ETR // Stage 9 // Tjøtta - Hofles

65°49'21.1"N 12°25'48.4"E
65.822519, 12.430105
Tjøtta - Hofles
VR EXPO - 60 Stages
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Distance

Tjøtta - Hofles
Radius 100 km
182 km

Explore the Vega Archipelago

You can take a frerry from Tjøtta to The Vega Archipelago - a Unesco World Heritage Site worth a detour from your main itinerary. Vegaøyan is a picturesque group of islands with fishing villages, old farms, deserted beaches and a large variety of bird species.

Back on the mainland, continue south towards Hofles, and stop off in Brønnøysund, Berg, Kolvereid and Rørvik, or take a ride west to Lyngsnes, before heading back to Hofles for the ferry.

Lomsdal–Visten National Park

Lomsdal-Visten National Park is a particularly scenic part of Helgeland, and the magnificent scenery is unforgettable. Nonetheless, it is still a well-kept secret so we trust you won't tell anyone about it! The region is wild and varied, and characterised by wild forests and lush valleys, high mountains, caves and fjords. The southern Sámi indigenous people call this area Njaarken Varjelimmiedajve. Unique to Lomsdal-Visten, is that this large unspoiled region also includes pristine Atlantic coastal areas, where can experience numerous rare and distinctive natural features, from coastal biotopes to inland valleys and semi-alpine peaks. Great roads, also!

Hiking and Mountaineering

There are a number trails on the outskirts of the national park, and as a visitor you can choose between easy or challenging hikes, or maybe you prefer to relax by some of the tranquil lakes, raging rivers with beautiful waterfalls and pristine fjords. You'll find some cabins and simple shelters, but for the more demanding hikes you should bring a tent and camping equipment, and in the high mountains only a few routes are partially marked with cairns – so you'll need your map and compass find your own way in the terrain.

Nordlandsporten - The Nord-Norge Gateway

If you choose to ride a loop around Lomsdal–Visten National Park, out along the E6 and back to the coastal regions, you can ride through Nordlandsporten, the gateway to Northern Norway. The famous arch depicting the Northern Lights stretches across the E6 highway and designates the border between the counties of Nord Trondelag and Nordland.

The Nord-Norge gateway was built as an archway over the main E6 highway, which runs all the way from the Swedish border south of Halden to the Russian border in the north, just east of Kirkenes. Nordlandsporten was designed to depict the Northern Lights and all kinds of motor tourists regularly stop there to shoot videos and photos of the archway before continuing north, towards Nordkapp.

Photos

Dave O'Byrne
European Touring Route AS

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Highlights

The Vega Archipelago
Brønnøysund
Lomsdal–Visten National Park
Nordlandsporten
Island of Gjerdinga
Kolvereid Church
Nærøy
Kalvøya and Valøya
Njord's Island
Ketil Høng's Viking burial mound

The Island of Gjerdinga

Gjerdinga is a remote island in the municipality of Nærøy in Nord-Trøndelag and definitely worth a visit when you're in this area. The island lies at the northern end of the Nærøysundet, and most of the 20 residents of the island live in the village of Gjerdinga on the southeastern part. The island is connected to the mainland by a ferry which runs six times per day between Eidshaug on the mainland, and Sæla on the island.

The evolution and resurrection of Kolvereid Church

The first version of Kolvereid Church at this location was a small chapel that was likely built during the 15th century, and the earliest existing historical records of the church date back to the year 1597. The newer wooden church was consecrated in 1658, and in 1811, the old church was extensively renovated. The white wooden church of today was constructed in 1874, and these days it seats about 350 worshippers. The building was designed by architect Jacob Wilhelm Nordan.

Around then, the old church was dismantled and moved to Bogen where it became known as Opløyfjorden Chapel. Even more recently, it was dismantled again, and moved to Lund where it resurrected and is now known as Lund Chapel. A rogue church on some great Religious Quest to convert the pagan masses?

Nærøy and the Viking Sagas

Nærøy, with its long coastline is a paradise for boating, diving, sailing and other water activities. The fjords contain almost all varieties of saltwater fish, and the region is peppered with fishing lakes where you can find trout and Arctic char, and fresh salmon in the Opløelva, Kvistelva and Horvenelva rivers.

Nærøy has many activities to offer, and the vast mountains and varied nature, are heaven for hikers and bikers, where you can eat local food produced on local farms, and you will find many interesting arts and crafts to bring (or send) back home.

The Norwegian County Road 770 runs through the town of Kolvereid, which was the administrative centre of the old municipality from 1838 until 1964. The road connects to Rørvik to the west and Foldereid to the east. You could take the road west to the edge of the islands of Borgan, Kalvøya and Valøya, to explore the remote North Atlantic island lifestyle.

While you're in the area, you can check out some of the giant pot-holes, visit the medieval church at Nærøya, or Ketil Høng's Viking burial mound at Ramstad, or experience Njord's Island as it was known in the Viking Sagas.