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| Cunard Queen Elizabeth 2019 Amsterdam and Norwegian Explorer - part 4 |
Narvik - 15 October
Although there was a day at sea between Tromso and Narvik, the two places are not so far apart "as the crow flies". To reach Narvik from Tromso it is a long journey south passing the Lofoten islands, and then a slightly shorter journey north back past the Lofoten islands on the other side. Tromso, the Lofoten Islands and Narvik are all areas where the Northern Lights can be seen.
This was our first visit to Narvik. Narvik is the largest harbour in North Norway and the town was established in 1902. It was developed as a port for export from Sweden’s Kiruna and Gallivare iron ore mines and a railway line was built to transport the iron ore. The railway was completed in 1903 and then was electrified in 1923. From the ship there was a view of railway lines and sidings, and the LKAB wharf. LKAB is an abbreviation for Luossavaara Kiirunavaara Aktie Bolag, which means Salmon- and Grouse Mountain Coorporation. LKAB is a high-tech international company and a world leading producer of iron ore products for steel making. Today the iron ore is still transported by train along the Ofotbanen railway, from Kiruna, Malmberget and Svappavaara in Northern Sweden to the two harbours of Luleå in Sweden and to Narvik. As well as the iron ore, there are daily passenger trains on the line which run between Narvik and Stockholm, an overnight journey of 19 hours. There are also shorter trips on the Arctic Circle train between Kiruna in Sweden and Narvik, a journey of 3 hours, but only 2 trains each day. The city has three museums and some shopping and eating options.
Leaving the Cruise Terminal Pier 1, which was being upgraded, there was an old steam ship Skogoy displayed on Pier 2. It was built in 1953 for the Ofoten's Steamship Company, then sold to Sweden in 1983 before returning for restoration in 2012. The sailors Church was by the park which was below the Museum of the North. The museum owns the turf-roofed old post office in the park. The Museum is in a substantial mustard coloured building which was formerly the head office of the Norwegian state railway company. It has good displays about the changes to Narvik over the years as the railway became established and the city expanded. The strategic importance of access to the iron ore from Sweden via the port was recognised by the British and the Germans so it was no surprise that Narvik suffered in WWII. The Germans destroyed most of the city in 1940 and then occupied it for 5 years. Exhibits include comparative pictures of the city before and after WWII, models of railway bridges and landing stages, and a video of the building of the Ofoten Railway which includes images from a modern train journey. There are photos of progress with locomotives EL12 2119 and 2120 which have been restored. The area has a number of rock carvings and there are copies on display, including the Elk at Brennholtet, Narvik. There is also a series of images from 2013 onwards of the building of the Hagalandsbridge, which opened on 9 December 2018. It is the second longest suspension bridge in Norway, joining Narvik to Oyjorda. We saw this bridge later.
Walking downhill towards the city centre, on the left there is a park and the combined building of the War Museum, the Kjoretoyhistorisk Museum and the Library. It is opposite the Fish Market which was still open but only one stall was open for business. Crossing the bridge over the railway line next to a shopping mall with a Spar supermarket gave the chance to check the map for the direction to the railway station. It was not far and as we arrived the overnight train from Stockholm pulled into the platform and lots of Cunard people got out. There were tours which involved catching the coach to the Swedish border and returning by train. We tried to buy a ticket for the train when it left at 1515 but all the tickets were sold. We presume another Cunard tour had booked for the journey from Narvik to the border and would then return by coach. On display was the locomotive Bifrost which was built in 1882 and was the first steam locomotive in Narvik. It arrived in 1900 and was used by LKAB from 1901 in the construction of the railway. After strolling around the Clas Ohlsen shop in the shopping mall next door we had warmed up enough for another walk.
The area is a ski resort in winter and the cable car which starts from the base station at Skistua at 220 metres climbs to Narvikfjellet at 653 metres. It is a new cable car, opened in 2018, and replaces an earlier one which went from Oscarsborg. Starting from the sealevel in the city we made a steady zigzag climb passing the buildings of the Arctic University of Norway. For the future, there is a number 1 bus which runs every 30 minutes. The cable car is expensive for the round trip at 295 kr (about £28), but it was too late to think of walking and after the sprinkling of snow in the morning the track looked too slippery even with walking boots. The last cable car back down the mountain was at 2000, which was a real surprise because we expected it all to be closed much earlier. The views in all directions at the top are spectacular, including the Hagalandsbridge and a corner of the QE. At the top there is a cafe, places outdoors to sit and picnic or BBQ, and the possibility of walking further. There were reindeer hides hanging outside the cafe to use as blankets and a wood burner. We decided to rest inside the cafe, originally planning to have coffee but then decided to try the local beer. There were cakes but then we saw the large waffles which are wonderful with jam, cream and the local brown caramel goat cheese. We ate them before thinking we should have taken a photo. We were back down by cablecar and then retraced our steps to the city just as it was starting to get dark. Perfect. The whole back to the ship was lit with small oil lamps placed on the pavement to guide one – most unusual.
The story continues at Stavanger in Norway
