Lofotr Viking Museum
Meet the Vikings. Smell the tar, taste the food, feel the history. The Vikings have been awaiting you for more than 1000 years. Welcome to the Viking age.
21 January 2026
Screengrab from NRK
In connection with NRK’s series Norske Turistvegar, host Brit Polden visited Lofotr Viking Museum where she gets to try both axe throwing and archery. In addition, she meets the chieftain for a conversation about the season at the museum.
A topic of conversation that is becoming increasingly relevant for many museums and destinations in the north is that the summer season starts earlier than before.
At Lofotr, the main season is in full swing from around mid-June. As a result, there are many visitors and a high level of activity. Therefore, there is also a great need for skilled communicators who give the audience good experiences. At the same time, seasonal employment is affected by the fact that many potential employees are still in school or in their exam period.
In the episode “Lofoten, del to” in the NRK series, we see that Lofoten is a popular destination even outside the traditional summer season. The local community has a lot to offer, and in perticular, the Northern Lights attract more and more visitors in winter. For this reason, Lofotr Viking Museum is a year-round museum that offers experiences and events throughout the year.
Lofotr is a living museum where people are a central part of the experience. The communicators are not just employees, but also bearers of a deeper knowledge that is necessary to give history life and meaning to the visitors. Therefore, if we are to have a longer season and a museum that is open all year round, it places greater demands on how we plan, recruit and run the business.
– Department Director West Lofoten, Tore Bugge Pedersen
The role of Museum Nord
However, this development is not unique to Lofotr Viking Museum. Tourism in Lofoten has changed over time; consequently, there are more visitors also outside the traditional high season. This, in turn, results in many opportunities, as well as some challenges related to operations, staffing and sustainability.
Museum Nord is actively working on these challenges to keep up with the changes in tourism. We work to welcome the public in the very best way. At the same time, we remain a safe and sustainable workplace for those who bring history to life.
Click here to see the feature from NRK.
The NRK feature provides a glimpse into everyday life at the museum. In addition, it highlights the assessments that come with a changing season. As the clip shows, the commitment is strong. This applies both to those who work at the museum and to those who come to visit.