Skibotn, Nord-Troms – Exploring Norway
Skibotn is a village in northern Norway. It lies in the municipality of Storfjord in Troms County, right at the intersection between European Route E6 going through Norway and European Route E8 coming from Finland. In many ways, this is a gateway for visitors coming from Finland and Sweden and heading to the Arctic part of northern Norway.
But there is more to Skibotn than the intersection of two roads. This is a village along the shores of the fjord Lyngenfjorden. It is here that the around 540 inhabitants live. According to many sources, many of these inhabitants belong to the two ethnic groups of the Kven and the Sami people. That is also why Skibotn is known by its Sami name Ivgubahta and Kven name Yykeänperä.
A Short History of Skibotn
Skibotn has a long tradition as a marketplace and meeting point in the center of the Arctic North, in an area known as the Cape of the North or locally as Nordkalotten. Trade here is believed to have started in the 16th century and continued into the 20th century. Merchants came not only from Norway but also from Finland and Sweden. The market was usually held in November and in January, but also March had been chosen during some periods in history.
The market also became the gateway to northern Norway for Laestadianism, a Lutheran revival movement that was started by Lars Levi Laestadius. It was the same Laestadius who sent missionaries to Skibotn from his seat in Karesuando in northern Sweden.
The last market was held in 1955. It had by that time been losing the competition from the more effective trade of the time and the increased control by nation-states.
Things to Do and See
Chasing the Aurora Borealis is probably a dream many have when visiting this part of the world. Here far north of the Arctic Circle, the likelihood of seeing the northern lights is much higher than further south. Well, that is if you don’t visit during the summer months. The midnight sun rises here on the 5th of June and will not go below the horizon again for over a month until the 8th of July. The darkness of winter is even longer with 88 days without the sun rising above the horizon. It is this darkness that provides ample opportunities for any Aurora chaser heading this far north.
Other arctic adventures during the winter dog sledding or even reindeer sledding in the valley. There are also plenty of other activities in the snow. Luckily, it is not only winter up here in the north. Once the summer returns the fjord and surrounding mountains open up for more explorations. Hiking in the mountains or maybe even swimming in the fjord.
How to Get to Skibotn
- Flights: There are a few smaller airports in the area, such as the Sorkjosen Airport (SOJ) and Bardufoss Airport (BDU). Otherwise, it is Tromsø Airport (TOS) that is the major airport in the area.
- Car: Skibotn is located at the crossroad of Road E6 and E8, just a short distance north of the border with Finland.
The driving distance from 5 major Norwegian cities, according to Google Maps:
- Oslo – 688 kilometers (8 h 50 min)
- Bergen – 824 kilometers (12 h 50 min)
- Trondheim – 201 kilometers (2 h 50 min)
- Narvik – 698 kilometers (10 h 50 min)
- Kirkenes – 1367 kilometers (17 h 50 min)
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