The Trollfjord or Trollfjorden is a
fjord in
Hadsel Municipality in
Nordland
Nordland (; smj, Nordlánnda, sma, Nordlaante, sme, Nordlánda, en, Northland) is a county in Norway in the Northern Norway region, the least populous of all 11 counties, bordering Troms og Finnmark in the north, Trøndelag in the south, N ...
county,
Norway. The long fjord cuts into the island of
Austvågøya and flows out into the
Raftsundet strait. The fjord has a narrow entrance and steep-sided mountains surrounding it. The name is derived from
troll, a figure from
Norse mythology
Norse, Nordic, or Scandinavian mythology is the body of myths belonging to the North Germanic peoples, stemming from Old Norse religion and continuing after the Christianization of Scandinavia, and into the Nordic folklore of the modern period ...
.
The fjord is a popular
tourist attraction due to the beauty of its natural setting. It is only accessible by boat or by a nearby hike over very rugged terrain. The
Hurtigruten's ships on the route between
Bergen and
Kirkenes
Kirkenes (; ; Skolt Sami: ''Ǩeârkknjargg;'' fi, Kirkkoniemi; ; russian: Киркенес) is a List of towns and cities in Norway, town in Sør-Varanger Municipality in Troms og Finnmark county, in the far northeastern part of Norway. The town ...
detour into Trollfjorden. It is also popular with other
cruise lines.
Geography
The mouth of the Trollfjord where it joins the
Raftsundet is only wide. The
fjord widens to a maximum width of . The mountains surrounding Trollfjord are between high. It is surrounded by the tall mountain Trolltindan to the south and the tall mountain Blåfjell and the tall mountain
Litlkorsnestinden
Litlkorsnestinden, or Trakta ( en, The Funnel), is a mountain in Hadsel Municipality in Nordland county, Norway. The tall mountain lies on the island of Austvågøya in the Lofoten archipelago, just north of the Trollfjorden. The summit is the ...
to the north. The Trollfjord reaches a maximum depth of below sea level.
Prior to 1960, there was a
waterfall at the end of Trollfjorden, but it was redirected to produce
hydroelectricity at a nearby power station.
Controversy
The location of the fjord is a bit of a local controversy. In 2016, the movie
Downsizing was filmed in the Trollfjord and it was advertised and discussed in the media as having been filmed in
Lofoten, a traditional region of Norway. This, however, upset some in the neighboring traditional region of
Vesterålen who claim the fjord as part of their region as well. Both sides claim to be right. The fjord is located on
Austvågøya island (which is often considered part of Lofoten), but it is also in
Hadsel Municipality (which is often considered part of Vesterålen).
History
The Battle of Trollfjord
''The Battle of Trollfjord'' ( no, Trollfjordslaget) was fought in 1890 between the first industrial, steam-driven fishing ships and teams of traditional open-boat fishermen over access to the fjord.
Johan Bojer
Johan Bojer (6 March 1872 – 3 July 1959) was a popular Norwegian novelist and dramatist. He principally wrote about the lives of the poor farmers and fishermen, both in his native Norway and among the Norwegian immigrants in the United States.
H ...
described the battle in his 1921 novel ''The last of the Vikings'' ().
A painting by
Gunnar Berg, ''Trollfjordslaget'' depicts The Battle at Trollfjord. The painting is currently located in the Art Galleri Gunnar Berg on the island Svinøya in Svolvær town.
Frommer's Scandinavia article on Trollfjord
/ref>
Media gallery
Trollfjord Norway.jpg, View of the fjord
Gunnar Berg Trollfjordslaget.jpg, ''Trollfjordslaget'' (The Battle at Trollfjord) by Gunnar Berg
Lofoten Trollfjord 1975.jpg, Trollfjord near Raftsund
Mind the gap Trollfjorden.jpg, Hurtigruten entering the fjord
Waterfall in Trollfjorden.jpg, Waterfall on the sides of the fjord
References
{{authority control
Fjords of Nordland
Tourist attractions in Nordland
Hadsel