, some with impressive shapes, like Mount Torghatten , which has a hole through it, and the Seven Sisters near Sandnessjøen . The inland is covered with dense spruce forests and mountains near the Swedish border; some of the biggest rivers in the region are the Vefsna and the Ranelva . The highest mountain in Northern Norway is found here in the Okstindan range south of Mo i Rana with Oksskolten reaching 1,915 metres (6,283 ft) above sea level, and with

10168-583: The overnight low does not fall below 20 °C (68 °F). The warmest night ever recorded in Norway was 29 July 2019 at Sømna-Kvaløyfjellet (302 m) in Sømna Municipality near Brønnøysund with overnight low 26.1 °C (79.0 °F). The third warmest night recorded in Norway was at Makkaur in Båtsfjord Municipality with overnight low 25.2 °C (77.4 °F) on 19 July 2018. Brønnøysund at 65 degrees north latitude has

10292-472: The people aboard the bus died, and thus the Southern Sámi people lost most of their political leaders in one single blow. There is a memorial that was built on the site in 1950 where the bus ran off the road. It is somewhat hidden in the forest, but accessible from the road by a small stairway. In 1953, a family tragedy struck the valley. A family was found slaughtered at a remote farm. A young girl at

10416-412: The railway line was finished on 24 February 2007. The Swedish Accident Investigation Authority wrote in its final report that this landslide was caused by a combination of underestimating the risks of unknown quick clay layers underground and piling up too much earth and sand, without evaluating the bearing force of the underlying earth layers. On 31 May 2022, a fairly short river bridge near Badderen

10540-611: The reason for a large protest in several cities in Norway in 2018 and 2019. Norwegian authorities refuse to comment on the number of fines for unpaid tolls that they cannot collect. Public broadcaster NRK investigated and has written a long news article, in which they estimate that Norway has missed out on about 90 million Kroner ( about 7,58 million Euros ) between May 2021 and December 2023, because tourists have not paid their electronic road tolls. Norway cannot force drivers with foreign registered cars to pay, as long as Liechtenstein has not ratified EETS ( European Electronic Toll Service ),

10664-586: The region, especially towards the border with Sweden and north to the Lyngen alps east of Tromsø, are mountains and highlands with alpine tundra climate above the treeline. The mean annual temperature difference between Brønnøysund (6.6 °C (43.9 °F)) and Kautokeino (−1.4 °C (29.5 °F)) is 8 °C (13 °F), about the same as the difference between Brønnøysund and Madrid, Spain ( MADRID/RETIRO, SPAIN Weather History and Climate Data ). The warm climate in coastal areas, relative to other locations at

10788-400: The remainders of the Stone Age cultures, showing reindeer swimming across the fjords. A significant find area is between the river Tana and the fjord of Varanger , where the reindeer probably ran over the isthmus on the way between the winter and summer grazing. The question of the ethnic identity of the Stone Age cultures is politically charged, as many Sami feel the uncertainty surrounding

10912-435: The retreating snow line up the hills and mountains to get the most nutritious fresh vegetation throughout summer is highly regarded by the locals, and research seem to indicate that a varied diet does influence the taste of the meat. Game meat includes mountain hare , rock ptarmigan , willow grouse and moose . Foods with dairy as an important ingredient include waffles , pancakes and rømmegrøt (sour-cream porridge),

11036-555: The rich fisheries, the culture and even some aspects of the dialects ( Vestnorsk ) have clear similarities. During the 18th and 19th centuries a Russian-Norwegian pidgin known as Russenorsk developed for the communication of Russian traders and Norwegian fishermen in the Pomor trade . Northern Norway is surrounded by some of the richest seas in the world, and seafood is the main source for traditional cuisine. However, agricultural produce has existed for at least 3,000 years in parts of

11160-426: The road, north of Trondheim, is also often fairly curvy, making high speeds a possible safety hazard. E6 passes over treeless mountain passes in a few places in Norway. In the winter, bad weather and snow storms can cause the road to be temporarily closed, though, unlike many minor roads, it is kept open wherever practical. Because the road is the main artery through the country, cyclists and leisure travellers avoid

11284-500: The same coastal area, but slightly into the fjords north to include Bodø , is a narrow area where winters are a little colder but summers still lasts four month, making this a humid continental climate (Dfb). A long area along the coast from Myken island in the south north along the outer coast north to Hasvik Municipality is the subpolar oceanic climate (Cfc) with still not very cold winters (coldest month above −3 °C (27 °F)). This includes much of Lofoten and Vesterålen,

