Leirfjord: Cultural History and Trails Through the Landscape

Leirfjord is a coastal municipality in central Helgeland, in Nordland. Fjords and mountains, fish-rich rivers and lakes shape its diverse natural landscape. Cultural history and hikes offer different ways to spend your stay. If you are looking for a holiday apartment, you can start by considering whether historic sites, art or hiking trails should shape your itinerary.

Cultural history in Leland and Bruneset

Leland lies on County Road 17, the Kystriksveien in Nordland, on the north side of the Leirfjord. The village is home to Leirfjord Church, a wooden cruciform church dating from 1867. Gammelskolen in the centre of Leland also tells a story of changing uses: the building was constructed in 1884 and operated as a school until the mid-1950s. After serving as a school and residence, it was used for practical arts and crafts classes for pupils before being converted into a museum in the 1970s. Today, Gammelskolen is a museum and can be opened on request.

The Leirfjord Museum is housed in the old Bergh-brygga in Leland. The brygga served as a trading post from 1847; the present building was constructed in 1900. A shop operated there until 1985. Parts of the former range of goods and the original shop fittings have been preserved. Various cultural-history exhibitions are shown in the old storage rooms during the museum year. Check the museum-year schedule before your visit.

In outer Leirfjord, Bruneset contains cultural heritage sites spanning several millennia. The cultural trail is about three kilometres long and takes approximately two hours. Remains of a coastal fort from the Second World War can also be found in Bruneset. Stay on the path through the fort: steep slopes and barbed wire make leaving the route risky.

The municipality of Leirfjord is part of Skulpturlandskap Nordland with the sculpture Omkring. From a roadside parking area, a path of about 50 metres leads over rocks to the artwork. Omkring invites visitors to reflect on seeing and a state of precise observation.

Another view of Leirfjord

Further into Leirfjord, Wangbrygga in Bardal is an old trading wharf dating from around the 1870s. A historic general store, Krambua, is on display there with various goods and objects. During the summer season, there is also a café and a restaurant with a gallery. Check the dates for this seasonal offering before your trip.

Hiking between viewpoints and waterways

The marked trail to Reinesaksla starts at a car park and follows a tractor road across a field before continuing into the forest. Along the way are several picnic spots and a picturesque pond. From the summit, the view extends east across Leirfjord and west towards the Helgeland Bridge and the Seven Sisters; between them, you can see much of the Helgeland coast.

The Klampen trail is described as a year-round route. In winter, the hike depends on snow conditions; it can then be done on skis or snowshoes. You can refill water bottles at a stream along the route. From the summit, you can see Lovund out at sea, as well as Dønnamannen and Alstenfjord to the southwest. The trail passes over the tunnel connecting the municipalities of Leirfjord and Vefsn.

Trail details can also help you compare different hikes. The Forslandsdalen route is about twelve kilometres long for the round trip and follows a gravel road. It is suitable for walking, jogging and cycling; the road to the power station is closed to motor traffic. In Forslandsdalen, rivers cascade down the mountain slopes, and there are also waterfalls. For the Øvre-Forsland trail, the starting point is at Forslandsvatnet. The route is about six kilometres each way, climbs around 120 metres and takes one to two hours each way. When planning, note the difference between the total round-trip distance and the distances given per direction.

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