One of the largest cities north of the Arctic Circle
Whether you're used to traveling to northern countries or it's your first time, you're sure to be impressed when you arrive in Bodø. You'll surely experience the magical moment of flying over the fjord tips before landing. If you're arriving by land, you'll enter Bodø through several impressive mountains.
Amidst the fjords, surrounded by high mountains and wilderness, Bodø is located in the Nordland region and Salten district. This coastal town in Lapland has everything to make your stay a pleasant one: delicious restaurants, numerous cafés and bars, boutiques for an afternoon's shopping, museums for a cultural moment and numerous attractions. It's also full of contrasts. Here, we go from sea to mountains, from white sandy beaches to rough or snowy fjords, from the northern lights to the midnight sun, with sunshine ranging from one hour a day in mid-December to 24 hours in early July. More than 55,000 inhabitants live peacefully in this city of a thousand possibilities. It's a modern city with all the conveniences, living at nature's pace. Situated north of the Arctic Circle (in line with northern Sweden and Finland), Bodø knows no real darkness, and even in winter, when the sun shines for less than an hour a day, there's always a glimmer of sunlight lightening the sky. To experience the magic of the Northern Lights in winter and in good darkness, head a few kilometers away from Bodø, towards Mount Rønvik, Mjelle beach or Geitvagen beach. If you're lucky, patient and the sky is clear, you'll be able to admire the magnificent green, sometimes blue and violet colors dancing in the sky. This magical spectacle is best enjoyed well equipped: winter coat, gloves, scarf, snow boots, thermos of a hot drink... waiting in the cold (even in your car!) can sometimes last for hours!
If you love nature, Norway is the place for you. Cycling, swimming in icy waters (for the brave), fishing, as well as diving, via ferrata and boat trips in summer... adventure and outdoor enthusiasts will love it here!
Bodø and the surrounding area also offers a wide range of walks and hikes, including the Keiservarden viewpoint. This is one of the locals' favorite hikes (2.5 hr loop, 5.5 km, medium difficulty), offering 360° panoramic views of the town, the surrounding fjords and, in fine weather, the Lofoten mountains forming a wall a hundred kilometers away. You can also discover the Bestefarsvarden viewpoint, accessible to all, north of Bodø and near Bratten Via Ferrata. And maybe you'll stumble across a moose nibbling in the trees in a garden, or reindeer on the plains scratching in the snow for food. Wild life reigns here, and the locals have learned to live in harmony with it.
Norway invites you to live outdoors as much as indoors; in winter, you'll take refuge around the fireplace, with a gløgg (a famous sweet mulled wine) in hand and candles for a hygge atmosphere (Norwegian for comfortable, cozy and convivial). If you have the time and opportunity, don't hesitate to explore Bodø's surroundings. Head south along the scenic road and, after just 30 minutes, you'll come upon the Saltstraumen, the world's largest and strongest current. Further on, stop off at the Uredd Memorial (Ureddplassen), 1 h 30 from Bodø. Typical of Norwegian architecture, it's a unique spot for a picnic, but also a great place to watch the midnight sun or the northern lights. Adventurers and mountaineering enthusiasts can drive a further 50 minutes to climb Svartisen, Europe's most accessible glacier and Norway's2nd largest.
North of Bodø, discover picturesque villages with colorful houses overlooking the fjords, such as Skivika (only 10 min drive) or further afield, Kjerringøy (1 h drive, cut off by a ferry). Finally, hikers and walkers wishing to discover the national parks around Bodø have a choice: Sjunkhatten (1 h 15 min drive) and Rago (1 h) to the north and Saltfjellet-Svartisen (1 h 30 min to the north and 3 h to the south of the park), Láhko (2 h) and Junkerdal (1 h 45 min) to the south.
How can you talk about Bodø and the surrounding region without mentioning the Lofoten? Bodø is the gateway to this incredible archipelago, a spectacular and magical place, a marvel of nature unique in the world, where you can climb the fjord peaks, surf, fish, admire the northern lights or see whales.
You'll need at least a week to visit the Lofoten archipelago from south to north, and make the most of its natural beauty and breathtaking scenery. The Lofoten Islands can be reached by ferry from Bodø (3 hrs 30 min), by express boat, by cruise ship (Hurtigruten) and by plane to Leknes and Svolvaer airports.
But Bodø isn't just the gateway to Lofoten. It's also the city elected European Capital of Culture for 2024.
Year-round culture in Bodø in 2024
The town of Bodø has been a cultural magnet for the whole country for many years now, not least thanks to the Nordland Music Festival, a festival of eclectic local and international music that has been running since 1980 and takes place in the second week of August. Taking place in various locations around the city, from concert halls and churches to the most unlikely of natural settings (on top of Keiservarden mountain, for example), this is one of Norway's biggest festivals, attracting over 26,000 spectators.
