Nordland · Norway
Lofoten
E 10Svolvær to Å i Lofoten
Island-hopping coastal highway through Lofoten’s jagged peaks from Svolvaer to road’s end at A.
The E10 threads roughly 130 km across the Lofoten archipelago, linking islands by bridge and tunnel from the hub town of Svolvaer to the tiny fishing village of A at the southwest tip. It is widely cited as one of Europe’s most scenic coastal drives, running past Hamnoy and Reine (with short detours to Henningsvaer and Nusfjord) where sharp granite spires rise straight from turquoise water. The road is mostly easy and fairly flat but narrows and gets busy in summer, and stretches sit above the Arctic Circle under midnight sun. Mind tour-bus traffic and cyclists in the narrow sections, sudden coastal weather, and reindeer or sheep on the carriageway.
On the road
The road runs from Svolvær to Å i Lofoten, where the E10 ends. Leaving Svolvær, it crosses the Gimsøystraumen Bridge, about half a mile (839 m) long, between Austvågøya and Gimsøya. Further west it dives under the sea through the Nappstraum tunnel, about a mile (1.8 km) long. The tunnel reaches 63 m below sea level, with gradients up to 8%.
This stretch is part of the Norwegian Scenic Route Lofoten, which has purpose-built rest stops. Gimsøystraumen, by the bridge, has toilets open all year. Akkarvikodden on Moskenesøya has granite furniture and a wide view out to sea, but its toilets close from October to May. Reinehalsen, at the foot of Reinebringen, looks over Reine and is one of Norway’s most photographed spots. At Å, the Norwegian Fishing Village Museum and the Lofoten Stockfish Museum tell the story of the fishery.
The midnight sun lasts from late May to mid July. Svolvær and Leknes sit in the shadow of mountains, though, so head to the outer coast to see it. Car traffic can be hard going in high season.
Scenery
Best seasons
In these collections
Lofoten on the map81.6 mi · point to point
Navigate to the start: Apple Maps · Google Maps
Character
Corners
busiest around mile 80Elevation
under 4%4 to 8%over 8%-1 to 137 mFrom the road
Points of interest3 stops
- RørvikskaretViewpoint8.4 mi in
- SkagsandenViewpoint59 mi in
- TindLandmark81 mi in
Hazards
- Heavy summer tourist and bus traffic
- Sudden Arctic coastal weather
- Reindeer and sheep on road
- Cyclists in the narrow sections
Sources
“The road provides stunning coastal views: a memory for a lifetime.”
Route traced from OpenStreetMap, with its stats measured from that line. How the roads are mapped
Routes for iPhone carries Lofoten offline, with live weather and a 7 day forecast.
Nearby roads
The closest great drives to Lofoten.
