Narvik, the ore port on the Ofotfjord

6 min read Updated October 2026 Compare all tours

Narvik exists because of iron ore. The Swedish mines around Kiruna needed a port that stays open in winter, and the harbour on the Ofotfjord does, while the Swedish ports on the Gulf of Bothnia freeze. The town grew around that harbour and the railway that feeds it, and both still shape the place today.

Statistics Norway counted 21,651 people in the municipality in the second quarter of 2026. The town itself is smaller, with 14,051 inhabitants in 2023. For visitors, that means a compact centre where the station, the museum, the harbour and the ski slopes are never far apart.

From Victoriahavn to Narvik

A British and Swedish group picked the harbour site in 1883 and named it Victoriahavn in 1887, after the Swedish crown princess. The developers went bankrupt in 1889, the Norwegian state took over in 1892, and the name Narvik came in 1898. When the Ofoten Line opened in 1902 the settlement became a town. Around 5000 people already lived here then, which makes Narvik one of the youngest towns in Norway.

The first ore train arrived from Kiruna on 15 November 1902. The line was built by migrant labourers known as rallare, and the railway had its own architects for the stations. Narvik still has Norway's northernmost railway station, with daily trains to Kiruna and the night train to Stockholm. The Ofoten Line page explains the scenic trip to the border.

The ore port today

LKAB, the Swedish mining company, has been in Narvik for more than 120 years. According to the company, around 20 million tonnes of iron ore products pass through the port each year, and ten train sets arrive every day from Kiruna and Svappavaara. The encyclopaedia Lex counts the harbour among the largest ore shipping ports in the world. LKAB does not advertise visits to its facilities, so the port is something you see from town and from the train rather than tour.

War and rebuilding

On 9 April 1940 German forces took Narvik on the day of the invasion, and the Norwegian coastal defence ships Eidsvold and Norge were sunk off the harbour. Two naval battles followed in the Ofotfjord, and on 28 May Allied and Norwegian troops retook the town before the Allies withdrew in early June. Much of Narvik was destroyed, and the rebuilding was finished in 1950.

The Narvik War Museum stands in the middle of town at Kongens gate 39. It shows the battle and the occupation with original uniforms, weapons and equipment, and is open daily from 10:00 to 16:00. The texts are in Norwegian and English, and a QR code gives translations into French, German, Polish and North Sámi. A personal guided tour costs extra and has to be booked at least a day ahead, according to Norway's Best.

The German war cemetery is part of the municipal cemetery above the Rombakfjord, next to the ore railway. The war history page covers the battles, the memorials and the rules for the battle landscape in the mountains.

The Seamen's Church and the harbour

The Seamen's Church in the town centre hosts Narvik by Light, a 25-minute photo and film show by the photographer Michael Ulriksen about a year in the region. It runs at 09:00 and 18:00, and at 13:00 on Saturdays and Sundays. The venue is wheelchair accessible, and the ticket includes a cup of coffee before or after the show.

At the harbour, Arctic Floating puts you in a survival suit and lets you drift in the water for an hour, followed by coffee or a hot toddy. It runs all year at 10:00 and 12:00 for groups of 2 to 15, you do not need to swim, and children must be at least 12.

The Hurtigruten calls at Narvik on the southbound part of its Nordkapp route, with about five hours in port, and cruise ships berth in the town centre. The classic coastal route stops at Harstad instead.

The mountain at the edge of town

The ski slopes begin right above the houses, and Visit Narvik notes that you ski with a view of the town and the Ofotfjord. The gondola is the exception right now: the operator says the old one and the Fjellheis restaurant are closed until the new gondola opens in January 2027. Skiing starts on 3 January 2027. Opening details are on the Narvikfjellet page.

Arctic Moments runs a three-hour minivan tour from Dronningensgate 51 at 11:00, aimed at cruise guests and with a guaranteed return to the ship. It stops at the Minikraftverket viewpoint, the Hålogaland Bridge, the beach at Ornesvika, the harbour and the marina, and finishes with the gondola. The bridge carries the E6 across the fjord on a main span of 1145 metres and opened in December 2018.

The light changes the town through the year. Over a flat horizon the sun does not rise from 6 December 2026 to 6 January 2027, and the mountains around Narvik hide it for weeks longer. From 25 May to 20 July 2027 it does not set at all.