Gepostet | 02 February 2025 |
Norway and Sweden
Wann | Mid June - Mid July 2023 |
In welcher Gegend | Copenhagen, Öland, Damman, Vildmarksvägen, Kiruna, Vesterålen, Fv17, Børgefjell National Park, Trondheim, Lillehammer |
Status |
As usual I have a plan and their is reality. My plan was to explore Norway from South to North and go back south in Sweden. To reduce costs we decided to go with the Dog.O.Mobil to Copenhagen on the road, cross the Öresundbron (bridge) and explore Sweden first. I have to say... Like many other in 2023
Because the ferries are not inexpensive if you drive a bigger van, while the bridge toll could be reduced by signing up to Tollticktes.com and Øresundsbron
We went via Hamburg to Flensburg and enjoyed permanent road works, road blockage, traffic jams. However when you get off the German highways you can better see the nice part of Germany
That´s why we stopped in Heide, found a superb local market and had breakfast at the Eider Barrage
Before we moved further north we stayed a night in Flensburg. Pretty nice town and a free pitch. Not the most impressive one, but it´s only a 2 km hike into town
The next day we crossed the border and followed the highway to Odense. We spent an afternoon at the Baltic Sea and this was the right choice.
Copenhagen is a busy city with good infrastructure. From Camping København - Absalon it takes 15 minutes by metro to get to the Central Station. At 9:30 in the morning, before the Italian crusaders arrived, it was pleasant to stroll through Freetown Christiania, looking at the modern architecture at the port.
We went via Nyhavn to Amalienborg and from there to the little mermaid. Around lunch time these attractions got busy
Our highlights were the quarters around Sankt Pauls Kirke and Kongens Have. Perfect for a rest on a hot day in town.
After 7 hours and 14 km on foot we spent the evening at the campsite.
Next day we went to Sweden via the Öresundsbron. Our first stop was the region around Åhus and the Frizeboda Nature Reserve. Frizeboda was awesome. We were almost alone on the beach and Miko could walk around without a leash.
Åhus didn't get us off our feet and so we continued on to Öland. The coast is farm land with a few towns like Karlskrona and Ronneby. In between there are camp sites and beaches, but we wanted to go to Öland.
A few too many vans have gone to far in recent years and so boondocking is no longer that easy. When we arrived in the afternoon at 5:30 p.m. our first space directly at the sea was full. The following day we parked at long Långe Jan Light Tower during the day, because overnight parking is forbidden.
A few words about the "Allemannsretten" right of public access in Sweden and Norway. It states that every human being can be anywhere in nature and move freely as long as he treats it with the necessary respect. So it
- applies to the open nature, also "unfenced land" - i.e. land that is not cultivated. In Norway, the term covers most coasts, bogs, forests and mountains. Small islands of uncultivated land in the midst of cultivated land are not considered open nature.
- The right of public access does not apply to “fenced land”. This is private and includes cultivated land such as plowed fields with or without crops, as well as meadows, pastures and gardens. Young plantings, building plots and industrial areas are also included.
- However, from October 15th to April 30th, when the ground is frozen or covered with snow, you can enter fields and meadows again. Please note that the term "fenced land" does not mean that the area must actually be fenced.
- Useful guidelines
You may sleep under the open sky in the countryside, in forests and mountains or put up a tent - under one condition: You should keep a distance of at least 150 meters to the next inhabited house or hut. This regulation also applies to vans, mobile homes and caravans.
If you want to stay more than two nights in the same place, you must ask the landowners for permission. This does not apply to the mountains or very remote areas. - Drainage points are designated in Norway. Elsewhere, emptying the toilet is strictly prohibited. In Sweden you should do this on campsites if you stay overnight there
For me, however, Sweden was one of the few real boondocking countries in Europe and on the way north we struck gold. Every evening a different place on a lake, each one great.
We left Öland and cruised north. Found superb pitches, mostly exclusively for us.
Lake Siljan was our next stop that is worth mentioning. Before the city of Rättvik we noticed the many classic cars and after a little googling we knew that the Swedish Classic Car Week festival was underway. It always takes place around the 31st calendar week and up to 25'000 enthusiasts cruise around in their vintage cars every day. Even later we saw a lot of American classic cars in Sweden. Seems to be a country for car nostalgics.
Also, the Wasa memorial in Rättvik is situated on a hill right next to the church graveyard. The monument dates from 1893. Gustaf Wasa is said to have called for resistance against Danish rule here in 1520.
