The Blood Road Museum

Practical information | Booking | Museum history

At the top of Saltdal village park is The Blood Road Museum. In a German barracks from Dunderlandsdalen, the story of the life and work of prisoners of war under the German regime 1942-45 is told. Tens of thousands of Eastern European prisoners of war were sent north to build roads and railways, and they toiled in inhumane conditions. Many never returned.

At the Blood Road Museum you get a different tour in surroundings where the silence is palpable. Here words become scarce and impressions are many. An important journey through a time that must never be forgotten.

The exhibitions

Nordland was the largest prison county in Norway and most of them worked on the roads and railways. Saltdal was the municipality with the most prisoners at the end of the war. The Blood Road Museum conveys the lives of the prisoners and their encounter with a brutal and heartless system, but also the encounter with a local population who did their utmost to help the starving prisoners.

The Kreyberg film and the Blood Road

Several films have been made about the events surrounding the Blood Road. Currently, we are showing a short documentary from the peace days in 1945 made by the doctor Leiv Kreyberg. Kreyberg was an officer in the army's medical service, and the film shows clips from Dunderlandsdalen, Saltfjellet and Megården. After the war, Kreyberg was the commander of the camps for former prisoners of war in Northern Norway.

The Blood Cross

You can also go along the Blood Road to the war cemeteries in Botn. On the route you can see, among other things, the blood cross in the rock face and the memorial at Dalmovika. In Botn there are 2 war cemeteries, one Yugoslav and one German, along with a Soviet memorial that shows where a former Soviet cemetery was located.

Group of people standing and reading information boards in an exhibition.

Address: Tunvegen 1, 8250 Rognan

Arrival
2 km north of Rognan city center. There are several roads leading to the Blood Road Museum:

Route 80 from Bodø to Fauske and further along the E6 to Rognan.
Rv. 17 to the exit for Rv. 812 and then follow E6 to Rognan.
Rv. 77 over Graddis and Junkerdal to the intersection at Storjord. From here, drive E6 down to Rognan.

Opening hours summer season 2026:

23 June - 9 August: Tuesday-Sunday at 11-16

The facility has fixed opening hours during the summer season. Outside of season, the facility can be visited by groups upon request or by individual visitors by arrangement.

Ticket prices

Regular admission: adult 90 NOK, senior/student 70 NOK
Children under 18 have free regular admission.
Group entry (min. 10 paying): NOK 70 per person
Special prices apply for visits outside of regular opening hours.

Availability

Wheelchair ramp
Toilet in Skippergården which is located nearby
Free parking
Unfortunately, Skippergården has not undergone adaptations for disabilities.

Booking

If you would like to book a tour of the Blood Road Museum, please contact us well in advance. Fill out the form by clicking the button below for a booking request and practical clarifications.

Images of several historical documents and ID cards displayed on a wall, with focus on one document at the top left and one at the bottom left, the rest are out of focus.

Two wooden figures of birds of prey, an owl and an eagle, placed on a wooden base. Two decorative wooden boxes and a larger piece of wood are also on the shelf.

History of the museum

Nordland was the largest prison county in Norway and most of them worked on the roads and railways. Saltdal was the municipality with the most prisoners at the end of the war. The Blood Road Museum conveys the lives of the prisoners and their encounter with a brutal and heartless system, but also the encounter with a local population who did their utmost to help the starving prisoners.