Discover Hansnes

Hansnes combines culture, hiking trails and winter cross-country ski trails with a ferry terminal where several facilities are located. When planning your trip, it is worth distinguishing between destinations in the village, trails in the surrounding area and excursions to nearby islands.

Ringvassøy Church and the ferry terminal

Ringvassøy Church is located in Hansnes on Ringvassøya. The concrete church has 400 seats and was consecrated on 12 June 1977 by Bishop Kristen Kyrre Bremer. Its features include a new pipe organ with 13 stops, installed in 1980. Starup & Søn in Copenhagen adapted the instrument to the church building.

There is a municipal park area and a skate park at the Hansnes ferry terminal. A pedestrian and cycle path leads to the park area, where there are places to sit. There is also a tourist information office there, as well as access to water and electricity.

Hiking trails and cross-country ski trails

A good hiking trail runs east of the Grågårdselva and leads from the school to the lavvo shelter of the Karlsøy Jeger- og Fiskerforening in Hansneslia. There are benches and an outdoor fire pit at the shelter. In the Grønnlia area and along the Grågårdselva, trails and other paths are used for both short walks and longer hikes. The options range from a walk in the surrounding area to a longer hike.

The outdoor recreation area west of Hansnes includes several popular destinations, trail registers, shelters, and numerous paths and trails. A floodlit cross-country ski trail is also located in the area immediately west of Hansnes. Groomed ski trails lead uphill from the Hansnes area into the mountains.

Another option is the Hansnes–Grunnfjordbotn route: a hiking route that is partially track-set in winter. This makes it distinct, when planning, from the groomed ski trails that lead uphill into the mountains from the Hansnes area.

Ferry connections and excursions in the region

The Hansnes–Vannøy–Karlsøy ferry connection is part of the Nord-Troms ferry package. Timetables may change, so check the latest departure times before travelling. The nearby island of Karlsøya can be reached by ferry from Hansnes. Visitors can follow a cultural trail there, explore a well-preserved historic complex of buildings, visit a Stone Age settlement site and see coastal forts from the Second World War.

The wider Karlsøy destination also has natural areas with distinctive character. The Flatværet nature reserve consists of 52 grassy islets surrounded by skerries and shallow-water areas. Cormorants and gulls are among the birds that breed there, and several duck species moult there. These wildlife observations are seasonal and variable. Sørfugløya, also in the wider Karlsøy destination, is one of Norway’s most important bird cliffs and an important breeding area, especially for razorbills and Atlantic puffins. Breeding activity is seasonal.

Discover more destinations: Vannareid, Valen, Rebbenes, Dåfjord, Karlsøy, Vannvåg.

Go to the wider travel overview: Karlsøy.