Reinebringen on Lofoten Islands, Moskenesøya has become one of Norway's most popular hikes in recent years. The summit of Reinebringen is the most famous photo shooting site in the whole of Lofoten. From the top of the mountain you can enjoy stunning views of the Reine village, the deep blue sea and fjords, and the dramatically sharp mountains of Lofoten.

The Reinebringen hike is short and fast, a total of 2 km and 1-2 hours. The hike is rated as medium difficulty.

Here's a complete guide for the Reinebringen hike and my experiences over the years.

Reinebringen - parking

A spacious parking area has been built for Reinebringen in the village of Reine. The car park is located at the harbour (Reine Ytre Havn). The white P-signpost to the right is easy to spot when driving from the bridge along the main road.

There is a charge for parking and toilets in the parking area. Reinebringen summit is 2.8 km from the harbour car park.

There is also a small free parking area next to the bridge on the E10 road. The area is actually a lookout point for Reine, but if you are lucky to get a free spot, you can also hike to Reinebringen from here.

The Reinebringen stairs - more visitors

When I first visited Lofoten in 2005, Reinebringen was definitely not one of the most popular hiking trails in Norway. The climb to the top was very challenging and steep, and loose soil made the ascent dangerous.

The mountain was closed several times between 2016 and 2019, when Sherpas built a stone staircase up the slope. Reinebringen stairs (currently there's 1974 stairs), put Reinebringen quickly among the most popular hiking trails in Norway.

I climbed Reinebringen's new stairs in the summer of 2020. Even then it was crowded, but in the 2025 photos amount of visitors climbing the stairs have exploded.

Reinebringen hike

The Reinebringen hike is 2km from the base of the stairs - 1km up and 1km back down. There are 375 metres of ascent to the summit plateau.

If you park your car at the harbour, the Reinebringen hiking trail starts from there. This hike is 2.8 km in each direction, or 5.6 km in total. The ascent is the same 375 metres.

From the harbour, a signpost points in the right direction towards the centre of Reine. First cross the bridge and turn left. Next to the tunnel (outside of the tunnel) is a pedestrian road.

The Reinebringen hike starts at the foot of the stone steps. Now there is a signpost and an info board with a map at the beginning of the route, which did not exist in 2020. There is also a nice little waterfall right at the start of the trail.

The Reinebringen hike is mostly a climb up wide stone steps. Many sources, including Visit Lofoten, state that the route is steep and "airy" in places.

I've got quite a strong fear of heights, but I didn't find the Reinebringen route to be overwhelmingly exposed. I climbed the Reinebringen in 2020, when there was no staircase for the last part of the summit, but the near-vertical slope still didn't seem too bad.

I photographed Reinebringen from below in 2025, showing that more stairs have been built, and they now cover the whole slope (in my pics you can still see the steep slope). So, you don't have to scramble with the help of your hands anymore!

But, the stairs are steep, too, and the ascend is demanding. There are several nice rocky benches along the way to take a break from climbing.

Reinebringen summit

Reinebringen is only 448 metres above sea level, so it's not a very high mountain. Mountains of roughly the same height in Lofoten include Volandstinden on the Fredvang bridges and Veggen and Mannen in Haukland.

(By the way, on my topo map, Reinebringen is 449 metres high - I wonder if one metre has been eroded by use?)

The "Reinebringen photo spot" is located fairly straightforwardly from the end of the stairs to the edge of the top of the mountain. You don't even have to climb the highest point on the right.

At the top you can see why Reinebringen is the most famous hiking trail in Lofoten. Amidst blue and turquoise sea and fjords lie pretty villages linked by bridges, surrounded by endless, jagged mountains. The scenery of Reinefjord, Vorfjord and the mountains of Moskenesøya Island is like waiting for Instagram.

At the top, the trail continues west along the mountain ridge to the 666-metre high summit. I walked maybe about halfway up this route, there were far fewer people and you could sit on the slope in peace. The rest of this route is airy, but you don't need to go any higher to see the views of Reinebringen.