We continued to Linsell via Sveg. The temperatures in Linsell had dropped noticeably and at 13 degrees it wasn't much fun to take a shower in the lake.
The next day we continued via Vemdalen and also visited our first ski areas (Björnrike und Vemdalsskalet). Somehow I was expecting alpine descents, at least something like the Feldberg, but Vemdalen isn't very high (approx. 430m) and the slopes don't look long or difficult. The highest point is a little over 900 m. Snow depth last winter is said to have been over 2 m. Some German ski areas would also like that.
We followed the sun and our destination should be near Östersund, at the Damman river and campsite of the same name. Washing clothes and hiking was our goal.
Since there are almost no documented hiking trails and there is not much to be found on Komoot, we were off to a good start. Our discovery was to follow the snow sled signs. So we managed a 14 km loop through the Swedish Forest with all its mosquitoes and horseflies.
After 2 warm days with temperatures around 20 degrees and blue skies, we continued from the campsite in Damman. Not much changed. Endlessly long straight roads that ran through forests and along lakes. Now and then a few houses or a small village. You can tell that you are getting into a town because the 80 or 90 km/h are lifted and you have to drive at 40 or 50.
Penalties for speeding are very severe in Sweden. If you exceed the speed limit by just 1 km/h (minus measurement tolerance) in built-up areas, there is a fine of up to €250 and up to €200 outside of built-up areas. That's probably why Swedes drive so appropriately.
When we turned back onto the E45 and went shopping in Strömsund, we noticed the armada of vans moving north. It's impressive when 1-2 white vans drive past you every minute.
We preferred to turn onto the 342 towards Gäddede and the Norwegian border. The panorama changed slightly and the hills with remnants of snow came closer and closer. We had been at an altitude of around 400 for the last few days and that was about to change. At Gäddede we turned off and our next stop was supposed to be in the mountains on the border with Norway, somewhere on the Stekenjokk plateau. On the plateau is the Bjurälvens Naturreservat (bird sanctuary), which is closed for hiking between 10.6 and 10.7!!! So no hiking to any of the hills nearby. You can stand freely in the parking lots and parking spaces
The road we drove on is called Vildmarksvägen (Wilderness Road) and blogs usually describe it as real wilderness and untouched mountains... 😏 If you ignore the unspeakable van train, motorcycles and cars on the road, then that may be the case
The plateau is framed by hills up to 1'400 m and the Dog.O.Mobil took us along the Wilderness Road and past various waterfalls (Gastafallet, Fikonfallet, Trappstegforsen, etc.) to Vilhelmina.
This detour from the E45 to the Stekenjokk Plateau was a change from the resulting sadness on the E45. We wanted to see more of the country and escape the constant stream of vans. So after a break at Trappstegforsen (rapids) we drove to Slagnäs via Grytsjö, Dikanäs, Åbacka. That was the longest contiguous gravel road that we have ridden so far and it was great.
At the Gratian Djurklinik in Slussfors, Miko got his deworming tablet for Norway.
What can I say, finally the rain came. The weather remained changeable. The sun only came through at our pitch at a reservoir in Aspudden and we were even able to eat outside without mosquitoes.
But we had a surprise before on the road and afterwards at the pitch
On the drive to Kiruna, the only change was that the trees got smaller and the landscape gave a first glimpse of Lapland.
Kiruna itself was both a construction site and the place where people bought beer by the pallet. After a short walk through the construction area, which would also become the shopping area in the future, we drove to Nikkaluokta, the entrance to the hiking trails and cross-country ski runs in the Kebnekaise area. The best known is the Kungsleden, with about 440 kilometers, between Abisko in the north and Hemavan in the south. The pitch at Nikkaluokta is lousy so we decided to leave after a walk and hike near Abisko the next day
The trip to Abisko via Kiruna was pleasant. There are a couple of decent places to stay overnight along the E10, as free standing is not allowed in Abisko itself.
Our 14km hike (Komoot)through the National Park was not challenging, we even walked a few kilometers along the Kungsleden.
The mosquitoes and horseflies were the real challenge because they were after us the whole tour. Spraying helps with the mosquitoes, but the smell doesn't bother the horseflies.
It was only 80 kilometers to Narvik and the border was 50 kilometers ahead of us. But these 50 km offer a lot. They were among the most beautiful scenery in Sweden. Probably because I got to see a first real mountain landscape. Along the E10 you will find mountain lakes reflecting the snow-capped mountains, rapids and waterfalls. We weren't the only ones who liked it because the parking lots were full.
