Narvik War Museum

Narvik War Museum tells the story of the Battle of Narvik in April 1940 and the five years of German occupation that followed, offering insights into the region’s strategic importance during World War II.

Planning your visit

Narvik was strategically decisive out of all proportion to its size: the ice-free port shipped Swedish iron ore, essential to German war production, which is why both sides fought hard for it in April and May 1940 in the first Allied land victory of the war — a victory abandoned within weeks when France collapsed and the troops were withdrawn.

The museum covers that battle, involving Norwegian, British, French, Polish and German forces, and the five years of occupation that followed, during which Narvik held prisoner-of-war camps for Soviet and Yugoslav prisoners, many of whom died building the railway north.

The exhibition takes a deliberately broad framing, extending from the specific battle to questions of war, human rights and reconciliation.

Narvik sits above the Arctic Circle, and the surrounding fjord and mountain landscape is where much of the fighting happened. Allow ninety minutes. The main booking is an entry ticket. Current availability is listed below.