Northern Lights Forecast for Svolvær

Northern Lights in Svolvær

Svolvær is the main town in Lofoten and the administrative center of Vågan municipality, with about 4,700 people on the south coast of Austvågøya at 68.2°N. It has more places to stay than anywhere else in the islands, so many people on an aurora trip to Lofoten sleep in Svolvær and watch somewhere darker. The sun stays below the horizon from about 7 December to 5 January.

Fløyfjellet and the Svolvær Goat

The town faces south across Vestfjorden. Fløyfjellet (590 m) rises on the north-east edge of town, so from the harbor and the streets it hides the low northern sky. A display high overhead shows above the rooftops; a faint arc near the horizon does not.

Svolværgeita, the Svolvær Goat, is a pinnacle on the south-west face of Fløyfjellet, named for its two horns, Storhorn and Lillehorn. It was first climbed on 1 August 1910, and climbers still jump the 1.5 m gap between the horns, with the town cemetery about 300 m below. It is a rock climb, not a hike.

Gimsøy and the outer coast

For an open view north, people drive west on the E10 to Gimsøy, the next island along, about 35 km and 40 minutes from Svolvær over the Gimsøystraumen bridge. About 200 people live on the island, which lies on the outer side of Lofoten, facing the open sea. The E10 runs along its south shore. Hov, on the north side beside the golf course, is a popular place to watch for the aurora in winter.

Laukvik, on the outer side of Austvågøya itself, is about the same distance by road to the north.

Kabelvåg and Henningsvær by day

Kabelvåg, 5 km south-west, is where northern Norway’s first town stood: medieval Vágar, a couple of kilometers west of the present village, between about 1000 and 1400. Vågan Church, built of wood in 1898 with room for about 1,200 people, is known as the Lofoten Cathedral. The Lofoten Museum, the Lofoten Aquarium and Galleri Espolin are in the village too.

Henningsvær, about 25 km by road to the south-west, is a fishing village spread over small islands that bridges join to Austvågøya. Its football pitch became known worldwide through drone photos.

Hurtigruten, Helle and the Lofast road

Hurtigruten ships call at the quay in the town center, and an express boat runs across to Bodø. Svolvær Airport, Helle, is about 6 km east of town, with short flights from Bodø. Harstad/Narvik Airport at Evenes, which has flights from Oslo, is about 170 km away on the E10, roughly three hours by road or airport bus. The drive uses the Lofast road, opened in 2007; before that, the E10 needed the Melbu to Fiskebøl ferry. West of Svolvær, the E10 runs on through the islands to Reine, about 120 km and two hours away, and ends at Å.