The border to Norway was not occupied. Neither Swedes nor Norwegians stood around. At that moment I understood why so much alcohol was bought in Kiruna 😒. After crossing the border in Riksgränsen, the landscape and the houses changed abruptly. The landscape became more angular and the huts more modern. The pitches along the E10 are relatively close to the E10 and were too loud for us.
We tried our luck on the fjord north of Narvik next to a town called Hearrágoahti. This was not a smart move, one parking space was overcrowded and the other had a steep slope. Inevitably we went to a campsite. The place got full towards the evening. Vans and motorcyclists! We learned that the Lofoten were flooded by vans. Too much advertising on Instagram, TikTok and Tripadvisor. We wanted to try our luck the next day as the weather was good. At 9:30 in the morning there were already a few vans on the E10 towards Reine. And it got worth the longer the morning lasted.
We took a break and re-planned. We decided to go to the Vesterålen islands instead. There are more pitches on P4N and fewer villages. The island of Langøya was our initial destination. But first we circled Hinnøya, explored the Trondenes Kirke and checked out a few scenic viewpoints. We left out the Adolfkanone as well as some memorials from the Second World War and the Battle of Narvik.
At Refsnes we took our first Norwegian ferry to Flesnes. If only everything would be that easy. Since we had some time, we ate cakes at Refsnes Matglede and also bought moose ham.
Sortland is on the Vesterålen island of Langøya and like various others towns that we visited don't really have much more to offer apart from shopping facilities, gas stations and recycling yards.
Our pitch was at Myre on the 2nd evening and the view was gigantic. If it wasn't for the horseflies (killed almost 20 before 7pm) it would be perfect there.
But the weather was supposed to change in the next few days and we started to re-plan. Instead of Bø in the extreme west of Langøya, we planned to go to Bø on the island of Andøya.
Andøya is not as hyped as the Lofoten, but the white fleet also rolled over this island. But it is worth it. The island is spectacular. The landscape along the west coast road (Fv974) to Andenes is truly stunning. In addition to the breathtaking mountains, the island offer sandy beaches with water of all shades.
If it had been a little bit warmer (more than 12 degrees) and if the wind hadn't been blowing at 30-45 km/h, it would have been perfect.
A hike (Komoot) in the Bleik nature reserve rounded off the days on Andøya. The east coast is compared to the west coast already average.
The next day we wanted to take the ferry to Bognes from Lodingen, because we didn't want to line up with the vans heading towards Reine. The ferry ride is only an hour and goes almost every hour. What more do you want.
We only perceived Bognes as a ferry port that washes one onto the E6. Together with all the many vans that were on the ferry we were heading south. Almost till Mørsvikbotn it's bumper to bumper southbound. I hadn't realized how many tunnels there are in Norway. In Mørsvikbotn there is a petrol station, a restaurant and a well stocked supermarket (REMA 1000). So refueling, shopping and a break is the order of the day for many. If you are traveling in pairs, most of the package sizes are simply too big. 500g cheese or sausage, 1 kg frozen meat (there is no fresh food counter) We tried Norwegian liquorice and whatever you will call the :)
After shopping and a rest on the E6, we went via Fauske to the Fv17. Coastal road Fv17 (Fylkesvei 17) runs between Steinkjer and Bodø near or directly on Norway's Atlantic coast and that was what we were looking for. Don't mix it up with the ATLANTIC ROAD (Atlanterhavsveien ) hat connects Bud and Kristiansund, is 8 km long section of Rv64.
Right at the start of the FV17 there is the Saltstraumen, the strongest tidal current in the world. Tens of millions of cubic meters of water flow back and forth through the sound between the sea and the Skjerstadfjord. You might spot the Saltstraumen on the bridge. If you make an effort, you will see something, otherwise you won't 🧐
We were heading along the coast, on the right the Atlantic or a fjord and on the left the rugged mountains, some still covered with snow, to the Saltfjellet - Svartisen National Park. The fjords, beaches and high mountains are very impressive.
Actually we wanted to climb Fykanvatnet and then up to Holmvassendammen. Unfortunately, the ascent was blocked directly at the bridge over the waterfall. The wooden staircase, which goes up over 500 m, is dilapidated. We then decided against the Holmvassendammen and continued the tour along the Fv17.
