I walk along the quayside of Bodo Harbour, breathing in the salty air and gazing in wonder at the spiky green islands and surrounding snow-capped granite peaks. It is simply world class, the location of this town the size of Folkestone, between mountains and sea, right on the Arctic Circle.
When Bodo (pronounced “bow-dah”), together with the remote province of Nordland, was declared the European Capital of Culture for 2024, there was great surprise in Norway.
The government instructed the bid committee not to submit a bid and offered no financial support. But the bigwigs in Oslo reckoned without the Viking-like flavor of their stubborn compatriots far to the north.
Nothing illustrates this spirit better than the decision to hold next year’s opening ceremony on February 3rd on a floating stage in the harbor – and Queen Sonja of Norway will be there in the dark of winter in the deep Arctic.
The ceremony will also feature a floating stage modeled after an otolith – as we all know, the tiny ear bone of a fish.
Celestial: The Northern Lights hang in the night sky over Bodo (pronounced “bow-dah”). Together with the remote province of Nordland, it was declared European Capital of Culture in 2024. Martin Symington visited
“It will be breathtaking, especially if the Northern Lights appear tonight,” says Julie Abelsen from the tourism office when I meet her in the city centre. “Light represents hope for the future and is one of our themes.”
Julie tells me that a NATO airbase, with its vibrant international community, was Bodo’s lifeline growing up.
“The base closed in 2022, but we didn’t sit and cry. Our young people were determined to restart Bodo as something new.”
I definitely find a youthful vibe in the city. “Cold to cool down” is a theme expressed in large colorful walls where avant-garde street artists do their business.
The integration of the heritage and culture of the Sami (photo) – the indigenous people of northern Scandinavia – was key to the cultural offer, writes Martin
Floating: Colorful fishing boats in the port of Bodo
There’s an impressive new waterfront library, a thriving cafe culture and restaurants serving artisanal dishes such as arctic char and reindeer meat.
The integration of the heritage and culture of the Sami – the indigenous people of Northern Scandinavia – was key to the cultural offer. There will be storytelling and theater in giant lavvos – spiked shelters used by traveling reindeer herders.
A kaleidoscope of other traditional events are planned, many of which will highlight the Arctic’s relationship with the sea. There is a concert by diving musicians in an underwater cave and an opera about hake – both world premieres.
As the darkness turns from winter to summer, festivals of music, dance, sculpture, opera and theater blossom under the midnight sun.
Bodo’s chance to shine in 2024 comes with the also underrated Tartu in Estonia and the spa town of Bad Ischl in Austria.
After ticking off most of Europe’s obvious choices, the EU is giving this lesser-known trio its moment in the sun (midnight or otherwise).
Martin visits the site of Bodo Harbor and describes “the salty air he drinks as he gazes in wonder at the spiky green islands and surrounding snow-capped granite peaks.”
Kjerringoy sits in a bay where maroon-painted boathouses and thatched fishing huts have been restored to become a museum of the bygone days of cod drying and trading, says Martin
Bodo’s splendor is further enhanced by the Norland region, which bears the title of Capital of Culture.
I drive an hour north towards the old trading post of Kjerringoy, on a road through a landscape that triggers every Norwegian fjord fantasy button.
I meander through deep bays whose silky waters reflect glacier-polished cliffs.
Kjerringoy sits in a bay where maroon-painted boathouses and turf-roofed fishing huts have been restored to create a museum about the bygone era of cod drying and trading. It is this most traditional culture that the villagers want to highlight in 2024.
Elsewhere, at the Kjerringoy Land Art Biennale on a nearby lake, I find contemporary creations that could qualify for the Turner Prize.
But I enjoy the windswept water, mountains and snow even more with a bald eagle soaring overhead. It seems to me the true art of nature.
The next day I drive east to Norland National Park near the Swedish border. The Gulf Stream keeps the Norwegian coast ice-free and relatively mild, but my route feels quite arctic.
White mountains rise on all sides, and the park behind them is a kind of Scandinavian Middle Earth. I see a lone moose floating through a strange pearly light. The park hosts exhibitions on Sami culture and local art as part of Bodo 2024. But like Kjerringoy, it is the surrounding nature that is painted from a truly epic palette.
Bodø may have been a surprising choice as the 2024 Capital of Culture, but it has long been the capital of an extremely fascinating region.
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James is an author and travel journalist who writes for The Fashion Vibes. With a love for exploring new cultures and discovering unique destinations, James brings his readers on a journey with him through his articles.
