"Northern Exposure à la Bodø" a Bodø Travel Page by yooperprof

Looking at the northern horizon at midnight - across the sound at Bodø - I am mesmerized at the sun in retrograde motion. What is the sun doing _there_ in the sky? I guess it is really true after all - the earth _is_ a globe.

Bodø is the chief administrative center for the Nordland, one of Norway's northern provinces. It has all sorts of important regional things: a major air force base (which doubles as a commerical airport), a big hospital, various governmental agencies, etc. The town is really dominated and defined by its location. Bodø wasn't founded until the middle of the 19th century, and anyhow was largely destroyed by the Luftwaffe in the early days of World War II. As a result, there's not much historic feel to the place. Nonetheless, its surroundings make Bodø an excellent base if you are interested in exploring arctic Norway.

Saltstaumen - the famous maelstrom - is an easy daytrip from Bodø. Cold oceanic waters mix with warmer inland waters in a narrow fjord, and the rapid tidal currents create powerful whirlpools. See more pictures of this beautiful area on my Saltstaumen travelogue.