In Esøya, a small ferry takes the van fleet to Ågskardet. The rush was great and we waited over 2.5 hours before we could start the 30-minute crossing. Had we spend more time preparing, we would have counted the number of ferry passages along the Fv17.
Now we know that the Fv17 includes countless tunnels and at least six ferries for a distance of 650 km. We also didn't realize that we crossed the Arctic Circle on the Kilboghamn-Jektvik ferry
After 30 minutes the next ferry passage came, from Jektvik to Kilboghavn. The crossing is over 1:15 h and it is a big ferry. After a little waiting we got on with the next ferry. The views are so stunning again
When we continued driving we asked ourselves whether to continue with the white van train along the Fv17 or go further into the inland. At Utskarpen we decided to go east via Mo i Rana. We spent the night near the Fagervollan Kraftverk. 4 km away from the main roads we stood absolutely quietly by a mountain stream without network coverage. What more do you want
After Mo i Rana, another uninspiring town, we left the E6 relatively quickly and drove along narrow country roads (Fv806) to Røssvatnet. The area is so different from the coast and there is almost no traffic at all. The landscape varies from gray snow-capped mountains with very little vegetation to wild forests and stunning waterfalls, lakes and swamps. Only a few places and farms can be found along the country roads. It is indeed much slower to drive along the Fv roads, but in this case it is also so much more varied
After a break we continued to Nedre Fiplingvatnet and Børgefjell National Park. Although we were alone at the lake, the evening went differently than expected. We had already dealt with more or less mosquitoes or horseflies in the last few weeks. After causing a massacre under the horseflies, I actually had good hopes. Then, during dinner, flocks of small flies descended.
The little mosquitoes are called black flies and in Norway knots. We can confirm that almost nothing can be done. A cap and long, thin outdoor clothing will help. In addition, the black flies were annoying and crawled into the mouth or nose, were spread over the dinner and annoyed Miko. After a few minutes we fled into the Dog.O.Mobil and didn't come out again.
The next morning it was damp and the horseflies came on again. We had breakfast inside and drove to the parking lot at Børgefjell National Park as quickly as possible. The park is almost in its original state and only has a few documented hiking trails. We were greeted by horseflies again, but were lucky that we were only harassed every now and then during the hike.
The hike leads along a river and various waterfalls feed water. The tour has 9 km and 5 crossings of rivers and waterfalls. The tour and more pictures are available on Komoot. www.norgesnasjonalparker.no is a good resource if you want to learn more about the national parks
We actually only wanted to drive a few kilometers towards Trondheim afterwards, but it started to rain. First light and then continuous rain for 1 hour. Since I stank like a wet fox after the hike, I wanted a shower. Free standing along the E6 under those conditions was not an option and so we drove to a campsite near Grong. After what felt like 20 minutes of waiting in the Dog.O.Mobil, I gave up and went thru the rain to take a shower.
The campground was a bit soggy the morning after, but apart from dark clouds, the morning remained dry. The region between Grong and Trondheim is farmland and relatively unspectacular. So unspectacular that I didn't even take pictures. From time to time you can see a reference to a ski area, but that's about it.
At 1 p.m. we were in Trondheim. The shock was deep when we drove to the official city pitch. Industrial area at the port where something was just torched. Despite this backdrop, the stand was full. Over 70 vans parked at a distance in this desolate district of Trondheim. That wasn't for us.
But we wanted to see at least something of the third largest city in Norway. By chance we found a parking lot (147 NOK for 3 hours) on the outskirts of the city center.
Trondheim was by far the most beautiful city we had seen on the tour so far. Take a look at the city tour and the pictures on Komoot.
After 3 weeks on tour I still didn't understand how to go shopping for clothes in Sweden or Norway. I had forgotten my thick sweatpants for the evening and tried my luck in quite a few cities. In Trondheim I made 3 attempts and each one without success.
On the E6 we continued south and our next place for the night. There wasn't much that we liked. Too close to the E6, in the middle of town by a gym and similar options. At Berkak we turned onto the Fv700 and tried our luck in the hills (this means for me mountains under 1'500 m ). We found what we were looking for in the Nerskogen ski resort. There is a parking space at the base of the hill by the lift and we were the only ones apart from one hiker who had made the climb
We were in the midst of the Trollheimen mountains. The next day we climbed the Storhøa with 1194 m in bright sunshine. There aren't many options, so we hiked up the slope and around the ridge. On the way back we saw a moose cow and got lost in the mud. Surrounded by myriads of flies, we made it to the valley station. The route and pictures are available again on Komoot
Sweaty and smelly, we left the Trollheimen mountains and drove along the Fv70 to a camp site in Gjøra, a typical Norwegian campsite. No rectangular places, various barbecue areas and benches and, as usual, wooden cabins for people who don't have a tent or camper.
