Rombaksbotn

Look down towards the end of the fjord, and imagine a small town where today there is almost nothing left. This is Rombaksbotn. During the construction of the Ofoten Railway, Rombaksbotn became the main gateway to the railway works in the mountains. Ships arrived at the quay carrying workers, food, equipment and construction materials. From here, supplies were transported onwards along the construction road to the different work sites along the railway. As the workforce grew, so did Rombaksbotn. In just a few years, a busy community developed here, with around 70 to 80 buildings. There were shops, places to eat and drink, accommodation and other services for the people living and working here. Norwegian and Swedish workers mixed with traders, craftsmen and others drawn here by the opportunities created by the railway construction. But Rombaksbotn had been built around one enormous project. When the railway was completed in 1902, the need for this temporary community quickly disappeared. Workers moved on, businesses closed, and many of the buildings were removed, abandoned or lost to fire. Then, in 1959, a major flood swept through Rombaksbotn. It dramatically changed the landscape and washed away many of the remaining foundations from the old settlement. That is one reason why so little remains today of the community that once stood here. But Rallarveien, the old construction road, still passes through Rombaksbotn, following the route once used to carry people and supplies from the fjord and into the mountains. So when you look down at the quiet end of the fjord today, you are looking at a place that, for a few intense years, was at the very heart of building the Ofoten Railway.