Things To Do in Narvik

To get a good look at Narvik, take the Gondolbanen cable car (tel. 76-96-04-94), whose departure point is located directly behind the Norlandia Narvik Hotel, a 10-minute walk from the town center. The car operates from March to October, and the round-trip fare is NOK110 ($22/£11) for adults, NOK75 ($15/£7.50) for children 6 to 15 (free for 5 and under). In just 13 minutes, it takes you to an altitude of 640m (2,099 ft.), at the top of Fagernesfjell. Here you can soak in the impressive panorama of the town and its surroundings or visit the simple restaurant at the tip.

From the peak here, you can "hike till you drop," as a local advised us. Marked trails branch out in several directions, all equally impressive. A downhill mountain bike trail also starts near the cable car's final stop. From mid-February to mid-June and in August and September, the cable operates Monday to Friday from 1 to 9pm and every Saturday and Sunday from 10am to 5pm. From mid-June to the end of July, it operates daily from noon to 1am.

An animated (and sometimes hard-drinking and rowdy) pub that attracts lots of good-looking and accessible locals ages 25 to 50 is the wood- and stone-trimmed Pub within the Norlandia Narvik Hotel, Skistuaveien 8 (tel. 76-96-48-00). They tend to offer live music, for which the schedule varies widely throughout the year.

Resepten, Industriveien 5 (tel. 76-94-26-38), is a 50-seat cozy bar whose walls are adorned with artwork from Norwegian artists. Light background music is played most nights, giving way to rock on the weekends. Some of the beers on tap come from England's Newcastle-upon-Tyne. Most patrons here range in age from 30 to 50. It's open Monday to Thursday from 8pm to 1am, and Friday and Saturday 8pm to 3am.