The whole of Norway is known around the globe for its natural beauty, exceptional wildlife and awe-inspiring northern lights.
But one archipelago in the country has often taken the crown as the “most beautiful” due to its particularly exceptional beauty, cultural heritage and quaint villages.
Among the tourists and travel bloggers who sang high praises for Lofoten Islands is one visitor called Siri, who headed there in 2015.
They wrote on Tripadvisor: “World’s most beautiful archipelago. Absolutely awesome nature, Islands, mountains, white beaches, clear/clean sea and the most colourful flower fields. Definitely worth a visit.”
Another tourist, Dan, who visited the archipelago last month, described Lofoten as a “bucket list destination”.
He added: “We visited the Lofoten Islands by cruise ship and tendered ashore in Gravdal, we rented a car from Rent a Wreck in Leknes and they actually have the cars waiting at the cruise dock where the tender drops you off.
“The Island is amazing, such a ruggedly beautiful landscape, everywhere you look a postcard picture.
“We were very fortunate that most of our day was sunny and we got lots of great pics. I would definitely like to come back for a longer visit.”
Light can be an issue or a blessing, depending on the experience tourists want to have when visiting the archipelago.
As Lofoten is located above the Arctic Circle, for several weeks in the summer the sun never goes down on the islands.
The long days begin in May, with June and the first half of July seeing 24 hours of daylight.
On the other hand, people visiting during the polar night – between December and early January – will experience 24 hours of complete darkness.
While visitors are more likely to enjoy their experience on the archipelago if they visit during the summer months, as Lofoten is filled with hiking trails and white-sand beaches, Lofoten is also famous for its museums – including the Viking museum which features a reconstructed longhouse.
While Lofoten has been popular among Norwegians for decades, over the past few years it also gained the attention of international visitors.
This has prompted the Norwegian government to plan the introduction of a tourist tax, a move which the country’s minister of trade and industry Jan Christian Vestre said has been “wanted” for a long time by Lofoten islanders.
However, the Norwegian Hospitality Association and some local tour operators criticised the move, which is yet to be implemented, as they fear it will make the already expensive archipelago too pricey for tourists.
This tax, it is argued, will help the archipelago to improve infrastructure such as restroom facilities and parking spots to better cope with the new demand.
