Ljønes: Cultural Landscape and Traces of the Viking Age

Ljønes combines an open cultural landscape with older buildings and significant archaeological traces. When planning your trip, it helps to think of the place itself and the wider destination of Bodø as two separate levels: farms, burial mounds and the nearby Ljønesøya Nature Reserve define the local focus; Bodø provides additional regional context for your journey. This lets you distinguish local highlights from other options across the wider destination.

Natural surroundings around Ljønesøya

The nearby Ljønesøya Nature Reserve covers about 3,524 dekars, of which around 3,037 dekars are sea. Within the wider destination of Bodø, Ljønesøya is a low-lying island in the Skjerstadfjord, west of the entrance to the Misværfjord. Its highest point is 13 metres above sea level.

At low tide, a shallow area connects the island to the mainland. Access may be restricted by the nature reserve regulations.

Farms and cultural landscape

The cultural landscape around Ljønes gård is open, with mowing, grazing and logging shaping its character. Ljønes gård is part of the cultural heritage route “Tun og tradisjon i Skjerstad,” which features farms, houses and settlement areas. The older buildings at Ljønes are considered particularly significant for architectural history and the cultural environment.

If you are interested in local history, this takes you to both individual buildings and the cultural landscape and settlement areas.

Archaeological traces in Ljønes

In the pre-Christian Viking Age, Ljønes was an important chieftain’s seat. More than 100 registered burial mounds are associated with Ljønes, most of them with the Ljønes farm. The cultural land at Ljønes includes 28 burial mounds, only a few of which are clearly visible today. Some of the mounds associated with Ljønes are among the largest in Northern Norway.

Two standing stones remain today at the burial mounds of Ljønesgradden: one larger and one smaller. Rich archaeological finds have been made in the burial mounds and cultural land at Ljønes. A boathouse foundation at Ljønesvika could have accommodated the Oseberg ship. Similar house foundations have been discovered at Ljønesgradden in recent years.

Yndlingshaugen is a picturesque hill at the outer end of Ljøneset. Alongside the burial mounds and archaeological finds, named landscape features also help complete the picture of the area.

Bodø as a wider travel reference

Bodø itself offers further natural and cultural points of interest. The Saltstraumen channel is 3 km long and 150 m wide; the current reaches speeds of up to 20 knots. The Norwegian Aviation Museum near the city centre presents the history of military and civilian aviation across 10,000 square metres, including the U-2, Starfighter and Spitfire aircraft.

For travel within the wider region, Bodø Airport offers domestic and international flights; Bodø is also the northern terminus of the Nordland Railway. Bus route 400 runs several times a day between central Bodø and Kjerringøy and includes a ferry crossing. Check current flight and bus timetables before travelling.

Discover more destinations: Breivik i Salten, Saltstraumen, Løding, Skivika, Bodø, Skjerstad, Tverlandet, Kjerringøy.

Go to the wider travel overview: Bodø.