11408-508: The same cultural horizon was discovered on Brattland in Utskarpen . The axe is a "boat-axe" of Swedish-Norwegian type from about 2800—2400 BC. It was not a functional tool, but rather a dignity symbol of worthiness and a high social class. It may have belonged to a local chieftain. The stripe on the backside of the axe resembles an edge from moulding, and is an imitation of moulded axes in bronze from Skåne or Denmark . According to

11532-533: The same latitude, is by many attributed to the relatively warm North Atlantic Current , an extension of the Gulf Stream . Wind strength is strongest in winter and late autumn, when the Lows are strongest. Summers and early autumn are much less windy and will rarely see the wind strength that can be experienced in winter. Every winter sees windstorms disrupting communications (ferries, air traffic), especially along

11656-417: The same time, although recent research indicates that the fortress may have been constructed as late as the 1330s, after the border between Norway and Novgorod had become more fixed. At roughly the same time, the cod fishing gained momentum. Dried cod was exported through Bergen to the whole Hanseatic world , bringing prosperity to the north. This is reflected in the numerous pieces of imported church art from

11780-666: The same. Inland Finnmark is the only large area with less than 450 millimetres (18 in) precipitation/year. The wettest areas are generally the Helgeland region; Lurøy Municipality on the west coast of Saltfjell averages 2,900 millimetres (110 in)/year. The coldest temperature recorded is −51.4 °C (−60.5 °F) in Karasjok on 1.January 1886, and the warmest recorded is 35 °C (95 °F) at Mosjøen Airport on 27 July 2019. Many locations in North Norway have recorded what Norwegians know as "tropical nights" when

11904-485: The sea. NRK came back to Finneidfjord 20 years later, interviewed people who were involved in the landslide and wrote an article to commemorate the disaster. One man, who lost his house in 1996, called the landslide an open wound, still soaring in 2016, as nobody was held responsible for the landslide. It remains unknown if blasting explosions for the building of a new tunnel in E6 have played a role in this landslide. Quick clay can be found in many places in Norway. Quick clay

12028-548: The south. In 1946, the huge steel works of Mo i Rana were founded, heralding industrialization of the north. Transportation was also improved, as airports were built throughout the area, notably in Bodø in 1952 and Tromsø in 1964. The rail network was extended to reach Bodø in 1961. In 1972, the University of Tromsø opened, accompanied by a number of university colleges, notably in Bodø, Alta, Harstad and Narvik. In 1972 and 1994,

12152-535: The southern dialects of Norway. Apart from this, there is great variation in sound system, grammar, and vocabulary. In general, one can say that the southernmost of the northern dialects, particularly in Helgeland and Salten, are the most distinct. Notably they cut grammar endings (like French relative to Italian) . In areas of Finnmark, the dialects are somewhat more in line with standard written Norwegian ( Bokmål , Nynorsk ), particularly in those areas where Norwegian

12276-558: The southern sections owing to the excessive traffic. In the north, traffic used to be sparse in 2009, but traffic numbers on E6 may have increased since the number of mobile homes in Europe has doubled, or because road trips and van life are being largely promoted on social media. Travellers driving from Svinesund, at the border between Norway and Sweden, to the other end of E6 in Kirkenes, will pass around 32 electronic toll stations on

12400-519: The southern tip of Sweden at Trelleborg , into Norway and through almost all of the country north to the Arctic Circle and Nordkapp . The route ends in Kirkenes close to the Russian border. From south to north, the E6 runs through Trelleborg , Malmö , Helsingborg , Halmstad , Gothenburg , Svinesund in Sweden, before crossing the border at the Svinesund Bridge into Norway. It then passes Halden , Sarpsborg , Moss , Vestby to

12524-476: The strong anti-EU movements of the north, largely based on concerns over EU mismanagement of its own fish stocks, were instrumental when Norway voted against EU membership in referendums. Sami language instruction was introduced in schools in the 1970s. In 1979, the building of a hydro-electric dam in Alta caused huge demonstrations, giving the Sami question national attention for virtually the first time. The result

12648-492: The sun that enter the atmosphere of the earth, and paint the sky all colors from the color palette. The coast of Helgeland in southern Nordland and some islands further north to Skrova in Lofoten have a temperate oceanic climate ( Cfb ) with monthly mean temperatures above 0 °C (32 °F) in winter, and four months with mean at or above 10 °C (50 °F). This includes the towns Brønnøysund and Sandnessjøen . In

