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Scandic Hotels – in all major cities from north to south
Nordic Choice Hotels – a different hotel company
Thon Hotels – with fantastic breakfast
Radisson Blu Hotels – discover your favourite destinations
Citybox – modern and affordable hotels in a central location
Widerøe – the largest regional airline in Scandinavia
AutoEurope – always a smooth car rental experience
Vy express – travel with bus throughout Norway
DFDS – Europe’s leading ferry operator 2012-2020
Rent-A-Wreck – the smart car rental alternative
Arctic Campers – Norway’s camper van rental
NOR-WAY Bussekspress – travel green with express busses
Vy – it should be easy to travel green
Cabin Campers – your cottage on four wheels
SJ NORD – the adventure starts on the train
Hurtigruten – "The World’s Most Beautiful Sea Voyage"
Authentic Scandinavia – exciting Norway tours
Up Norway – tailored journeys
Norrøna Hvitserk – expeditions and adventure holidays
Fjord Tours – experience Norway in a nutshell® with one ticket
50 Degrees North – unforgettable tailor-made and small group tours to Norway
Discover Norway – skiing, biking and hiking tours in Norway
Norwegian Holidays – low-price package holidays with Norwegian. Flight, hotel and rental car
Secret Atlas – Svalbard and Northern Norway. Small Ship with 12 guests.
DanCenter – your specialist in holiday homes in Norway
Norgesbooking – book your perfect cabin stay in Norway
Beitostølen – adventure and delight all year
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Hungry for a taste of Arctic Norway? Here’s a serving of the region’s deliciously diverse culinary culture.
In Northern Norway, local food is in abundance.
Northern Norway is home to more than just iconic islands and islets, breath-taking fjords and a rugged coastline. Its Arctic waters, kept clear of ice by the Gulf Stream, provide the perfect breeding ground for the fish and seafood that the country has become renowned for.
This part of Northern Norway is scarcely populated apart from traditional Sami reindeer herders, snow scooter adventurers and the occasional mushers’ tents during marathon dog sledding races.
As you travel inland away from the coast, you’ll find reindeer and moose, rivers full of fish and a wide variety of berries, junipers and chives growing wildly – all inspiring the tastes of the local cuisine.
At dozens of ports along the coast of Northern Norway, local suppliers are delivering their catch, prey and produce to the traditional passenger liner Hurtigruten.
“We have more than 200 suppliers of fish, meats, produce and other local ingredients that we meet en route. There is usually something at every port,” says Jimmy Westberg, head chef at MS Midnatsol – one of 13 ships in the fleet.
For well over a hundred years Hurtigruten has transported passengers along Norway’s dramatic coastline from Bergen and all the way to Kirkenes near the Russian border and the Barents Sea. It’s one of the most popular ways to experience the region.
While travellers get the chance to go on inland adventures and try local restaurants in port, the food experience on the ships is an adventure& in itself.
We meet Westberg as he is preparing fish for tonight’s à la carte menu. “This guy was in the sea just yesterday,” the chef says. “It’s a lot of fun to work with food like that.”
To educate and entertain the passengers, he’ll hold demonstrations of the local ingredients on deck: filleting fish, boiling mussels, carving reindeer thighs or serving the traditional, salted and dried lamb’s thigh – fenalår in Norwegian.
Hurtigruten is a Norwegian cruise operator founded in 1893.
Their 15 coastal ships sail almost the entire length of the country, and the journey has become known as the “World’s most beautiful sea voyage”.
The original route takes you from Bergen to Kirkenes through islets, archipelagos, and towns – some of which are unreachable with ordinary ships and cars.
Hurtigruten calls on 34 ports along the northern coast of Norway, each of which adds local ingredients to your culinary journey.
”Røkelaks” (smoked salmon)
Invest in a whole fish or simply go for delicately packed and convenient slices. Top off your purchase with some specially made mustard sauce.
”Ørret” (trout)
This fish species is known to taste a bit sweeter than salmon. If you’re really brave, you can try some partially fermented trout as well.
”Sild” (herring)
Herring comes in increasingly many variations, with a myriad of marinades and flavours.
Lutefisk
Stockfish that has been lying in water and lye (a way to preserve fish in the old days), then cooked in the oven. Typically accompanied by potatoes, bacon, pea stew, and mustard.
In port in Tromsø, one of the most popular restaurants is called Emma’s Drømmekjøkken, meaning Emma’s Dream Kitchen. “Because she is a dream woman,” says the owner, Anne Brit Andreassen.
