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The Lofoten Music Festival & More

July 6 - 17, 2025
 
Trip Status:   OPEN

 

Tour Cost:  $6,550

Included in cost of this 10-day journey is double occupancy, which includes all accommodations, most meals, tours, museums, concerts, transfers and transportation within Norway, and administration fees.

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Single Supplement:  $1200
 
Activity Level: excursions require 2 hours of walking at a slow pace
Image by John O'Nolan

Artful Journey will take us to the Arctic Circle in July, when it will be warm and light for many hours each day. You might want to bring an eye mask, so that you can get some zzzzzzzz's during the 26-minute night. 

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The Lofoten Chamber Music Festival is Norway's most famous summer classical events. Supported by the Norwegian Arts Council, the Lofoten Kulturhus, the Sparebanken of Nord-Norge and a few other private corporations, musicians flock to Svolvaer, a small town in the Arctic Circle, where there are a bunch of Steinway grands. This year various European string quartets, pianists, vocalists and Norwegian folk musicians will join in the musical festivities. 

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We will fly to Oslo, Gardermoen, and from there fly up to Svolvaer and stay in the Thon Hotel Svolvaer. In the Lofoten islands, we will enjoy music, boating and even fishing, if you'd like. The hotel is right on the water - part of the wharf almost. So we will enjoy Norway's oldest resource, molding people's livelihood and lifestyle: water. Water is everywhere in this part of the world and provides the basis for some industries: fishing, power and tourism. Most certainly, the cuisine emphasizes fish! 

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We will stay for the duration of the festival, hear some wonderful music (click here for the program and artists). Most of the concerts are relatively short and occur at 10:00 am and 7:00 pm and 9:00 pm in the evening; they take place in Svolvaer and in other towns on the islands. 

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One day, while in Svolvaer, we will take a boat out into the fjord to catch the sparkling, glistening water and also some wildlife up close. For the more adventurous and active, there's a mountain to climb, and not a symbolic one, either. 

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On July 13th, we will amble back to Oslo, Norway's capital, where a show piece of Norway's new wealth is evidenced in the new opera building. In Oslo, we can experience the urban life of the world's happiest nation. We will also visit some fine cultural landmarks, some of which are the Edvard Munch (Norway's most famous artist) museum, the Nobel Peace Prize Museum and Vigeland Park. We'll stay at the elegant Hotel Bristol, smack in the town center. 

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Coming along on this venture is my cousin Trond Langvik, resident of Fredrikstad, Norway. 

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Hosts

YOUR HOSTS

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Joan Hill
Owner, Host, & Director

In 2008, the seed of Artful Journeys was planted in her brain, when Joan brought together all of her life's passions, her love of music, an affinity for the beautiful things in life, and an ability to organize events to give birth to Artful Journeys, a program of art education trips for the soul.​

Joan was born and raised in the apple country of the Hudson River Valley in New York; her father was a gentle, very tolerant, educated land surveyor, and her mother was the efficient business administrator and home engineer. The youngest of four children, Joan was encouraged to pursue anything she wanted, but also to do her best. Sometimes that was very difficult, especially succeeding three very accomplished siblings.

JOURNEY COST

Cost
Cost:  $6,550 per person double occupancy​​ 
  • All rooms, $6,550, double occupancy

  • $1200 single supplement

  • NOTE: A  deposit of $500 per person is required upon registration.

  • Airfare is not included to enable travelers to use their “travel points,” upgrade flight arrangements, or to extend their trip.  

  • Not included are personal purchases and cocktails.

  • Travel insurance is strongly encouraged

  • Covid vaccinations and booster are required.  ​

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For details or questions, please click here to contact Joan Hill.
To register for this journey, please click below:

A detailed itinerary and policy page will be provided upon registration.

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Please note that PayPal remittances must go through the form on this website.  Thank you.

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