Ørnes – between the glacier and the sea

Tucked between sheer peaks and the calm waters of Meløyfjorden, Ørnes is a peaceful village in Nordland, just inside the Arctic Circle. From here, you can visit Svartisen Glacier, paddle beneath steep mountains to nearby islands, or step into the past at one of Norway’s best-preserved trading posts. 

People have farmed here since at least 1610, but the Ørnes we know today began in 1794, when Captain Elling Pedersen was granted permission to open an inn and trading post. Over the next two centuries, it became a lifeline for nearby islanders, a community hub and, later, a base for coastal resistance during World War II. 

You can still walk through that past today. The Ørnes Trade Post includes three original buildings – the Main House, the Old Bakery and the Forge – all lovingly restored. Inside, exhibitions tell the story of trade, daily life, and the daring sabotage of Nazi industry in nearby Glomfjord. There’s also a museum café and a shop selling local goods and souvenirs. 

Today, Ørnes is the largest settlement in Meløy municipality, home to just over 1,700 people. Just south lies Svartisen, the second-largest glacier in mainland Norway and the largest in northern Scandinavia. Don’t be misled by the name – Svartisen means ‘the black ice’ but the glacial ice is famously blue, not black, and a striking sight on a guided walk across the ice or on our Svartisen Glacier excursion from Ørnes.