Day 1: Helgeland's Coast and Arrival at STØTT - Top of Helgeland
The island of Støtt is located at the very north of Helgeland's coast, surrounded by the majestic Lofoten mountains to the north and the beautiful Helgeland islands to the south. It boasts an impressive archipelago and an idyllic trading post from the 19th century. STØTT - Top of Helgeland offers culinary seafood, stately accommodation, and a warm host who gladly shares the stories of the coast with you. Here, you will experience a welcoming local community where the people genuinely open up to you.
We recommend flying to Bodø and arriving at the city's pier well before the express boat takes you to Støtt. The journey takes about 1 hour. (Write “Bodø Sentrumskai” and “Støtt Hurtigbåtkai” in the search engine). If you arrive by car, you can park it in Ørnes town on the mainland and take the passenger ferry from Ørnes to Støtt. The ferry ride takes about 15-30 minutes. (Write “Ørnes Hurtigbåtkai” in the search engine). Here you can find the different route schedule and pre-purchase of tickets: https://www.reisnordland.no/bestill-hurtigbat.
When you arrive at Støtt, you will check in at one of the historical rooms at STØTT - Top of Helgeland. Rest your legs for a bit or explore the area before Restaurant Gammelbutikken serves you a flavorful 3-course dinner inspired by the coast and seafood. The shopkeeper has been serving his guests local culinary treasures like halibut, cod, whale meat, stockfish, salted fish, and fish soup for centuries. This tradition is still well-maintained by Gammelbutikken, and they are, in fact, the only restaurant in Norway that produces its own dried fish. Here, we can guarantee a truly unique culinary experience. It's possible that you will be served a story or two from the hosts as well.
After a long day on the road, you can sink into a comfortable, soft bed surrounded by down comforters and the fresh sea breeze.