Meløy: Glaciers, Islands and Cultural History

Glaciers, an archipelago of more than 755 large and small islands, and traces of human history spanning millennia: Meløy offers many different reasons to plan a trip to the north. Whether you want to experience nature with your family, explore Støtt, or are interested in rock art and historic sites, choosing what to focus on can also help you decide where to stay.

Svartisen and the island landscape

Svartisen is Norway’s second-largest glacier and the lowest-lying glacier on the European mainland. Engabreen, also known as Engenbreen, is a glacier tongue of Svartisen that extends towards the Holandsfjord in Meløy. The walk to the ice of Svartisen takes about an hour across easy terrain and is also suitable for families with children. Meløy provides good access for hikes in Láhko National Park.

At Engabreen, the route begins with a boat trip across the Holandsfjord to the landing point at Engen. Guided glacier hikes offering views of the blue ice are available there. This tour and the walk to the ice of Svartisen are different ways to experience a glacial landscape. If hiking and scenery are to be the main focus of your trip, you can take these destinations into account when choosing where to stay.

Trails, history and views

On Støtt, you can choose from four routes of varying difficulty: Svenningen rundt, Helløya rundt, Helløya-Innerstøtt rundt and Støttværet rundt. There is also a cultural and historical trail. It has sections of varying difficulty, and information boards are located at some of the cultural heritage sites. A walk to the Svenningen plateau leads to gun emplacements and bunkers built during the German occupation. This means you can choose between different routes and a visit to historic installations on Støtt.

Glomfjord Alpinsenter offers another distinctive option for your trip: its facilities include a chairlift and varied ski runs with views of the fjord and glaciers. For families who enjoy including a range of activities in their holiday plans, glacier hikes, trails on Støtt and the alpine centre cater to clearly different interests.

Rock art, a cultural farm and a long history

The rock art site at Fykan dates back to the early Stone Age and is 8,000 to 9,500 years old. Another rock art site is located on Åmøy. Signposts and arrows from the road lead to a path that is increasingly well developed. This makes it possible to include prehistoric rock art and a specific place to visit as part of the cultural side of your trip.

Meløya’s history spans more than 10,000 years and includes the Stone Age, the Viking Age, the Middle Ages and modern times. It is believed that the first church on Meløya was built as early as the 14th century. Øysund was also a central place during the Iron Age and may have been a centre of power in Nord-Hålogaland. The qualification is important here: Øysund is considered a centre of power only as a possibility.

At Myrvoll Kulturgård, the old barn has been converted into a café, library and gallery. On selected days during the summer season, traditional dishes made with local ingredients are served there, including sour cream porridge, flatbread, dried meat and meat soup. If you would like to plan for culture and regional cuisine as well as nature experiences, this is another point of interest to consider for your trip.

Places and getting around in Meløy

A network of ferry, express boat and bus services connects the island communities and settlements in the municipality. Støtt can be reached from Ørnes by express boat in about 30 minutes. When choosing your holiday rental, you can therefore consider both the experiences you are looking for and the places you would like to include in your trip.

For more information, see the pages for Meløy, Åmnes, Glomfjord, Ågskardet, Reipå, Engavågen, Halsa, Ørnes and Støtt.

For the broader travel overview: Nordland.