I would say that April officially marked the beginning of spring this year here in Bergen. The weather was fantastic, the flowers were planted in the city center, adventures were had and my classes are winding down as I approach exam season yet again. Luckily, I still have a few weeks before I really have to crack down for finals and have some things to look forward to in May, but that’s not what this post is about. I want to talk about one of the best things I have done since I came to Norway: A road trip to the Lofoten Islands.

Over the week of Easter, two friends and I embarked on a 10-day road trip across the country that was split into six days of driving and four days in Lofoten with two nights of camping. Driving north, we took the inland route, going up and over mountain passes and straight through other mountains; at one point we went through the world’s longest road tunnel, which stretched about 24.5 kilometers (just over 15 miles). On the way back south to Bergen, we decided to take the coastal route, which was absolutely incredible. The words to properly describe it escape me, but some that are applicable include grand, gorgeous and mind-boggling. In the four days we were in Lofoten we managed to cover the entirety of the archipelago fairly well. One full day was spent driving around the island of Andøya, and the other three were spent island hopping with several stops for pictures and a few hikes sprinkled in.

Unbeknownst to us, April in Lofoten is still very much a snow month in which most of the mountains and trails are still covered, and we did in fact get snowed on. We did take advantage of the snow, however, and we built a snowman at the end of one of our hikes. We also visited the Lofotr viking museum on our last day in the islands. If anyone is planning a visit to Norway, I would 100% recommend going up to Lofoten. It is beyond gorgeous, even in its winter attire, and I would almost describe it as surreal. If you don’t have a week and a half to drive up and down the country, take a flight up to the islands and just go from there. Being able to see reindeer, the beauty and grandeur of the country and say you were above the arctic circle is very much worth it.

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Learn more about this blogger’s study abroad program: University of Bergen