Camping on Reinebringen

Is it possible to camp on Reinebringen? No. The Reinebringen is a restricted area where camping is prohibited. See the Lofoten Nature Map for the exact location of the restricted area.

How to prepare for a hike on Reinebringen?

There have been several tragic accidents on Reinebringen, as well as rescue operations on the mountain when nature and the weather have taken tourists by surprise.

The Reinebringen stairs were built, at least in part, to make the ascent safer, but accidents have also occurred since the stairs were built.

How should you prepare for hikes in Norway? Even if the hike is short, in the mountains conditions can always change dramatically, or something can happen and the duration of the hike can be extended.

• Clothing: even in hot weather, it's always a good idea to pack some kind of wind-proof jacket and/or a warm shirt when heading out into the mountains. Sneakers don't have very good grip, hiking boots or trail running shoes etc. work better in the mountains.
• Food: always pack some extra snacks and enough water if there are no water points on the hiking trail.
• Map and compass (or GPS): even on a route that seems easy, you can get lost, so it's a good idea to have navigational equipment with you on all kinds of hikes.
• First aid: keep a small first aid bag in your backpack with a minimum of bandages and painkillers.
• Suitability: the Reinebringen is not recommended for children.
• Route: stay on the prepared trail to 1) protect nature 2) protect yourself.
• Time: In bad weather, rain and fog, it is not advisable to go hiking in the mountains. The risk of getting lost and slipping increases. In winter, do not climb Reinebringen at all, as the mountain is an avalanche zone.
• See the weather in Reinebringen

Reine - a pretty village at the foot of Reinebringen

Reine is a village of a few hundred inhabitants in the municipality of Moskenes. Most of its services are located on an islet east of Reinebringen, reached by a bridge. There is a lookout point at the bridge, from where you can take a picture of one of Norway's most beautiful villages.

The village is small, so restaurants and parking are easy to find. Since hiking in the mountains makes you hungry, I recommend Reine's fish burgers and fish & chips at the atmospheric bistro.

Lofoten - code of conduct

1. Camp only in authorised areas.
2. Don't leave any traces in nature.
3. Follow established trails and avoid making new ones.
4. Take your rubbish to the litter bins.
5. Use public toilets.
6. Respect private areas.
7. Be considerate in traffic.
8. Build fires in prepared fireplaces and always consider weather conditions.
9. Respect nature and animals.
10. Read the drone instructions before flying it.

What do I think about Reinebringen?

So I visited the top of Reinebringen five years ago, but I've been putting off writing a story. Even now, I wonder if I should have left the blog post about Lofoten Islands' most famous photo destination unpublished. Will it attract more people to Lofoten to places that are already at the limits of their capacity?

As with any natural destination, over-popularity will eventually ruin both nature and atmosphere. There are hundreds of thousands of photos taken at the summit of Reinebringen on the internet and social media, and they all look pretty much the same - do we need any more?

On the other hand, the view from the top of Reinebringen is undeniably stunning. Pictures will never quite reach the depth and beauty you see when you're out in nature. (At least my own pictures from the hiking trail here, quickly shooted in a crowd-anxiety :D)

However, the best nature experience in my own opinion is a total connection with nature. If you have to queue up for your turn to sit quietly in the landscape, the nature destination is probably not right for a hiker like me.

Do I recommend the Reinebringen hike? Maybe not in July during the day. But in good weather, slightly off-season, yes. Or possibly in June/July at night during the midnight sun. The Reinebringen stairs may offer the most beautiful staircase exercise in the world!

Alternatives to the Reinebringen hike

• Volandstinden and Fredvang bridges - almost Reinebringen scenery
• Veggen - incredible views of Haukland and Uttaklev without the crowds
• Festvågtinden and Presten (Torsketungen) - Henningsvær's own Reinebringen
• Ryten and Kvalvika - some of the finest but most crowded hikes in Lofoten
• Munkebu & Munken and Hermannsdalstinden - a quieter route from Moskenes