Evenes: Steinkirka, Sámi Cultural Heritage and Trails

The 5.5-metre-high Steinkirka, Sámi cultural heritage and marked trails through the cultural landscape give Evenes a distinctive character. If you are looking for a holiday rental in Evenes, you can plan your stay around a range of discoveries: art and church history, cultural trails, or hikes and places to enjoy the outdoors.

Steinkirka and Evenes Church

Steinkirka opened in 1995 as the municipality of Evenes’ contribution to Skulpturlandskap Nordland. It is made of granite from Lødingen and stands 5.5 metres high. You can enter the space formed by its stone walls, which have drawings on their interior surfaces. This allows you to experience the artwork both from the outside and within.

Today’s Evenes Church offers a different perspective on the area’s history. The wooden church was built in 1800 and designed as a cruciform church in the old Danish manor-house style, also known as Biedermeier. The church also contains a baptismal font from the 13th century, which came from the first church on this site. These different historical periods may be of interest when planning your trip: Steinkirka is a work of art from 1995, while the baptismal font and church building offer a glimpse of earlier history.

Cultural trails and Sámi heritage

Evenestangen is home to easily accessible cultural heritage sites associated with a coastal battery from the Second World War. More than 30 sites along the installation are marked on the cultural trail, which runs uphill from lower Evenestangen. To reach the trail’s car park, take the E10 and follow the signs for “Krigsminner” to Evenestangen. The historic installation and the trail’s route give this outing a clear focus on remembrance and cultural history.

The municipality’s cultural destinations also include the Sámi open-air museum Gállogieddi. There, you can experience a Markasámi farmstead and learn about Sámi cultural heritage, livelihoods and the religion of the Marka settlements. The museum also has a signposted, two-kilometre cultural trail. It provides information about Sámi cultural heritage and follows an old route into the mountain area. A simple shelter with a view provides a place to rest along the trail.

Another way to explore Sámi stories is the cultural trail Duorgga kulturbálggis Snubba kultursti. Each sign has QR codes linking to information on the Sámi Parliament’s website. Film clips include references to stories about the Huldra. Gállogieddi also hosts Márkomeannu, a Sámi festival held annually on the last weekend of July. The programme includes music, visual and performing arts, literature, seminars, sports, hikes, a market, and activities for children and young people. Sámi artists and cultural practitioners from across Sápmi take part.

Hikes, beach and cultural landscape

Those looking to focus on trails will find a variety of themes in the municipality. The Gruvedrift cultural trail Bogen runs for 2.5 kilometres along a former railway line and has nine information boards about mining history. Several buildings from the mining period of 1905 to 1939 are still standing there today. Wheelchairs and pushchairs can use this trail as far as point 8—helpful information when planning the route together.

Near Liland lies Lilandsveten, in a cultural landscape. The mountain hike reaches 351 metres above sea level, with views of Liland, the archipelago, Bogen and the Ofotfjord. The Lilandsfjellet cultural trail has a different focus: its ten signposted stops cover place names, legends, former land use, notable events and remnants. The car park for this trail is by Eveneshallen.

Evenesvika also combines time outdoors with a distinctive landscape: this spot near Evenestangen is a sandy beach and outdoor recreation area. You can reach Evenesvika by car via the E10 near Harstad/Narvik Airport Evenes. A marked hiking trail also leads from Evenesvika to Haugbakken and Liakollen.

Choose the right focus for your stay

When looking for a holiday rental in Evenes, it helps to first consider which outings you would like to prioritise: Steinkirka and church history, Sámi culture, mining history, or hikes and the beach. Each destination and trail has its own focus, so plan your accommodation around the places you especially want to visit during your trip.

For the broader travel overview: Evenes.