Trollfjord

Trollfjord runs about two kilometres inland from the Raftsund between walls that rise a thousand metres almost vertically, and its entrance is roughly a hundred metres across, narrow enough that entering it feels like passing through a gate. Inside, the water is still, the walls close in, and boats must turn in a basin at the head. Sea eagles are frequently seen, and RIB operators from Svolvaer feed them for the benefit of passengers, a practice that has drawn criticism. The Hurtigruten coastal steamer enters the fjord in summer when conditions permit, a manoeuvre in which the ship turns around inside the fjord. The fjord was the site of a famous 1890 dispute between local fishermen and steam-powered boats.

History

In 1890 the fjord saw the Battle of Trollfjord, a clash over access between the first steam-driven fishing ships and fishermen in traditional open boats, later described by Johan Bojer in his 1921 novel The Last of the Vikings and painted by Gunnar Berg. In 1969 the British ferry TS Avalon sailed in, turned 180 degrees and came out again (Wikipedia, Trollfjord).

The landscape

• The narrow entrance - a mouth roughly a hundred metres across.
• The vertical walls - rock rising a thousand metres from the water.
• The turning basin - the small head where boats turn around.
• The sea eagles - white-tailed eagles patrolling the fjord.

When to go

May to September, when boat trips run and the coastal steamer makes the detour; the entry depends on weather and ice and is cancelled in poor conditions. Long summer light gives the best views into the shadowed fjord.

Things to know

The fjord can only be seen from a boat, and the trips are weather-dependent. RIB rides are cold, wet and rough. Eagle feeding for tourists is controversial and some operators have stopped it; the fjord itself is often in deep shadow, which makes photography difficult.

Nearby

Svolvaer and the Lofoten islands lie west; the Raftsund and Vesteralen are north.

Key facts