Mo i Rana, known as the Iron City due to its important iron industry, is the fourth largest town in Northern Norway and offers both great culture and nature.
At the Museumsgården in the town centre, you will find Helgeland Museum’s natural history department, as well as temporary art and cultural history exhibitions. If you want to experience nature on your own, the Plurdal Valley is to the north of the town and has underwater grottos. If you bring your children, you can ride on Icelandic horses. A trip to Mo i Rana is a great starting point for a visit to the Svartisen National Park (Svartisen nasjonalpark), where you can watch icebergs drift by.
For golf enthusiasts, the area has a nine-hole course that was built in 2014. Polarsirkelen Golf is beautifully situated with views of the fjord, and also offers golf lessons. Nearby, you will find Skillevollen Alpine Centre (Skillevollen alpinsenter), which boasts wonderful pistes and cross-country skiing trails around the Båsmofjellet Mountain. Bring your skis and a packed lunch and take in the view!
A weekend trip to Mo i Rana is ideal for music lovers. The Verket music festival attracts mainly Norwegian artists who perform every summer. The Smeltedigelen festival is also held every October. It focuses on jazz and blues, truly suiting the autumn darkness. The Rød snø festival takes place every March, with Scandinavian artists performing on the top of a parking garage.
Nordland Theatre (Nordland Teater) organises events throughout the year, including the Winter Light Festival (Vinterlysfestivalen), a week-long theatre festival taking place in Rana, with plays, exhibitions, lectures and discussions for everyone. You will be spoilt for choice when it comes to eating and shopping. The town has several high-quality restaurants and shopping centres housing both the chain stores and independent boutiques.
You can get to Mo i Rana using the regional flight network. Værnes near Trondheim offers departures to Mo i Rana. You can take the Nordlandsbanen train line for a fantastic view, either from Trondheim, which takes about 6.5 hours, or from Bodø, which takes about 3 hours. There are also several bus routes along the Helgeland Coast.
