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Reine – Lofoten’s poster child is beauty distilled

Dramatic mountains and mirrored seas contrast with fishermen’s huts and cosy restaurants in this photographer’s paradise.

History The best things to do Reine weather forecast Getting to Reine Activities in Reine

A gem of a fishing village perched on a rocky headland in the heart of the Lofoten archipelago in northern Norway, Reine is surrounded by deep-blue fjords and towering mountains so pretty it was once voted the country’s most beautiful settlement. Prepare to be charmed.

A short history of Reine

Human activity on the Lofoten archipelago can be traced back around 5,500 years, but the picture really comes into focus with the arrival of the Vikings. These hardy settlers were the first to discover that the Arctic winds – neither too humid, nor too dry – would preserve fish hung on hjell, or wooden racks. This lutefisk – or dried cod – was much sought-after and to meet demand fishermen flocked to Norway from afar.

Reine, situated on the island of Moskenesøya, became a trading post in 1743 with its own fleet of boats, fish processing facilities and a growing collection of rorbuer – traditional fishermen’s huts on stilts – along the shore.

Sadly, in 1941, much of Reine’s historical architecture was destroyed by German bombing as retribution for a British raid on the Lofoten Islands, and many buildings had to be rebuilt. Further bad luck ensued two decades later when the demand for ‘white gold’ – cod – started to wane.

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Reine was at risk of sinking into obscurity, but its fate took an upturn in the late 1970s when Allers, the country’s largest weekly magazine, deemed Reine to be the most beautiful village in Norway, ushering in a period of renewed interest from tourists.

Soon after Allers' plaudit, the small fishing village began to appear on the covers of magazines and guidebooks, due in part to its stunningly photogenic aspect. Fast forward to today and the town has mostly swapped fishing for tourism, with rorbu (old fishermen’s huts) converted into boutique hotel rooms and high-end restaurants opening, such as Gammelbua.

Happily, though, popularity hasn’t turned the heads of locals, and the whiff of drying fish can still be discerned on the sea breeze, just as it has done for centuries.

The best things to do in Reine

A hiker looking out from the viewpoint of Reinebringen, Reine, Lofoten Islands. Image credit: Tomasz Furmanek - VisitNorway.com

1. Hike Reinebringen

Confident hikers can take on Reinebringen mountain and tick off one of Norway’s most iconic and challenging treks. It’s a very steep 1.2-mile route up and down 2,000 stone steps laid by Nepalese Sherpas, and it takes up to two hours to complete.

From the summit, you’ll have an eagle’s-eye view of Reine, nestled amidst the fjords of Reinefjorden, Kjerkfjorden, and Vorfjorden.

(Image credit: Tomasz Furmanek - VisitNorway.com)

A winter view of Reine in the Lofoten Islands.

2. Explore on foot

It’s possible to explore on foot the neighboring bridge-linked islands of Sakrisøy and Hamnøy by following the curve of the bay for about an hour and a quarter.

On the latter, you’ll find Eliassen Rorbuer, a collection of rorbuer (traditional fisherman’s cottages) framed by the fjord and mountains – deservedly one of Lofoten’s most famous photo spots.

3. See Reine’s historical church

A relic of Reine’s 19th-century heyday, this traditional white wood-and-log ‘long church’ sits in the heart of the village. It was built in 1890 during an economic boom that saw fishermen’s nets and pockets filled, and when the wealthier residents had money to invest in development.

(Image credit: Raf24~commonswiki/Wikimedia Commons)

One of the famous fish burgers served at Anita's Seafood in Reine, Lofoten Islands, Norway. Image credit: Thomas Rasmus Skaug-VisitNorway

4. Sample the famed fish burgers at Anita’s Sjømat

If you are on the island of Sakrisøy, you won't want to miss the popular lunch spot of Anita’s Seafood. The delicacy counter here sells home-smoked salmon, whale and halibut, but everyone comes for the fish burger made with fresh haddock, saithe, and cod, squeezed into a bun from nearby Kringla bakery.

(Image credit: Thomas Rasmus Skaug - VisitNorway.com)

5. Visit Gallery Eva Harr

This beloved Norwegian visual artist, who died in 2024, had a studio on the second floor of the former school-turned-Reine Cultural Centre. It is here that she used to spend her summers painting. Today, her works – which play with the idea of light and landscape (both inner and outer) – are displayed in a permanent exhibition which is well worth a visit.

Living on a tiny North Atlantic island in the middle of nowhere is so great! I have lived here more or less my whole life, and my favorite activity is fishing. Stockfish is the main thing produced here, and as a delicacy it should definitely be tried. You can also visit our museum in Å, where we tell people about the local culture in these fishing villages.

Adrian Olsen

Norwegian Fishing Village Museum

What is the weather like in Reine?

	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	June	July	Aug	Sept	Oct	Nov	Dec
Max Temp (°F)	35	35	37	43	50	55	61	60	55	46	41	39
Min Temp (°F)	26	26	26	30	37	44	50	48	43	37	32	28

Up here, 125 miles north of the Arctic Circle, nature bends time and light in unique ways. In winter, the days are short and often bitingly cold, with the sun barely lifting its head above the horizon and offering just two-to-four hours of a dreamlike half-light. The chances of seeing Northern Lights flaring across the night sky are high.

But it’s when spring starts to loosen winter’s icy grip that Reine really starts to shine. Hiking trails open up and the daylight hours stretch longer and longer until the islands enter what locals call ‘late summer twilight’ – a period from late May to mid-July when the Midnight Sun doesn’t set.

With rainfall negligible from May to September and temperatures rising to the mid-teens, it may not be warm enough to wear just a short-sleeved t-shirt, but you can join locals as they shrug off winter and revel in the 24 hours of daylight.

But it’s the seasonal differences here that make life in Reine so special. “The best thing about living here is the variety,” says Adrian. “From hikes under the Midnight Sun in summer and the calm autumn months when life is sweet, to the terrifyingly stormy winter months where you learn to respect nature. Spring is my favorite – one day it's sunny and the next we have a snowstorm!”

Visit Reine with Hurtigruten

MS Trollfjord sailing the North Cape Line in Norway

Northbound on The Svalbard Line

In port: 6 hours

We stop at Reine on the northbound leg of The Svalbard Line, our premium, all-inclusive Signature voyage that sails from Bergen to the Arctic archipelago and back.

Choose your voyage

Getting to Reine from your ship

Sailing into the fjord, with the islands of Sakrisøy and Hamnøy ahead, the eye is immediately drawn to the hulking mass of Reinebringen, one of the most imposing and photographed mountains in the Lofoten Islands. In its shadow, clustered around the shores like red and yellow Lego bricks, are traditional rorbuer, which stand out in photogenic contrast to the surrounding landscape.

Disembarking at the simple pier, the village center is a leisurely ten-minute stroll away.