Kystriksveien - literally the Coastal Route, signed Fv17 on every Norwegian map - is the 650-kilometer regional road that runs from Steinkjer in Trøndelag north along the Helgeland coast to Bodø just south of Lofoten. Long-distance travelers rate it among the most scenic drives anywhere in Europe.
The defining geographical feature is the strandflat - the low coastal platform of thousands of small islands and skerries that buffers the mainland from the open Atlantic. The road runs along the inland side of the strandflat, mostly at sea level, with the open ocean on the west and the inland Saltfjell mountain block on the east. The route includes ten car-ferry crossings between mainland sections, none of which can be skipped - the ferries are part of the experience and force a particular rhythm onto the day.
The mountain landscape on the eastern horizon is dominated by the chain of seven peaks known as De Syv Søstre - the Seven Sisters - rising to 1,072 meters at the highest summit (Botnkrona) just inland of Sandnessjøen. The outer islands include the UNESCO-listed Vega archipelago (recognized in 2004 for its 1,500-year tradition of sustainable eider-duck farming), the Lovund and Træna fishing communities, and the geologically unique island of Leka - designated Norway's National Geological Monument in 2010 for its rare exposed Caledonian ophiolite bedrock.
For travelers, the Kystriksveien is most rewardingly experienced by bicycle. The riding is at sea level (the highest point on the entire route is around 200 meters), the traffic is genuinely light by European standards, and the prevailing wind comes from the south-west - favouring north-bound travel. Norwegian operators run guided and self-guided versions of the full route; we do not currently sell one. See our editorial The Helgeland coast by bicycle.