12772-459: The three northernmost counties Nordland , Troms and Finnmark , in total about 35% of the Norwegian mainland. Some of the largest towns in Northern Norway (from south to north) are Mo i Rana , Bodø , Narvik , Harstad , Tromsø and Alta . Northern Norway is often described as the land of the midnight sun and the land of the northern lights . Farther north, halfway to the North Pole, is

12896-487: The tributary streams flowing for considerable distances underground. From the upper parts of the Dunderland Valley, a sequestered bridle-path runs from Bolna to Saltdal Municipality on the Skjerstadfjord , with a branch through the magnificent Junkerdal National Park . Deposits of iron ore have been known in this area since 1799. The Dunderland Iron Ore Company mined here during several operative periods,

13020-563: The typical boreal climate, and a complete lack of permafrost; this includes Mosjøen, Mo i Rana, Narvik, Tromsø and Hammerfest. Colder winters are found in Bardufoss, Alta, Kirkenes and Vadsø. The really cold areas are inland in Finnmark where Karasjok and Kautokeino have mean annual below 0 °C (32 °F) and patchy permafrost. However, the inland towns seldom see strong winds, and Karasjok only experiences on average 1 day/year with strong breeze (22 knots) or more. A substantial area of

13144-412: The updated climate normals 1991–2020, summers have warmed and the tundra climate has changed to a boreal climate along this northernmost coast, but still with very modest summer warmth. Precipitation occur in all seasons, usually as snow in winter, although often as rain on the Nordland coast. Snow accumulation in the mountains can exceed 3 metres (9.8 ft), and this abundance of snow is the reason for

13268-526: The valley. They mainly housed Polish and Russian prisoners, who were used to build the Nordland Line from Trondheim . The stretch of railway passing through Saltfjellet was extremely brutal and many lost their lives building this. The German troops disposed the bodies the majority of the sick/diseased prisoners in the river Ranelva which flows through the Dunderland Valley. The strong currents made it almost impossible to recover anyone. In 1948,

13392-483: The west bank of the Anarjohka , which forms the border with Finland . Beyond the border, it passes through Varangerbotn , and Kirkenes , where the road terminates just east of the town centre. Between Trelleborg and Kirkenes, there is a more than 800 km (500 mi) shorter route using E4 and E75 , among the longest detours any European route has. In Finnmark there are several shorter alternative routes to

13516-489: The western coast of Troms north to Fruholmen in Måsøy Municipality in Finnmark. Towns in this area includes Leknes , Sortland , Harstad, the mildest parts of Tromsø close to the sea and Hasvik . The largest part of North Norway are within the boreal climate (also known as subarctic), but with large variation of temperatures and precipitation from south to northeast. Most towns along the fjords falling into this climate zone in North Norway have winters milder and wetter than

13640-559: Was a significant effort by the authorities to promote Sami language and culture. In 1989, the Norwegian Sami parliament, Samediggi , opened, and the Law of Finnmark of 2005 was an attempt to deal with the question of land rights. A similar law is on the way for Nordland and Troms. Working against all this, emigration to the south has been strong after World War II. While there is a slight overall population growth in Northern Norway (as

13764-530: Was about 325 km long and took around 4½ hours, compared to a 5 km drive that would take just 4 minutes under normal circumstances. A local couple started to use their fishing boat to transport people from the village over the fjord, past the train wreck. Eventually the local council took over this ferry service. Postal service Posten announced on Wednesday 30 October 2024 that letters and packages were delayed, due to many closed railways and roads. NRK published an article about at least 5 disturbances due to

13888-860: Was bombed by the Luftwaffe , and on 7 June, the Allies retreated from the North, and the King and government fled to Britain from Tromsø. During the war, the area was used by the Kriegsmarine to stage U-boat attacks on Allied Arctic supply convoys resupplying the Eastern Front . In 1944, the German Wehrmacht started to retreat from the Murmansk front. They burned everything after them in

14012-546: Was clearing the fallen rock from the train track and towing three train cars, that had not gone down the embankment, back to Bjerka railway station. Statens Vegvesen issued a new press release almost every day, keeping previous statements online. With each announcement, reopening of E6 was further delayed, due to a moving mountain slope, dangerously high winds, rockfall and other safety issues. BaneNOR chose to continuously update their existing press statement from Monday 28 October 2024 onwards, making previous versions disappear. E6

