Evenes: Cultural Trails, Coast and Mountain Hikes
Accommodation in Evenes
In Evenes, coastal communities and mountain landscapes meet traces of Sámi culture and a turbulent history. The municipality is centrally located between Harstad and Narvik; the E10 runs through the area. For planning your trip, it is worth exploring the different places and experiences on offer: from cultural trails in Bogen and Gállogieddi to beaches and mountain hikes.
Church History and Sámi Culture
Around 1250, the first church in Ofoten was built in Evenes. The present-day Evenes Church was built in 1800 as a cruciform church with a mansard roof, in the style of an old Danish manor house or the Biedermeier style. The church contains a 13th-century baptismal font from the first church. Here, you can encounter architectural history spanning several centuries alongside a surviving piece of the earlier church.
At the Sámi open-air museum of Gállogieddi, you can experience a Markasámi farm and learn about the cultural heritage, livelihoods and religion of the Markasámi settlements. Traditional buildings include a gamme, a bow-pole lávvu, residential and farm buildings, and storehouses. An exhibition showcases Sámi handicrafts, known as duodji. The marked Gállogieddi cultural trail is two kilometres long, passes Markasámi cultural heritage sites and follows an old route into the mountains.
Gállogieddi is also the setting for Márkomeannu: the Sámi festival takes place every year on the last weekend of July and features Sámi artists, visual artists and cultural practitioners from across Sápmi. If you would like to plan your visit around the event, check the latest dates.
Mining and Wartime History
In Bogen, the Gruvedrift Bogen cultural trail commemorates the area's mining heritage. This self-guided cultural walk follows traces of mining, which shaped the area from 1905 to 1939. The trail is 2.5 kilometres long and features nine signs describing the mining heritage. The trail is wheelchair-accessible as far as the penultimate point—a useful detail if you are planning your visit accordingly.
Cultural trails in Evenestangen also lead to historic sites. The War Memorials cultural trail includes more than 30 cultural heritage sites. A marked cultural trail there includes bunkers and remains of a German coastal battery from the Second World War: these include gun and anti-aircraft positions, communications facilities, medical facilities and barracks. During the Second World War, the German battleship Tirpitz was in Bogen Bay on three separate occasions. Another landmark in Evenestangen is Steinkirka, a 5.5-metre-high granite sculpture unveiled in 1995 as Evenes Municipality's contribution to Artscape Nordland.
Beaches and Hikes
Evenesvika is a sandy beach and outdoor recreation area in Evenestangen. At low tide, the water is shallow, making the bathing area suitable for small children. You can reach the beach by car from the E10 near Harstad/Narvik Evenes Airport, and there is a car park at the beach. Road and access conditions can change, so check them before setting off. A marked hiking trail also leads from Evenesvika to Haugbakken and Liakollen.
Another sandy beach is located at Vassbotn, by Strandvatnet. There is a large shelter as well as a fire pit and barbecue area. Strandvatnet near Bogen is known as a good Arctic char fishing lake. Kleksen SaunabĂĄt offers individual visits and private bookings; check the current offering before you travel.
The mountain hikes vary considerably in terrain and difficulty. Niingen is a very challenging hike through steep terrain, with views of Strandvatnet, Bogen, the Ofotfjord and the surrounding mountains. It starts at Røyrholla by Strandvatnet; the route to the summit is about 4.2 kilometres long and takes approximately two hours and 30 minutes. Lilandsveten climbs through the cultural landscape of Liland to 351 metres above sea level, offering views of Liland, the archipelago, Bogen and the Ofotfjord. The moderately difficult Nedre Skinnstakk hike is by Nedre Skinnstakkvatn; its landscape includes mountain lakes, marshes, grazing land and open mountain terrain.
Harstad/Narvik Evenes Airport is also a useful landmark when planning your journey: it is connected by bus to Harstad, Narvik, VesterĂĄlen and Lofoten. Services and timetables can change, so check the latest bus times before travelling.
Discover more destinations: Liland, Bogen, Evenes, Vevelstad, Fauske, Nesna, Dønna, Steigen.
For the main travel overview: Nordland.
