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Narvik
harbour, despite being so far north, is free of ice all year round thanks
to the Gulf Stream. That is how the town was chosen in its day as the
export harbour for iron ore from mines in Northern Sweden.
 Queen Victoria
Narvik's
high mountains and fjord make it the perfect skiing destination, with
plenty of downhill excitement. The cross-country runs are also excellent,
even during the summer. The town is in the region of Nordland, and sits
on the Narvik peninsula, at the head of the Ofotfjord, surrounded by
Swedish mountains and high plains. Sports lovers from all corners of
the world come to Narvik to go skiing, snowboarding, mountain climbing
or potholing. The actual town of Narvik is circled by the towering peaks
of Sovende Dronning, Tottatoppen and Fagernesfjellet. The most characteristic
of these is Sovende Dronning, or the Sleeping Queen. This peak is topped
with snow all year round, and after the dark winter months, the sun
always reappears on 6 February over Sovende Dronning.
It is rumoured that the mountain is named after Queen Victoria of England.
The actual mountain looks like a woman's head in profile. Queen Victoria
is said to have enjoyed the great privilege of anaesthetics when she
gave birth to her children. An Englishman from the British railway company
which started the construction of the Ofotbanen railway thought that
the mountain looked like the anaesthetised queen, and the name stuck.
Its real name is Kongsbakktind.
800 metres from the town
centre is Narvik's modern cable car, refurbished in 1995. It takes only
7 minutes to climb 670 metres up to the Fjell restaurant on Fagernesfjellet
mountain.
From the top, there are plenty of good trails and you're most likely
to see hanggliders and paragliders floating down the mountainsides.
Great
skiing
 The skiing season is a long one in Narvik. It starts in October/November
with floodlit runs during the dark winter months, and lasts until May.
Just over the border into Sweden, the ski season lasts even longer until
Midsummer Day. On Fagernesfjellet, 5 ski lifts take you up to heights
of 1003 metres above sea level. From the top, you can follow precipitous
slopes almost down to the water's edge. Over recent years, Narvik has
become increasingly popular with snowboarders from all over the world.
You'll also see a growing number of Telemark skiers on the slopes.
 The
Ofotbanen railway
Since the Ofotbanen railway was opened by King Oscar II in 1903, it
has been used to transport iron ore and passengers between Kiruna in
Sweden and Narvik. The railway climbs over the mountainside towards
the Swedish border, rising farther and farther away from the waters
of the Rombaksfjord below. From the top, you get an excellent view of
the wreck of a German torpedo boat sunk in the waters during the war.
A trip on this railway is an absolute must when staying in Narvik. The
landscape along this stretch of railway must have proved a considerable
challenge for the railway workers. Today, the road built alongside the
railway for the workers is a delightful trek, with interesting remains
from the days the railway was built. In 1997, the Rallarvegen road was
voted best outdoors area of the year.
Narvik is the site of the German's first defeat during the Second World
War. The War Memorial Museum in the town centre will tell you all about
the events of the war in the area. The museum also has an impressive
collection of war material and objects from the war, and is a popular
tourist destination. It really gives you an insight into the way of
life in Narvik during the war.
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