There are 18 stretches of road in Norway so spectacular they have been designated National Scenic Routes. One of those is road 889 to Havøysund. Despite living in Finnmark until I moved south to start my university studies about 15 years ago I had not experienced this road yet – so this trip was long overdue.

Nasjonal turistvei HavøysundRoad 889 winding through a rugged landscape

reindeer-finnmark-1-of-1Reindeer along the road

The National Scenic Route to Havøysund runs from the costal sami village Kokelv to fishing village Havøysund, a total distance of 67 km. For most of the trip we drove with the Arctic Ocean on one side and a barren rocky landscape on the other.

Nasjonal turistvei Havøysund NorgeSlate rock formation along the road

For most visitors coming to Finnmark the goal is North Cape at 71°North and many remain unaware of this detour through arctic coastal culture outside of the beaten path.

You get the feeling of being on the outermost edge of the country. There are attractions along the road, but for me the wild nature was the experience.

Norske turistveier FinnmarkView from the road

Veien til HavøysundSnefjord

Many of the national scenic routes have innovating architecture on viewing points and rest areas –  and this one is no exception. In Lillefjord you will find a beautiful shelter and wooden bridge  and in Snefjord there are boxed-in benches providing shelter from the wind. Both are designed by Pushak architects.

My favourite is however the rest stop in Selvika designed by Reiulf Ramstad architects. You will immediately recognise it as the concrete structure built along the road is quite dominating. Don’t miss the nature trail taking you through cultural heritage sites and remains of settlements from Neolithic times as well as from Sámi culture.

Heavy fog was hanging in the air when we stopped, not uncommon on warm sunny days.

Finnmark Havøysund Norway

selvika-concrete-structure-ii-1-of-1Concrete sculpture at Selvika rest area

The road ends abruptly at the fishing village Havøysund on the edge of the Barents Sea. ‘Hurtigruten’, the Norwegian Coastal Voyage, has regular arrivals here and you will also find ferries to the island communities outside of Havøysund, Måsøy, Ingøya and Rolvsøy.

Our plan was to extend the trip by taking the ferry to Ingøya – more to come in the next post.

Nasjonale turistveien HavøysundMap from Nasjonale turistveger

Are you planning or have you been on a roadtrip in Norway? I would love to hear about it! If you are planning a trip I would recommend checking out the National Scenic Routes of Norway on their homepage www.nasjonaleturistveger.no/en

Signature Inger