About Balsfjord and Malangen

The closest municipality to Tromsø is Balsfjord, which features majestic nature and two fjords: the Balsfjord and the Malangen fjord. The area offers a wide range of activities, attractions and services for visitors year-round.

Winter activities

Dog sledding

Dog sledding is a must-do experience for many who visit the Tromsø region. Several places offer dog sledding trips in the wilderness: 

• Malangen Resort
• Lyngsfjord Adventure
• Best Arctic

Northern lights chases

Seeing the northern lights has become extremely popular for guests from all over the world. Some activity providers offer various ways to experience the northern lights, from chases by minibus to visits to aurora camps:

• Malangen Resort
• Camp Tamok

Sami culture and reindeer sledding

The Sami are an indigenous people who have lived in the Arctic region for thousands of years. The reindeer is an essential part of their culture, as both a means of transport and a source of food. These activity providers offer reindeer sledding or reindeer visits:

• Malangen Resort
• Lyngsfjord Adventure

Snowmobile safaris

The modern form of transport is snowmobiles, which allows you to move quickly through the snow-covered landscape on marked trails. Several activity providers offer snowmobile safaris.

• Malangen Resort
• Lyngsfjord Adventure

Ski touring

Troms county has several locations that are wonderful for ski touring adventures. While Lyngen is world-renowned, areas such as the Tamok valley and Malangen are growing in popularity. In Malangen, you will discover numerous mountains that offer the perfect combination of spectacular sea views and moderately demanding descents.

Malangen Resort - The seven peaks

Summer activities

Sea based activities

At Malangen Resort it’s possible to rent fishing boats with necessary equipment, stand-up paddleboards (SUP) and sea kayaks. If you really want to test your speed out on the fjord, you can rent a jet ski.

Hiking trails

Balsfjord and Malangen have a large network of marked hiking trails, which are freely accessible to everyone who wants to get and explore the pristine nature.

Autumn activities

Autumn in Northern Norway is a unique time. The period between an overwhelming green landscape turning into autumn colours of red and yellow is overwhelmingly beautiful. Picking wild berries, hiking in the mountains and countryside and heading out to sea are all experiences that add an extra dimension to autumn.

Dining and accommodation

Malangen Resort is located on the water’s edge by the Malangen fjord. The resort has an a la carte restaurant and a range of accommodation options, including cabins, apartments and hotel rooms. The resort offers a wide range of activities for its guests. The restaurant has a varied menu with a focus on Arctic produce. 

Vollan Gjestestue is an institution in Balsfjord, which has been serving food to locals and visitors for more than 80 years. This establishment, which serves traditional Norwegian food based on local produce, also offers accommodation in hotel rooms.

Attractions

Aursfjordsaga

The Aursfjordsaga, a water-powered sawmill, was built in 1796 by Ingebrigt Eliassen from Malangen.
The only problem was that the sawmill was built on the landowner’s land. It took until 1818 before he was granted the right to fully operate the sawmill – by the Swedish king himself. In 1977, after it had fallen into decline, Arne Pedersen began the painstaking task of reconstructing the sawmill. Today, the sawmill in Malangen is one of Scandinavia’s rarest building constructions.

Rock carvings at Tennes

The rock art at Tennes was carved out by hunters and fishermen between 7,000 and 4,000 years ago. The open-air site is accessible with good paths and lighting and is wheelchair friendly.

Malangen Church

Malangen Church was built in long church style in 1853 by local builders. This wooden church is situated in the village of Mortenhals in Malangen. The church seats about 280 people.

Balsfjord Church

Balsfjord Church was built in long church style in 1856. This white, wooden church is situated near the village of Tennes. The Neo-Gothic style and axial tower on the western side combine to give the church its distinctive character. The church seats about 400 people.

About Målselv

The municipality of Målselv is barely an hour’s drive south of Tromsø. With deep forests, untouched wilderness and high mountains, Målselv offers a range of experiences year-round. You can enjoy excellent freshwater fishing in rivers and lakes, a wide range of summit hikes and ski touring, an alpine resort suitable for everyone and fascinating insights into north Norwegian and Sami culture. The narrow river gorges and wide expanses in Målselv offer the typical north Norwegian inland landscape. Take part in activities such as dog sledding, snowmobiling, moose safaris and reindeer feeding.
 

Fishing:

Målselvfossen waterfall is one of the best places in Norway for salmon fishing and has been popular for centuries. The spectacular landscape can easily take your breath away. It’s worth noting that you require a fishing licence to fish in the river. However, you don’t need a licence to visit the beautiful waterfall or walk on one of the scenic hiking paths along the riverbank. In the summertime, the river is like an outdoor “water park”, so remember to bring your swimwear.
 

Nature and wildlife:

Øvre Dividal National Park is situated in inland Målselv and stretches all the way to the Swedish border. Pristine plains and beautiful mountains enable you to experience the Norwegian fauna and, if you are lucky, you will encounter wild animals such as elk (aka moose) and reindeer grazing among the magnificent landscape formations.
 

Skiing:

The mountain village Målselv Fjellandsby is open summer and winter. In winter, you can enjoy great skiing, while in summer there are wonderful opportunities for hiking. If you want to stay for several days, accommodation is offered in a range of cabins and apartments. The slalom slopes are open in winter and it’s possible to rent all necessary gear on site. The panoramic view of the Målselv valley alone is worth the trip up to the mountain village.

About Bardu

Bardu is a scenic municipality in Troms og Finnmark county about a two-hour drive from Tromsø. The municipality is easily accessible to visitors with three airports – Tromsø, Evenes and Bardufoss – all within reasonable travelling distance.

Bardu is described as a wilderness municipality owing to its expansive uncultivated and mountain areas. The municipality’s motto, which translates as “Quality and wellbeing in unspoiled surroundings”, needs no further explanation. You can enjoy one nature-based experience after another here – all year round.

There are two magnificent national parks in Bardu, Rohkunborri and Øvre Dividalen, offer wonderful hiking trips in scenic surroundings. These wilderness areas contain high mountains and glaciers and are among the most remote areas in Norway. Not surprisingly, Bardu is an attractive area for outdoor activities such as hunting and fishing.

The unique Arctic light during the Polar Night, the biting cold and dancing Northern Lights in winter stand in stark contrast to long bright summer nights under the golden rays of the Midnight Sun.

A major attraction in Bardu is the Polar Park Arctic Wildlife Centre. This is the world’s northernmost wildlife park and is home to several of Norway’s largest predators. You can meet brown bears, wolves and lynxes, as well as red deer, elk (aka moose), reindeer and muskoxen.