Bjarkøy: Archaeology, Cultural Trail and Nature
Accommodation in Bjarkøy
On Bjarkøya, you’ll find archaeological remains of a scale and variety rarely seen in Northern Norway. The protected archaeological area includes traces of Stone Age settlements, clearance cairns, burial mounds, burial grounds, settlement sites and evidence of agriculture. The older route Nordvegen runs through the area between Austnes and Nergårdshamn. History is revealed here in many different forms—from traces of settlements to stone graves.
Archaeological Remains and Hiking Trails
Several prepared hiking trails in the archaeological area are used by locals and visitors alike. For a hike, consider the route from Nergårdshamn to Austnes; along the way, you can see stone burial mounds. This offers a specific route idea alongside archaeological sights. If you’d rather join a guided tour, the Bjarkøy Tour offers a different way to discover the island’s history.
Cultural Trail and History
The Fotefar mot nord: Bjarkøy cultural trail provides information about Ole Ottesastua on Bjarkøya. Bjarkøy Church is also one of the cultural sites highlighted by the trail. Information boards are located by the shop, at Ole Ottesastua and at Frihågen. Smaller boards stand by the burial mounds, and signposts mark the cultural trail. You’ll find information there both about individual cultural sites and about archaeological remains.
Another historical subject is Bjarkøy Batteri, an important cultural monument with a unique national history dating from the final phase of the war in the north. The guided Bjarkøy Tour also includes a stop at Selshevneren. The spear monument is 15 metres high and marks Tore Hund’s connection to the island. The cultural monument and the monument offer different historical points of interest for visitors interested in Bjarkøy’s history.
Guided Tours and Nature Experiences
The guided Bjarkøy Tour stops in the Sundsvollsundet nature reserve at the northernmost point of Bjarkøya. Norway’s largest black-legged kittiwake colony is located there. Another option is a guided RIB tour in the waters around Bjarkøya. It visits Krykkjeberget in Sundsvollsundet to observe black-legged kittiwakes and passes places where you have a good chance of seeing white-tailed eagles, harbour porpoises, dolphins and killer whales.
The Vikingøya Bjarkøy tour combines guided visits with a ferry crossing from Harstad to Bjarkøya, coastal scenery, birdwatching and a stop at Røkenes Gård. The excursions described therefore differ in focus: you can explore archaeological remains on foot or make guided visits and nature watching the main focus.
Getting Here and Holiday Apartments
You can reach Bjarkøya by car via a free car ferry after driving from the airport to the ferry connection. Foot passengers can take an express boat directly from central Harstad to Bjarkøya. When looking for a holiday apartment, your planned journey can therefore be a useful starting point for planning your trip: you can consider the car ferry and the direct express boat from Harstad as different ways of getting there.
If you’d like to explore other places in the subregion, you can also find the destination pages for Bjarkøy and Sandsøy here.
For the broader travel overview: Troms.
More Destinations
More places in the same destination:
