Kystriksveien - The Coastal Route by bike

Kystriksveien - The Coastal Route - Bicycle Route
Distance
about 630 km (390 miles)
Country
Norway
Difficulty
Moderate to challenging
Type of trip
Cycling route

Kystriksveien is the everyday name for county road 17 (Fv17), which follows the Helgeland coast of Norway for about 630 km, from just north of Steinkjer in Trøndelag to Bodø in Nordland. Six car ferries break it up: Holm–Vennesund, Horn–Andalsvågen, Forvik–Tjøtta, Levang–Nesna, Kilboghamn–Jektvik and Ågskardet–Forøy. You cross the Arctic Circle on the Kilboghamn–Jektvik ferry, the longest at 18.5 km. The 433 km between Holm and Godøystraumen is a Norwegian Scenic Route, and the road is part of Norway’s National Cycle Route 1 and EuroVelo 1.

The ferries set the rhythm, so plan each day around their timetables. Cycling is banned in the 7.6 km Svartis tunnel in Meløy; riders take the Vassdalsvik–Ørnes ferry round it instead. Both ends are on the Nordland railway line, which runs from Trondheim through Steinkjer to Bodø, so you can get to the start and back from the finish by train. This is the coast road north of Trondheim. Lofoten, the Atlantic Ocean Road and Trollstigen aren’t on it.

Highlights along the way

  1. Torghatten: a 258 m granite hill near Brønnøysund with a natural tunnel right through it, 166 m long and about 41 m high. A path climbs to the hole and you can walk through.
  2. Vega: an archipelago of about 6,500 islands, on the UNESCO World Heritage list since 2004 for its centuries of eider-down farming. Ferries and fast boats go from Brønnøysund.
  3. The Seven Sisters: a row of seven peaks on the island of Alsten in Alstahaug, the highest Botnkrona at 1,072 m. Each top has a marked path.
  4. Engabreen: an arm of the Svartisen glacier that reaches lower than any other glacier on the European mainland, about 20 m above sea level in 2007.
  5. Saltstraumen: a narrow strait about 10 km from Bodø, with one of the strongest tidal currents in the world. The Fv17 crosses it on a 768 m bridge.

Distance

About 630 km (390 miles) of road from Steinkjer to Bodø, not counting six ferry crossings. The Scenic Route section, Holm to Godøystraumen, is 433 km.

Best time to go

June to August, when the days are longest; at Bodø the midnight sun lasts from about 1 June to 13 July. May and September are possible, with fewer people and shorter days. Check the ferry timetables for the dates you’re riding.

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