A restorative retreat in northern Norway
Fortunate travellers may catch a glimpse of the Northern Lights from this stunning archipelago
Perched above the Arctic Circle in northern Norway, the Lofoten Islands are one of the great "end-of-the-world archipelagos", known for their towering, serrated mountains, wild seas and lonely white-sand beaches.
My husband and I visited in March, following a health scare, said Sophy Roberts in the FT, and found the trip restorative. That was partly thanks to the islands' vast silences and the "awesome scale" of the landscape – and partly because we stayed at an excellent hotel. Holmen Lofoten is set beside the sea in the village of Sørvågen, where its owner, Ingunn Rasmussen, grew up. She is the daughter of a local fisherman, and the hotel is largely made of refurbished fishermen's cabins. They are "close to perfect" – "simple" but "cosy", with wood burners and soft wool blankets.
Between late August and April, you might see the Northern Lights swooshing past your cabin's big windows. During the day, you can go hiking – we climbed well above the treeline for a picnic beside a frozen lake, guided by Ingunn's brother, Audun, who recalled hunting for hare and ptarmigan there as a child. And when the seas are calm, there are fishing trips to enjoy. We sailed out past the village of Å, at the archipelago's furthest end, into the sea channel known as Moskstraumen. Some guests spot orca there – we didn't, but we did pass close to one of the world's strongest whirlpools, which is said to have inspired Edgar Allen Poe's 1841 short story A Descent into the Maelström.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Back at Holmen, we ate "delicious" dinners, "delicately put together" by the head chef, Richard Cox, a Briton whose passion is "hyperlocal ingredients", from ceps and lingonberries to cod and lamb. His pantry shelves are crowded with jars of fermented vegetables and flower syrups (including wild camomile, fireweed, and meadowsweet), about which you can learn more on one of the hotel's regular, five-day gastronomic retreats, co-created by the chef Valentine Warner.
A three-night stay costs from £780 per person, b&b (holmenlofoten.no).
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
-
Dark energy data suggest Einstein was right (luckily)
Speed Read Albert Einstein's 1915 theory of general relativity has been proven correct, according to data collected by the Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Ukraine fires ATACMS, Russia ups hybrid war
Speed Read Ukraine shot U.S.-provided long-range missiles and Russia threatened retaliation
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
New York DA floats 4-year Trump sentencing freeze
Speed Read President-elect Donald Trump's sentencing is on hold, and his lawyers are pushing to dismiss the case while he's in office
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
5 convenient items to transform your airplane seat from ergonomic nightmare to comfortable throne
The Week Recommends Gel cushions and inflatable travel pillows make a world of difference
By Catherine Garcia, The Week US Published
-
Airplane food is reportedly getting much worse
Under the radar Cockroaches and E. coli are among the recent problems encountered in the skies
By Justin Klawans, The Week US Published
-
This is what you should know about State Department travel advisories and warnings
In Depth Stay safe on your international adventures
By Catherine Garcia, The Week US Published
-
Bermuda destination guide: exploring an island paradise
The Week Recommends From crystal caves to pink, sandy beaches, this hidden North Atlantic gem has much to offer
By Rebekah Evans, The Week UK Published
-
5 animated hotels where the wild things very much are
The Week Recommends Elephants and giraffes and penguins, oh my!
By Catherine Garcia, The Week US Published
-
Power up with these 5 high-quality travel adapters
The Week Recommends Stay plugged in while on the go. Plus: why you do not need a voltage converter.
By Catherine Garcia, The Week US Published
-
Saint Paul de Vence: a paradise for art lovers
The Week Recommends The hilltop gem in the French Riviera where 20th century modernism flourished
By Alexandra Zagalsky Published
-
Discovering Perthshire, a Scottish wonderland
In Depth Make your own magic in this gateway to the Highlands
By Catherine Garcia, The Week US Published