By Svein-Arnt Eriksen/Peter N. Glanfield

A lot of what you hear about us Northerners may be right. There can be lot of talk about the weather and a swearword or two may be heard when the wind is howling at its worst. It is also true that we do have the dark period in the winter, when you cannot see the sun, but what does this matter when we have light nights from April to August! The Nordland of world-famous author Knut Hamsun beckons to us through his books and the films, making us proud and warming our bodies and souls.

Nordland does change you as a person. We would like to share this with you. We are endowed with great riches and invite you to take your place at the dining table. The student city of Bodø has plenty of room and we look after newcomers well.

The Student City of Bodø offers more than just homework!

Bodø is well-suited for activities to do with the wind and for other forms of recreation. Try the aerial thermic streams at Keiservarden mountain, or glide off in a kajakk into the fantastic light of the summer night. Perhaps you prefer sailing in Bodø's picturesque archipelago.  If you do not want to directly challenge the forces of nature, but wish to have nature close by, the world's strongest maelstrom is a good place to visit.  Those who have been here to Bodø, or come here for the first time, say that Bodø with its net of footpaths, forest, lakes and mountains gives access to really special nature experiences  - both in summertime and wintertime.  

Urban small city
Bodø is growing rapidly, and with more arrivals the city's attractive cultural and nightlife keeps improving - not forgetting the city's well-known music scene. You cannot be in Bodø without feeling the need to visit Kjerringøy Old Trading Station. You pass the white beaches of Kjerringøy on the way to local "chief" Erasmus Zahl's trading station, which today stands out as a well-looked after cultural treasure. Knut Hamsun loaned 1600 NOK from Zahl to buy new gold spectacles in Hardanger in order to try and charm the local girls!   

Kjerringøy Old Trading Station has also been the site for several major international films, the most recent of which with the  French actor Gerard Depardieu in one of the leading roles.

County capital
With its approx. 45.000 inhabitants, Bodø is the largest city in Nordland county.It is also the county capital, and an important communication centre. The airport, the railway station, and the harbour are situated here. Bodø is also an important trading and business centre with the armed forces, the hospital, the municipal and county administration and many schools also located here. Many consultancies and firms have established themselves in Bodø, many in relation to Bodø University College.

Informative links

* In Bodø: http://www.ibodo.no/

* Nordland Turselskap: http://www.nordlandturselskap.no/

* Destinasjon Bodø: http://www.bodoe.com/

Accomodation guarantee
The Student Welfare Organisation puts students at the centre. Here you can loan/rent plenty of equipment from ski boots to mopeds. Remember your helmet!

All students are also guaranteed accomodation. No students with study places need to leave Bodø due to lack of accomodation.

The Student City of Bodø is developing fast; in this co-operation Bodø University College, Bodø municipality, and the tourism  destination company work to create a more and more pleasant and attractive city for our students.

The small boat harbour and the molo

The city of Bodø today has one of the most modern and finest boat harbours in the country. Here you can also pick up fresh shrimps right over the side of the boat or enjoy a refreshing glass of something liquid beside the harbour. You can also walk the 675 metres down to the end of the molo with plenty of people all around, or you can feel the forces of nature in a gale from the south west.   

If you want to look at the harbour in a bigger perspective, an evening trip to the Top 13 bar on the  13th floor of the SAS hotel can be recommended. Here you can see the whole city in the sinking midnight sun or with the frothing waves beating onto the molo on a stormy day.

The Norwegian Air Museum

The Norwegian Air Museum is centrally located near the site of the old airfield from the Second World War and gives a broad and interesting presentation of Norwegian civilian and military air history. Amongst other things you can see a U2, a Spitfire, and a Junkers Ju52. The museum also sports a flight simulator and changes their exhibitions regularly to keep them up- to -date.

For more information see the Air Museum's own website: http://www.luftfart.museum.no/

Culture and nightlife
Bodø has a rich cultural and night life with pubs, restaurants, cafes, a cinema, a house of culture with theatre and revues, stages and concerts in all sorts of different forms and for all tastes.

Nordland Festival Week is a one week music festival arranged at the beginning of August every year and featuring international, national and local artists.

Bodø Spectrum

In Bodø Spectrum you can find a unique collection of activities: indoor foootbal ground are, swimming pool with all facilities, modern spa, aroma therapy, solarium, bubble bath and you can be served a cup of coffee of course!

For more information: http://www.bodospektrum.no/

Sporting activities
Most sporting activities are represented through associations and teams in Bodø. In addition you can hang-glide, dance, etc. and there are also film, photo, music and art clubs.

Sport in Bodø has now added a top modern sporting facility to its repertoar in the new Bodø University College set-up at Mørkvedlia: athletics, football sports halls and a training studio. The whole sporting set-up is ranked as one of the top two-three in the country.