Salten’s culture is diverse—9000-year-old carvings of swans, street art in Bodø, posh parlours at Kjerringøy and Sami turf huts on the mountains. Fermented saithe and elegant chocolates.
Right in the heart of Nordland, between Saltfjellet and the Arctic Circle in the south and Tysfjorden and Vestfjorden in the north, you’ll find Salten. Join us for a tour of Salten’s diverse culture. You’ll be surprised at what you’ll find.
Frequently asked questions
The culture dates back 9000 years
Rock carvings at Leiknes date back 9000 years and depict surprisingly true-to-nature images of moose, reindeer, killer whales and swans. At Tuvsjyen near Saltstraumen, the Stone Age comes alive, with Stone Age crafts, turf huts and food around the fire. At Vollmoa in Steigen there is something so rare as the remains of a military facility from the Iron Age, or at least that’s the main theory. Nearby is the moot hill, where the håløygs would meet at Steigarting to settle debates and disputes, and Steigen Church, which dates back to the Middle Ages. The church in Gildeskål, where psalm poet Eliax Blix was christened, is held to be the oldest in Northern Norway, dating back to the early 12th century. Bodin Church in Bodø is from the 13th century.
Fishing was the main industry
The waters of Vestfjorden, just outside Salten, is rich in fish, and fishing is a major component in Salten’s culture and history through the ages. Kjerringøy, Hamsun’s Sirilund, is the Queen of trading posts, with its well-preserved interiors and noble appearance, all paid for by the fish trade. Selsøyvik, out in the myriad islands of Rødøy, is not a museum, however; this old trading post is still at the centre of all activity on the islands. The new Jekt Trade Museum in Bodø is dedicated to what was once the country’s economic artery—the export of fish from Northern Norway to Bergen, and from there to the rest of the world. Rognan is were boats were built, as this is where the wood needed to build the boats grew. At Støtt, the old trading post has become a good restaurant, and the 14 permanent residents on Myken have their own whisky destillery. These places were all central hubs in the fish trade, but they have since found new roles to fill.
Sami culture is rich in Salten
Sami culture has long roots in Salten and still survives in small pockets across the region. In Northern Salten, they still speak Lule Sami in small communities, and the language tradition is being passed on to new generations. In Àrran (like the Norwegian arne, meaning hearth) in Tysfjord, there is a large exhibit on the Sami community of Tysfjord. Visitors can try the Sami version of glamping. Pite Sami was previously spoken in central and southern parts of Salten, but has since died out except in pockets on the Swedish side of the border.
The area was destroyed in World War Two
In May 1940, wave after wave of German bombers descended on Bodø, and in two and a half hours, all of downtown and most residential homes were destroyed. Learn more about this history at the Nordland Museum and the Aviation Museum. This devestation, however, was nothing compared to the horror that Soviet and Yugoslavian prisoners of war faced as they were forced to build a road and railroad across Saltfjellet under gruesome conditions from 1942 to the end of the war.
The Blood Road Museum at Rognan has a heart-wrenching exhibition about the prisoners. Underneath Kobbelv Inn is a tunnel, which was part of one of Hitler’s prestigious projects, the Polar Line, a narrow-gauge railway between Fauske and Narvik. Batterie Dietl in Steigen is a large and well-preserved coastal fortress. The cannons that once stood here, were so powerful that no allied ships dared venture into Vestfjorden.
Reconstruction and Cold War
The reconstruction after World War 2 took place in times of economic austerity, but with the help of the country’s best architects. The result is a streamlined functional style, which has seen a considerable re-appraisal in recent years. Bodø’s city centre has several architectural landmark from this period, including city hall, the cathedral and Grand Hotel. The residential neighbourhood known as Svenskebyen, or Sweden Town, was a gift from Sweden and is a uniform neighbourhood of standardized wooden houses from the 1940s. Bodø was also the centre of the world’s attention during the U2 affair in 1960, when the Americans landed their spy planes at the airport. Explore this part of history at the Norwegian Aviation Museum.
The Landscapes inspired art
The Hamsun Centre on Hamarøy is something so rare as a building interpreting literature. Knut Hamsun’s characters are introverted, but have strong emotions. The building is built the same way, tall with clean lines, but emotions are expressed in the form of a balcony yellow with jealousy, or odd angles and carpets against walls. Artscape Nordland is a unique project, providing almost all municipalities in Nordland with an original sculpture. Some travel around to see them all. Another art tour can be completed on foot: Bodø is a centre for street art and has several colourful murals by international artists.
Fermented saithe and melted brown cheese are specialities
Some of Salten’s food specialities are the subject of warm praise by their devoted fans and deep disgust by their bitter detractors. Gammelsalta sei is unbled (i.e. the blood has not been removed) saithe, layered with salt in barrels and left to ferment for about a year. Møsbrømlefte is a warm lefse filled with møsbrøm, i.e. brown cheese melted in milk. It is then folded up like an envelope and topped with sour cream and butter for a real lactose shock to the system. We believe both these specialities taste heavenly, but if you’re not feeling quite that adventurous, there’s plenty of other delicious food to enjoy. Bodø has an impressive selection of restaurants, and for dessert we recommend one of Craig Alibone’s delectable chocolates.
Read more at visitbodo.com/museumattraksjoner