Narvik, Norway

The town of Narvik came into existence to serve the needs of the iron ore industry. Iron is mined in neighbouring Sweden, and Narvik was chosen as the location from where to ship it as it offers an ice-free port.

This industrial heritage has shaped the town and now forms the basis of some of its tourist attractions, as can be discovered on some of the four excursions we offer in and around the town.

In 1883 a British/Swedish company was given permission to build a railway from the iron mines in Sweden to Narvik, which was then christened Victoriahavn. The railway, the Ofotbanen, opened in 1902 and the town built up around this industry.

Unfortunately much of the town was destroyed in World War II when it came under German occupation for some five years and was the scene of battles on land, at sea and in the air. The local war museum documents the history of this period with exhibitions and displays explaining the sequence of events.