At the end of the dead end rote lies the Linndalsfallet and the Svøufallet which fall into the Åmotan Gorge (Komoot). The descent was nice, the hike in the gorge wasn't worth it, because you can't get to the Linndalsfallet, only the Svøufallet is good for pictures.
Along the Fv70 we drove to Sunndalsøra and took a look at the Vinnufossen. But after 3 weeks on tour we had seen enough of waterfalls.
We actually wanted to take Litldallsvegen via Aursjøvegen to Mardalsfossen that Sunday. The road was supposed to be the burner, but it was closed on that Sunday.
As an alternative, we drove up Viromdalsvegen to a pitch on the Svartelva river surrounded by a breathtaking mountain scenery. It's not called "Innerdalen - Norway's most beautiful mountain valley" for nothing. We met friends and other campers and spent a lovely Sunday afternoon there.
For Monday we had planned Trollstigen ind Geiranger. Driving time over 4 hours along fjords, over mountain passes (Trollstigen is probably quite hyped at the moment). I personally liked the pass from Geiranger south along the Fv63 much better. The high valley after the pass with the Kjenndal, Heimste Gjelåbreen and other glaciers on the south side is alone worth a trip.
Driving along the Breiddalsvatnet and the Nysætervatnetwhich are feeding the Otta river, the Dønfoss rapids to Otta is an hour well spent. The more than 50 km long valley is by far more impressive than Trollstigen with all the traffic. On those 50 km the landscape changes from alpine to a broad agricultural valley near Otta (the city). The journey along the E6 to Lillehammer, on the other hand, was unspectacular.
Lillehammer itself has the charm of a ski resort. A shopping center coming off the E6. A town with a shopping mall (lots of sports shops), old wooden houses and of course the ski jumps towering over the town.
After the walk trhu Lillehammer we were spoiled for choice, where would we be last pitch in Norway and which border crossing should we use to go to Sweden, because we finally had to go home.
The main arguement was that we wanted to get off the E6, because it loaded with cars and vans on the way south (it wasn't much better in the opposite direction). We turned onto FV24 and found a spot in the woods by Lake Harasjøen.
Our idea was to get on the E2 via Skarnes and drive back to Sweden at Morokulien.
And the weather did not change the whole day until almost Gothenburg. The main difference was that we drove in an industrial area from Trollhättan. Not really worth seeing. Only near Kungsbacka did the sun come out and we looked for a pitch near Äspevik. The coastal region is beautiful, characterized by holiday settlements and small villages.
Varberg was the first major town on the coast that we drove to. Actually quite attractive with a harbor, sandy beaches and a fortress. We wanted to go home and so we drove along the E6 over the Öresundsbron to Denmark.
The only thing worth mentioning is the holiday traffic in Denmark and Germany
So why did it want to go to Norway initially
I left out Norway, Sweden and Finland on my tour in 2022. When I browsed through Pauline Solheim's blog over the Christmas period, it was clear to me that in 2023 I would be going to Norway on low budget. Let's see with how much money I will survive
Pauline used the following citation on her blog "Do not fall into the trap of rushing from place to place without ever getting to know any of the sites you visit. After all, you did leave the hamster wheel to indulge in some sorely-needed rest and recreation. Catogården "
This was as well my theme in 2022. This is what we were going for in 2023
I would describe the 4 weeks like this. 7'500 km is just too much for 4 weeks. Denmark was actually only 3 stops and that was not enough to get any idea about the country. Sweden is huge and offers so much. 4-6 weeks for Sweden alone is almost not enough to get an idea of the country. Despite the school holidays in Sweden, a lot is concentrated only along the coast. Inland, the vacationers spread out and it was much more relaxed.
Yes Norway, we were just a few years too late up there. The coastal roads were flooded by the white fleet (whether from Norway or from other countries). Further inland we saw and enjoyed the Norway that we had in mind. Just beautiful.
My rule for both countries is if it's hyped on Instagram, TikTok and Co., then get ready for the crowds. The situation on the Lofoten islands was very bizarre. If they can go there by cruise ship, then there are really a lot of fully loaded coaches that you stumble across. Still no comparison with the Ballerman, but the dreamy, rugged Norway that many have in mind is hard to find here.