Things to do in Svolvær
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Magic Ice
Housed, appropriately, in what was once a fish-freezing plant, Magic Ice is the ultimate place to chill out, perhaps with something to warm the spirit from the 7.5m-long bar. The 500-sq-metre space is filled with huge ice sculptures, illustrating Lofoten life. If you can’t come back to northern Norway in winter, here’s a great, if brief, approximation.
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Børsen
This Arctic Menu restaurant brims with character. A former fish house, it was called the ‘stock exchange’ after the harbour-front bench outside, where the older men of the town would ruminate endlessly over the state of the world. In its dining room, with its cracked and bowed flooring, you’ll still catch the scent of tar and cod-liver oil.
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Lofoten Nature
Lofoten Nature displays, on two floors above the tourist office, the striking images of Lofoten wildlife photographer John Stenersen. The thoughtful, accessible text with its powerful ecological message is a stimulating condensed introduction to the ecosystems of the islands and their land-based and offshore wildlife. Warmly recommended.
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Bacalao
With its upbeat interior, Bacalao offers leafy, innovative salads (Nkr110 to Nkr130), sandwiches and some equally creative pasta dishes; the hot rekepasta (hot shrimp pasta; Nkr150) will set your taste buds tingling. It also expresses what must be about the best coffee anywhere in Norway, a country that so often settles for watery black brews.
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Kjøkkenet
Kjøkennet, originally a shack for salting fish and nowadays furnished like an old-time kitchen, is a wonderfully cosy place to dine. The cuisine is just as traditional and the recommended menu choice is of course fish – try the kitchen’s signature dish, boknafisk (Nkr270), cured cod with salted fat and vegetables.
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Lofoten Theme Gallery
The Lofoten Theme Gallery is very much the creation of one man, Geir Nøtnes, a keen photographer from a long fishing background. One room is devoted to cod fishing, another to whaling and there’s a 20-minute DVD about Lofoten through the seasons.
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North Norwegian Art Centre
The North Norwegian Art Centre hosts changing exhibitions of paintings, sculpture, ceramics and more by artists from northern Norway. There’s also a permanent exhibition of the works of the 19th-century Lofoten painter Gunnar Berg.
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Lofoten War Memorial Museum
Lofoten War Memorial Museum, privately and passionately run, is a fascinating place. Models in original military uniforms gaze down and there are plenty of artefacts and evocative, largely unpublished WWII-era photos.
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Du Verden
This smaller, hip restaurant with its clean, open lines and contemporary artwork around the walls is a very congenial place for a relaxed dinner. The lunchtime dishes (Nkr45 to Nkr150) offer an excellent price-to-quality ratio.
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XXLofoten
XXLofoten rents out sea kayaks (single up to three/eight hours Nkr400/500, double Nkr500/700) from late June and throughout July.
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Styrhuset
Svolvær’s oldest pub is all dark crannies that speak of sailors long gone.
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