Hey, Norway!
Norway has been on our bucket list for a long time. A fantastic landscape, lots of hiking opportunities, red wooden houses, moose, cod, fjords and nature as far as the eye can see. Our big goal: the Lofoten archipelago and, of course, the Northern Lights, which we unfortunately didn't see in the end. But let's start from the beginning.
Our journey began in Denmark. In Hirtshals to be precise. Here we had booked the ferry connection to Kristiansand. This cost us just under 420€ with our Ahorn Camp Canada Ae 2020, 2x adults, baby and dog. The crossing took about 3 hours in total. Fortunately, dogs were allowed to stay in the car, which was of course very pleasant for Pepper as she had plenty of space in our camper. We reached Kristiansand at around 00:00. We spent the night near the harbor for the first time in Norway. Â
The next day, we continued north along the west coast. We reached a small, super cute boat landing stage. There was plenty of space here for motorhomes and great fishing opportunities. In the early morning and evening, the fishermen came back with their boats. We even had the opportunity to get some free fish here. Moritz was also lucky enough to catch two cod from the shore. They tasted excellent. As our laundry basket was slowly but surely filling up, we headed for the Bore campsite. Here we even had the opportunity to hire surfboards, including equipment. The washing machine cost us €3 and here too, as at almost every campsite in Scandinavia, there was free Wi-Fi. Here are the coordinates: Latitude: 58.7991 Longitude: 5.5579.
We chose a hiking route for the next day. The weather was promising and we parked our Ahorn Camp Canada Ae 2020 in a large parking lot nearby. After a short search, we decided on the Preikestolen mountain with an elevation gain of 850 meters. We had planned the whole day with sturdy shoes for the hike, as it was going to be very strenuous. With Pepper in tow, Solly in the stretcher and 3.6 kilometers later, we reached the top of the mountain. Unfortunately, we weren't the only ones up here and it wasn't really relaxing on the mountain either. So we quickly took the typical tour photo and quickly headed back down. Exhausted, tired and happy, we looked for a campsite nearby to spend the night. This cost us €30. The showers were included. Here are the coordinates: Latitude: 55.9986 - Longitude: 6.0927.
The following day we took the ferry from Arsvagen to Mortavika. It left every 20 minutes and cost us a total of €8. We arrived at a super nice campsite with a diving platform by the water. Incidentally, this was also a great fishing spot. Latitude: 59.5707 - Longitude: 59.5707.
We were beginning to feel that we needed to mingle with the people again. That's why we headed for Bergen, Norway's second largest city. A city with a lot of charm and urban flair. We were able to park our Ahorn Camp Canada Ae 2020 in a side street. Not quite legal, but at least it was free. Away from the tourist attractions, we found great little streets with restaurants and cafés. Our highlight: a ride on the Ferris wheel. Unfortunately, Pepper had to stay outside. We looked for a parking space nearby for the night.
And as it felt like every day, we continued north on the E39. Slowly but surely, we got a feel for the size and vastness of the country. Every journey seemed to take half an eternity and somehow we began to get the feeling that we might never reach the Lofoten Islands. Away from the main road, we found a dream campsite right next to a lake with a view of the mountains. This is where we spontaneously had our first pregnancy shoot. Unfortunately, there were an endless number of mosquitoes in the evening. Nevertheless, this pitch is one of our hotspots in Norway. Latitude: 61.7129 - Longitude: 6.5271.
To do some laundry, we headed for a small campsite called Sorkil Camping. As we liked it straight away, we spontaneously stayed for a night. The staff were more than friendly and you could even hire a boat and go fishing for a small fee.
On the same day, we received an email from Lotta and Felix Wiemers. As it soon turned out, a professional sailor and one of the 15 best freeski drivers in the world invited us to Tromsø on their sailing boat. That sounded like an adventure and fun. So we gratefully accepted the invitation and set off. And what can we say? We had the best 3 days. Fantastic weather, big cod, pristine spots and the best company, because Lotta and Felix are two absolute sweethearts. This trip was simply breathtaking. Lotta and Felix are not only a wonderful couple, but also excellent Norway guides. In winter, they offer guided hiking routes in the snow. Of course, they spend the night on their sailing boat. Looking back, this was a super beautiful and intense experience that we will never forget.
After our farewell, which was not easy for us, we drove on towards Lofoten, to Andøya. By now we were quite far north and our hopes of reaching Lofoten were growing. We reached a small and super cute campsite where we stayed for one night. Latitude: 69.1413 - Longitude: 15.5550.
We had made it. We were in the middle of Lofoten and couldn't believe that we had made it so far north. For the next day, we planned a hike to the Kvalvika Beach. The beach is located on the island of Moskenesøya, very close to the village of Fredvang. There were two well-marked parking lots where you could park your car. In total, it took us about 2 ½ hours to walk the almost 4 kilometers. Although the hiking trail is quite well developed, we recommend taking provisions with you and planning breaks. At the end, we were rewarded with a wonderful view and blisters on our feet. The hike was a tough one.
Our next stop took us to a small fishing village called Pure. We spent a total of 2 days here. We explored small restaurants, cafés and spent the night right by the harbor. Incidentally, you could fill up your water tank here free of charge. Latitude: 67.9350 - Longitude: 13.0949. We continued on to the fishing village of Nusfjord, which is famous for its fish trade. A wonderful museum and the most beautiful café ever. Nusfjord is definitely worth a visit. It's a great place to stay for a night in a camper van: Latitude: 68.0345 - Longitude: 13.470.
Our penultimate stop took us to Hennigsvaer. While you're here, be sure to take a look at the famous soccer pitch, which was voted the best picture of the year by National Geographic in the Cities section in 2017.
Before we left for Sweden, we drove to Sjøhus, a small, romantic campsite. It was right by the sea. There was even a cute little playground for Solly. As everywhere in Norway, the staff were also very friendly. The night cost us around €27. Latitude: 68.3221 - Longitude: 14.7170.
CONCLUSION
In summary, it can be said that Norway has a beautiful landscape to offer. There are also many hiking and fishing opportunities. However, we found it quite difficult to travel with a small child, as the weather was mostly very bad. For this reason, we often had to go to campsites with our Ahorn Camp Canada AE 2020 to wash and dry laundry. What's more, Norway is very expensive. We always paid at least €150-200 for our groceries. You have to be prepared for the fact that everything is 3-4 times more expensive than in Germany, for example. This makes it all the more important to plan a specific itinerary. In the end, we are grateful and happy to have traveled to Norway as a family. Thanks to our cozy home on four wheels, we were able to get through the rainy days and had a really intense and wonderful time as a family.