14136-495: Was closed again on Thursday 31 October 2024, after a car with three Norwegians crashed into the back of a stopped truck, on Blå Vägen (E12), between Bredviken and Kåtaviken, in Sweden. One of them died in hospital a few days later, as a result of his injuries. At first, Statens Vegvesen had been rather optimistic in their announcement about reopening E6, but work at the train crash site took much longer than expected. All that BaneNOR had managed to do by Wednesday, 30 October 2024,

14260-411: Was completed in 2015. This motorway is also connected to Central Europe by uninterrupted motorway (via E20 ). Some stretches further north also have four lanes or motorway standards. The rest of the road is usually 6–10-metre (20–33 ft) wide ordinary road. Some parts in the north of Norway are less than 6 m (20 ft) wide, making it very tight when heavy vehicles meet. The northern half of

14384-528: Was first opened in 1924, when the Innlandsvegen ( Inland road , in English) between Grong and Mosjøen was opened to traffic. An engineer responsible for building the Innlandsvegen wrote in his daily report of 3 February 1916 that he expected little traffic on the new road. A news report published by NRK shows that the opening ceremony picture, taken on 6 August 1924, was recreated 100 years later, after

14508-520: Was first reopened from Friday 1 November 2024 till Sunday morning 3 November 2024. By 17h49 ( 5h49 PM ) on Sunday 3 November 2024 BaneNOR announced that weather conditions unexpectedly had allowed them to lift one of the two train cars from the embankment above the E6, which took about 30 minutes, but as the wind was picking up, it was deemed unsafe to continue the salvage operation. Statens Vegvesen decided to temporarily reopen E6 again, starting from Sunday evening, 21h ( 9h PM ), because traffic conditions on

14632-580: Was given the number E47 (but not signposted) in the new system on most of the Scandinavian part ( Helsingborg – Olderfjord ), and E6 only for the northernmost 460 km (290 mi) (from Olderfjord in Finnmark ). After a political negotiation, the whole part passing through Scandinavia was given the number E6 in the new system, introduced in Scandinavia in 1992. The part Trelleborg-Helsingborg

14756-436: Was killed in this accident. Four passengers had to go to hospital. The rest of the passengers escaped with minor bruises and were evacuated by bus. The locomotive's front end, some trees and smaller rocks ended up on the northbound lane of the E6, between Bjerka and Finneidfjord. Police have closed both Nordland Line and E6, because there were some fears that the locomotive and one or more train cars could slide further down

14880-482: Was never intended to be part of E47. E47 connects to E4 at the Helsingør-Helsingborg ferry, and E4 and E6 connect just outside Helsingborg. The E6 became a 4-lane motorway all the way from Trelleborg to Kolomoen (near Hamar ) in 2015, although the road is sometimes wider. The new Svinesund Bridge opened in 2005, replacing an earlier and narrower bridge from 1946. The oldest 4-lane motorway along E6

15004-416: Was on the brink of collapse due to an unstable support column that was about to be washed away, as a result of erosion. Traffic on E6 between Tromsø and Alta had to make a 163-kilometre (101 mi) longer journey to reach their destination. Inhabitants of Badderen were confronted with a 688-kilometre (428 mi) detour, through Finland and Sweden, if they wished to drive their car from one river bank to

15128-708: Was originally spoken in Neiden , close to Kirkenes, but it is more or less extinct. Overall, Northern Sami is by far the healthiest of the Sami languages today, primarily because it still has a relatively large number of first language speakers and maintains its dominance in core areas in Finnmark. Northern Sami is an official language (in addition to Norwegian) in the municipalities of Gáivuotna Municipality (Kåfjord), Kautokeino Municipality , Karasjok Municipality , Porsanger Municipality , Tana Municipality , and Nesseby Municipality . The Finnish spoken in western regions, from Storfjord Municipality to Porsanger Municipality ,

15252-544: Was primarily introduced by the school system as part of the assimilation process during the 20th century. In some inland valleys in the county of Troms, settlers from the inland of Southern Norway immigrated 200 years ago. Even today, these dialects have southern characteristics in intonation and vocabulary. Earlier, northern dialects had a low status in Norway, but recently they have been used extensively in song lyrics, poetry, in TV and radio. Today, anyone can use their dialects. This

15376-535: Was the area most affected by World War II . In 1940, the Norwegians and Allied forces fought the German Army to a standstill over the strategic port for iron exports of Narvik, until allied forces and equipment were withdrawn, leaving the remaining Norwegians with no option but surrender. King Haakon VII and the government fled towards the north, and stayed in the Tromsø area for three weeks. On 27 May, Bodø

#362637