Bodø and the surrounding area also boast a number of museums that form part of the region's cultural life. These include the Nordland National Park Center with the Adde Zetterquist art gallery, the former trading post of Kjerringøy (Kjerringøy Handelssted), the Hamsunsenteret museum, the Norwegian maritime museum Jekt Trade (Jektefartsmuseet) and the Norwegian national aviation museum.
In addition to its interest in all forms of art, the entrepreneurial spirit of the local population, and the effervescence and positive energy that resonate throughout the city, Bodø has evolved from a military base to a modern city, but still rooted in its traditions. It has demonstrated the importance of the collective memory of the Sami culture and language (the indigenous people of Lapland). The Bodø2024 program includes a Sami theater trilogy commissioned especially for Bodø2024, a huge lavo in which films by young Sami directors will be projected in 360 degrees, a Sami pop-up museum in the town's old museum, Sagastit, a project to promote the Sami language among young people in the region, and much more. NAISA, the world's largest organization for indigenous issues and communities, will also be holding its annual conference in Bodø for the very first time in 2024.
Other highlights of Bodø2024 include: KLAB, Europe's only land art biennial in Kjerringøy; a concert in a submerged cave (a world first), an opera on the theme of dried fish (yes!), the world's greenest concert, a popular celebration around giant Midsummer fires, and for the first time a festival of lights in Bodø. Music, photography, art, film, cuisine, history, literature, there's something for everyone, and you can expect to find culture everywhere in Bodø in 2024, even in the most unexpected places - on beaches, on islands, in mountain huts, even on the train.
Bodø is the3rd Norwegian city to be chosen, after Bergen and Stavanger, but the 1st to be located north of the Arctic Circle.
And Bodø proudly won the competition without any help from the government.
A grand opening ceremony (expected to draw 15,000 people) will be held on February 3, 2024, on a floating stage in the city's harbor, with Her Majesty Queen Sonja of Norway in attendance, and all broadcast on national television. More than 500,000 people are expected to attend this year-long event, which is not only the biggest cultural project in northern Norway, but also the longest festival in the world in terms of duration and location, with events spread over more than 800 km from the north to the south of the Nordland region. See you in Bodø in 2024!
FUTURE INFO
When's the event?
Early November and from the end of January, to make the most of the snow-covered landscapes and at least 5 hours of sunshine during the day (in December, it's only light for about an hour).
For the Northern Lights: early September to mid-April.
Between May and September, the summer landscapes are just as magnificent. To enjoy the midnight sun: June to mid-July.
Duration
Ideally 5 days to 1 week for Bodø and surroundings (air travel is half a day). If you want to visit the Lofoten Islands, which is what we recommend, allow 2 weeks in all.
Budget
Accommodation: from €70 per night (private room in a hostel) to €250 (top-of-the-range hotel).
Car rental: €500 per week.
A good meal: between €50 and €80 per person.
Excursions and organized activities: from €80.
Ferry to Lofoten: €20 per person without vehicle.
From €80 for a car + driver ticket.
Highlights
+ Exceptional landscapes and incredible weather phenomena in both winter and summer (northern lights, midnight sun), for hikers, nature travelers and photographers.
+ The strong presence of historical, cultural and local elements and activities.
+ Winter activities: dog sledding, skiing, snowboarding, tobogganing..
Minuses
- Dangerous winter traffic (darkness, snowstorms and constant ice on the road).
- Bodø and northern Norway are not very well served locally by bus or ferry. For the Lofoten Islands, you'll have a maximum of 2 daily ferries from Bodø in low season, and up to 5 in summer. But that's part of the charm of this wild region.
Getting there
By plane: from Paris CDG, with a stopover in Oslo with Scandinavian Airlines (SAS), from €300 return. With Norwegian Airlines, from €250 return depending on the season.
By train: from Oslo, by night train (17-hour journey with changes), purchase online or at the station.
Useful
Local currency: Norwegian krone (NOK). No exchange office on site, but several ATMs for cash withdrawals by credit card.
BODØ TOURIST OFFICE
Dronningens gate 15 - Bodø
Tel: +47 75 548 000
Monday to Friday 8am-3.30pm.
EUROPEAN CAPITAL OF CULTURE 2024 - Further information on the website
Rent a car in Bodø: Rent a Wreck / Hertz / Avis / Budget.
Go to Lofoten (Bodø - Moskenes) by ferry (3 h 30): book on torghatten-nord.no
Sleep
Less than €80 per night : Bodø Hostel & Motel
Between €80 and €100 per night : Smarthotel Bodø / Clarion Collection Hotel Grand Bodø.
More than €100 per night: Radisson Blu Hotel / Scandic Havet Bodø / Thon Hotel Nordlys.
Unusual: Arctic Hideaway cabins (on the island of Fleinvær, 1 h boat trip from Bodø).