Emma is her alter ego. But she is also the idea of someone’s grandma or aunt – someone loving who puts their heart into the food they prepare. Their signature dish was really just intended as lunch for the employees – the house gratin with white fish, macaroni and prawns in béchamel sauce, bacon, raw vegetables and potatoes.
A favourite spot for the Norwegian Queen, this place is elegantly casual.
From the more advanced, seasonal menu upstairs we are served the traditional boknafisk, a variant of dried, Arctic cod. It has a firmer consistency than you'd expect, and the flavour is salty, yet rich and intricate. It’s served with sautéed cabbage and pickled carrot, soy butter with chilli, and garlic, ginger and scallions.
The food comes from local suppliers and traditions – that is, from the sea and the highland plateaus. Many recipes come from local mothers and grandmothers.
Relative to its small population, Northern Norway has an unusual amount of these good, charming restaurants – whether you’re in Alta, Tromsø or Svolvær.
Svolvær lies in the Lofoten archipelago, about a day’s sailing south of Tromsø. This is one of the most stunning areas that Hurtigruten passes through, which says a lot. With mountains rising from the sea, Lofoten is a great place for outdoor adventures, wildlife safaris and extreme sports.
And food. In the local kitchens – like Børsen Spiseri, which has been on the same premises since 1828 – the tastes of the sea have been refined through innumerable generations. We are served steamed stockfish filet on a bed of carrot stew, with egg butter and potatoes, topped with Serrano ham.
This is one of a handful of excellent restaurants that the tiny population of Svolvær enjoy.
“We’re at 68° north latitude, but the water temperature never falls below 6–7° C,” Johnny Kløften, a local guide for the town’s fishing villages explains. “The Lofoten islands are like an arm that reaches into the sea and catch the warm Gulf Stream.”
Every spring, this is where 100 million Atlantic cod come to breed, trekking from way up north in the Barents Sea. And for centuries, tens of thousands of fishermen have travelled here to try and catch them.
”Røkelaks” (smoked salmon)
Invest in a whole fish or simply go for delicately packed and convenient slices. Top off your purchase with some specially made mustard sauce.
”Ørret” (trout)
This fish species is known to taste a bit sweeter than salmon. If you’re really brave, you can try some partially fermented trout as well.
”Sild” (herring)
Herring comes in increasingly many variations, with a myriad of marinades and flavours.
Lutefisk
Stockfish that has been lying in water and lye (a way to preserve fish in the old days), then cooked in the oven. Typically accompanied by potatoes, bacon, pea stew, and mustard.
High season runs from May to September. During the summer months, you can fish around the clock thanks to the midnight sun.
Hard-core anglers will also be interested in winter fishing, especially the famous skrei (migrating cod) fishing that takes place from January to March. It will be dark and cold, but you might spot the northern lights dancing across the sky.
Skrei is Norwegian cod at its best, and still the livelihood of many fishermen in Northern Norway. Fresh and dried skrei is one of Norway's most important export products.
A winter visit to Northern Norway is a must for anglers and gourmets alike. The Lofoten fishery is known as the largest cod fishery in the world.
Even though the Arctic cod only shows up once a year, it has been paramount in shaping Lofoten as we know it today.
Every year, the World cod fishing championship takes places in the waters outside of Svolvær. The competition is a celebration of the traditional fishing season in Lofoten – and an opportunity to reel in some true whoppers in spectacular Arctic surroundings.
In Northern Norway, spectacular experiences await. From the scenic coastline and activities like fishing, hiking and mountaineering, to the northern lights and the midnight sun.
The colder the water, the bigger the fish. With fresh winter air and waters teeming with fish, Norway is a dream destination for ice fishing, fjord fishing, and deep-sea fishing.
Around the world, millions of people are regularly enjoying seafood originating from the Norwegian coast. But nothing beats the taste and texture of a fish that has just been caught from the cold and clear waters.
Where on earth are the top places to see the northern lights? The locals who grew up with the magic, reveal their secret spots and viewpoints.
Take a trip with Hurtigruten – the Norwegian coastal express that has sailed from port to port along one of the world’s most beautiful coastlines for more than 125 years.
Take a hike around the clock at Senja, dive into Blåisvatnet lake, or simply kick back and enjoy the majestic scenery at Andøya. Here are some of Northern Norway’s hot spots.
Looking for an Arctic adventure? You’ll find it in Northern Norway. Here’s a glimpse into the Arctic north in winter.
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