Rallarvegen (Ofotbanen)
| Rallarvegen | |
|---|---|
 Rallarvegen along the Rombakselva |
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| map | |
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| Data | |
| length | 55 km |
| location | Narvik , Kiruna |
| Starting point |
Rombaksbotn jetty 68 ° 25 ′ 7.8 ″ N , 17 ° 53 ′ 51.1 ″ E |
| Target point |
Abisko Turistation 68 ° 21 '35.5 " N , 18 ° 46' 30.3" O |
| Type | trail |
| Height difference | 530 m |
| The highest point | Point above the Låktatjåkka stop (535 m) |
| Lowest point | Rombaksbotn jetty (3.3 m) |
| season | summer |
| Months | June to September |
| particularities | old railway route |
Map with all coordinates: The Rallarvegen , also Rallarveien , is a path in the municipality of Narvik and Kiruna , which was laid out during the construction of the Ofotbanen in the years 1890-1903 . Today the Rallarvegen is a popular hiking trail with tourists .
history
After the Ofotbanen was completed, the Rallarvege was abandoned. The path was overgrown and in some places destroyed by landslides. During a major flood in 1959, several kilometers of the road were washed into the sea and bridges washed away. In the 1980s and 1990s, the Rallarvegen was cleared, repaired and made accessible for hikers again. The effort was rewarded in 1997 with the choice of the hiking trail as Recreation Area of the Year - a prize awarded by the Norwegian Nature Conservation Agency and the National Association for Outdoor Activities.
Directions
The route is about 50 km long, 15.5 km of which are in Norway .
The path begins at the Rombaksbotn jetty at the far end of the Rombaksfjord and leads first along the Rombakselva until it rises to Nordalen and then via Bjørnfjell to the Swedish border station Riksgränsen . A side branch follows the Rombakselva to the Katterat train station . On the Swedish side, the route is called Rallarleden and continues via the Katterjåkk stop to the Vassijaure and Kopparåsen train stations to the eastern end of Pahtajaure. From there the path now follows the western bank of the Torneträsk as Rallarvägen to the Turiststatin Abisko .
The section from the north valley bridge west of Bjørnfjell to Rombaksbotn is known by hikers for the spectacular views of the Katterat massif. Remains of the old Ofotenbanen infrastructure can always be found along the way. This includes the foundation walls of buildings, the foundations of the mountain station of the funicular used for construction , as well as the remains of a power station .
The Rallarvegen leads past the NSB dynamite warehouse . Before the Second World War , this was where explosives were stored, which were used to detonate rock material when the route was buried in landslides. In 1940 the dynamite for the demolition of the north valley bridge was taken from this warehouse. But the demolition failed.
The starting points are Katterat and Bjørnfjell train stations . They can be reached by train, bus or car. Part of the Rallarvegen is steep, narrow and stony. There are also other paths in the area that were laid out during the construction of the Ofotbanen and are now used as hiking trails. One leads from Katterat train station via Katterjaure to Katterjåkk stop. Along the way there are boards with cultural and historical explanations in Norwegian and English.
Every summer the people's march Svarta Bjørn-marsjen (German "Black Bear March ") is held. It ends in Rombaksbotn, where a folk festival takes place.
literature
- Agge Theander: I rallarnes spor - Tracing the Navvies . Ofoten museum, Narvik 1993, ISBN 82-91340-00-5 .
- Agge Theander: Vandringer på Rallarveien. Ofotbanen . Nordland fylkeskommune, Bodø 1996, ISBN 82-91138-62-1 (booklet in A4 format with 29 pages, available in German, English and Swedish).
Web links
Individual evidence
- ↑ Friluftsrådenes landsforbund (ed.): Årets friluftslivsområde 1997. Rallarveien i Narvik .
- ↑ Rallarvegen på Tvers av Norge. In: UT.no. Retrieved July 23, 2017 (Norwegian).