Hattvika Lodge - Hotel Review

What a rorbu is

A rorbu (plural rorbuer) is a traditional Lofoten fisherman's cabin, built on the water since the 12th century as overnight quarters during the cod season. Painted falu red (from iron oxide), built on a wooden frame.

Hattvika Lodge in the village of Ballstad is a set of original rorbu restored into modern accommodation, 14 cabins with a main lodge restaurant.

The cabins we book

• Standard Rorbu · NOK 3,400–4,200/night, 1 bedroom, kitchenette, sea view
• Premium Rorbu · NOK 4,800–5,800, 2 bedrooms, with an in-cabin sauna
• Loft Suite · NOK 6,500+, 2 floors, panoramic windows

Tip: ask for cabin numbers 7–11, they sit at the tip of the peninsula, with the best aurora view because no building is in the way.

An interior you didn't expect

The interior isn't rustic, it's modern Scandinavian. Polished oak floors, heavy wool blankets, a fireplace in the living area, and large windows facing the sea, pretty enough that National Geographic Traveler put it on a cover in 2024.

Aurora viewing from the cabin

This is the main reason Wanvela uses Hattvika instead of hotels in Reine or Henningsvær, you can watch the aurora from bed on KP 3+ nights. No need to go outside.

On our February 2024 trip, 5 nights at Hattvika, aurora visible 4 nights; 2 of them visible directly through cabin windows.

"I woke up at 7 pm to green aurora filling the window, I watched it from bed without getting up, without putting on a coat, until I fell asleep again." - K. Min, family of 3, February 2024

The Hattvika Restaurant

The lodge has a restaurant in the main building, Nordic cuisine, cod fresh-caught from the sea out front, reindeer from the Sami farms of Vestvågøy.

Four-course set menu, NOK 950 per guest, fairly priced for Norway.

Activities from the lodge

• Sea eagle safari, by boat, chasing Europe's largest white-tailed eagles
• Northern lights chase, by 4x4 to spots beyond city light
• Cod fishing (March–April), out with actual fishermen
• Snowshoeing, Reine, Hamnøy
• Dog sledding, half-day excursion

Compared to other Lofoten options

• Hattvika vs Reine Rorbuer · Reine has the iconic view but the cabins are older and the restaurant holds only 20 seats.
• Hattvika vs Eliassen Rorbuer (Hamnøy) · Hamnøy is the Instagram image of Lofoten, but the cabins are minimal, no restaurant.
• Hattvika vs Holmen Lofoten · Holmen is more beautiful and more luxurious, at twice the price.

Logistics

Hattvika sits 25 minutes by road from Leknes Airport, Leknes connects by Widerøe to Bodø (25 minutes) and Oslo (2 hours).

Hattvika appears in Wanvela's Norway 7-night itinerary, read our winter Arctic packing list before going.