Kjerringøy – Coast, Cultural Heritage and Nature

Kjerringøy combines an alpine coastal landscape with an exceptional historic trading post. Chalk-white beaches, turquoise sea, steep mountains and green fields define the area; at the same time, protected buildings, collections and exhibitions tell the story of trade and life along the coast. This raises a lovely question for your trip: would you most like to immerse yourself in cultural history, spend time outdoors, or combine the two?

These different interests can also guide your search for a holiday apartment or holiday home in Kjerringøy. If you enjoy exploring historic places, you’ll find several different ways to discover the area’s history. If you prefer active pursuits, you can focus on steep mountain terrain, boat trips and leisurely walks. The landscape and cultural attractions are each reasons in their own right to consider Kjerringøy as a destination.

Trading history and vibrant collections

The Kjerringøy Old Trading Post is a cultural heritage site dating from the 19th century. It comprises 15 protected buildings with authentic interiors. The site includes historic buildings open to visitors, guided tours, a café, a museum shop and a shop styled as an old general store. Advance booking is required for visits outside regular opening hours or during the low season. This lets you plan your visit around the historic rooms and the trading post’s various offerings.

The trading post’s maritime collection includes, among other things, a Nordland boat from 1820, considered one of the oldest surviving boats in the country. Kjerringøy New Church also has its own historical layers: it was consecrated in 1883, and its furnishings combine old and new elements. The oldest pieces date from the 17th century.

Museums and exhibition spaces with different focuses offer further insights. The Karl-Erik-Harr Museum opened in the spring of 2019. It displays paintings from Kjerringøy, Hamarøy, Lofoten and Helgeland, as well as depictions of life on the coast of northern Norway. Zahlfjøsen was built by the merchant Zahl between 1892 and 1894 and remained in regular use until the summer of 1995. It has since been converted into a gallery. It houses the exhibition “Hamsun in Film and Pictures”, a boatbuilding area and a library.

Coastal nature, outdoor activities and local cuisine

Kjerringøy offers different ways to spend time outdoors: outdoor experiences in steep mountain terrain sit alongside boat trips and leisurely walks. Kvarven is considered the most visited peak in Kjerringøy. If you’d like to give culture and outdoor activities different levels of emphasis when planning your trip, these options provide a practical framework without requiring you to limit yourself to just one type of stay.

There are different options when it comes to food, too. Fjøsen Café at the trading post serves coffee and local dishes made with regionally sourced ingredients. Brygga Restaurant at Kjerringøy Rorbusenter offers a seasonal menu; the fish served there is caught by the restaurant itself from its own dock. The two venues showcase different aspects of local cuisine—from a café visit with regional dishes to a restaurant offering a seasonal menu.

Getting there and planning your trip

By car, the ferry runs from Festvåg to Misten, also known as Kjerringøy; the crossing takes about 10 minutes. If you’re travelling without a car, you can take bus route 400, which connects Bodø city centre with Kjerringøy several times a day. The journey takes about 1 hour and 15 minutes, including the ferry crossing. You can therefore plan your journey by either car or bus.

On the onward drive from Misten to Kjerringøy, you can pass the line of waiting ferry traffic; after that, your side of the road is largely clear of vehicles waiting for the ferry. This tip may be useful for finding your way along the route. When choosing your holiday accommodation, the main consideration is which aspects of Kjerringøy you’d like to focus on during your trip: the cultural heritage site, museums and galleries, the coastal landscape or outdoor activities.

If you’d like to explore more local pages: Ljønes, Bodø, Løding, Breivik i Salten, Tverlandet, Saltstraumen, Skivika and Skjerstad.

Back to the main travel overview: Bodø.