Visiting Poulsbo: Little Norway on Liberty Bay

Viking City or “Little Norway” are names sometimes given to PoulsboGlossary entry about Poulsbo, WA, a lovely town in Kitsap Co... — a small but reasonably rapidly growing city on the Kitsap Peninsula in Washington State.

“Little Norway” because the town’s first (non-native) permanent settlers were from Norway and Viking because, well, who of us with Norwegian heritage doesn’t like to think they have Viking ancestry! And it makes for fun festivals and wearing of helmets with Viking horns. ¹

People come to Poulsbo and say, “Wow! This place is cute!” The town’s Front Street certainly fits that description. But it’s a lovely town overall. I live here, so I think I’m in the know.

Background and History

Norwegian Roots

Jorgen Eliason is considered the first permanent European settler of Poulsbo. In 1883, he rowed his boat into Dogfish Bay (one of the former names for Liberty Bay and still used to describe part of it) and set up his homestead. I can understand what the Norwegian settlers saw in the area. Liberty Bay, which Poulsbo surrounds, is like a fjord. Riding my bike toward town off Lemolo Road, I’m greeted with water and stunning views of the Olympic Mountains.

A patient of mine once told me that if you lived in Poulsbo 100 years ago, you’d be speaking Norwegian and HAVE TO speak Norwegian here. Even three or so years ago, a man confronted me with Norwegian when I entered the Sons of Norway for the annual Lutefisk dinner. I explained that I didn’t speak it, and he shook his head sadly. Kids these days! Can’t even speak the language! ²

Even though you can’t find so many Norwegian speakers — or Norwegians — in Poulsbo these days, Poulsbo really gets into its “Little Norway” vibe. Signs say “Uff Da!” in giant letters, it holds an annual Viking Fest celebration around Syttende Mai (Norwegian Independence Day) every May, and Norwegian flags abound.

Fun Facts

• Did you know that Laura Palmer did not wash up on the shore in Twin Peaks? She did so right here in Poulsbo! The scene where they found her body was filmed at the Kiana Lodge.
• In the 2020 census, the population of Poulsbo was 11,970, up about 1000 over the 2018 population. Like any other town, it’s growing. Apartments and condos are cropping up near the “downtown” area of Front Street.
• How do you say Poulsbo? My kids always criticize me for this. It’s not POLLS Bow, but PAULS Bow. According to the city of Poulsbo website, the name came from “Paul’s Place,” and the Postal Service is blamed for the misspelling. True? Likely. However, a few years back, I met a Danish man who said that the current spelling is “just as it should be from a Scandinavian perspective.”
• According to Wikipedia, Liberty Bay’s original name, Dogfish Bay, came from the dogfish oil used to grease logs that made up roads.

Visiting Poulsbo WA: Things to do in Poulsbo

Poulsbo can be a day trip from Seattle, but you’ll need to account for time when taking the ferry both ways, as it’s on the Kitsap Peninsula. Depending on your location and traffic, you can take either the Edmonds or Seattle ferry. As with any ferry travel, I’d recommend looking at the WS-DOT app (iOS Android) or the Washington State Ferries schedule to determine how the ferries are running, plan your trip, and determine which ferry to take. Depending on your timetable, it can be a part-day stop en route to the Olympic Peninsula. Or you can stay a while and take more time to explore.

Map

The map below is a static image to keep this page loading quicker and prevent excessive map loads. If you click here or on the image, you can access the live map with a list of all the locations on it. We haven’t listed every location in Poulsbo, but if there’s one not on the map you’d like to see, you can add one here. If you do, be sure to tag it “Poulsbo.”

Likewise, we did not list every business in Poulsbo in this post. “Walk down Front Street and explore” covers a lot!

Walk down Front Street

Most visitors like to walk down Front Street, which is the “cute” part of town.

Actually, not all of the locations below are on Front Street. Where they require a significant walk or drive from “downtown,” we’ve noted it.

While you’re there…

Meander into galleries and do some shopping

As you walk down Front Street, you’ll find several gift shops and galleries. One of my favorites is the Verksted Gallery, which is an artists’ collective—meaning that it has art from various artists and is a great place to look for gifts.

If you’re a book lover, you’ll want to check out Liberty Bay Books — a small, independent bookstore; you can easily see it by its bright, yellow exterior.

Get something to eat

Visit Sluy’s Bakery

It seems every visitor to Poulsbo wants to go to Sluy’s Bakery — and with good reason. The foremost reason is not that it’s where “Poulsbo Bread” originated, but the many yummy treats you’ll find there. Our kids always loved the colossal dough boys. Our choice? Probably the Viking Cup with cream cheese.

Visit Mama’s Armenian Kitchen

You might miss this unique little bakery if you’re not careful. It’s located up a stairway from what, at the time of this writing, is Cafe Cocina ³ That’s the coffee place right by the red English phone booth on the corner of Front Street and Jensen Way.

And you might miss Mama’s Armenian Kitchen because it’s only open on Saturdays from early morning to mid-afternoon.

Or you might NOT miss it because of the line out the door! And the wait is worth it. You might need to ask what some of the items are — you can’t always tell from the chalkboard. And do try the Turkish coffee. You’ll have to wait a bit for it but it’s worth the wait if you like coffee.

Go for coffee at the Poulsbohemian Coffee House (or somewhere else)

If you want to stop for coffee in Poulsbo, we’d recommend the Poulsbohemian Coffee House because… it’s very Poulsbo. It’s in a little yellow cinder block building. You can stay, get coffee in a ceramic cup, and look out at Liberty Bay if my favorite spot isn’t taken. If the day is nice, you’ll find a couple of Adirondack chairs on the side overlooking the water. If your dog is with you, there are a few tables out front.

Other Poulsbo coffee locations are great, too, though!

You can spot Cafe Cocina by finding a place with a fence, a mural, and a red English phone booth on the corner. It has very nice indoor and outdoor seating. Cups is right on Front Street and seems to be a favorite for people who want to gather on the sidewalk and watch passersby.

Get Ice Cream

If you want ice cream, your choice near Liberty Bay is Island Cool. But if you want to drive out of the central part of town (but not too far), you can visit the Viking Ice Cream Forge on Viking Way (if they’re open) or buy a pint of it at Red Apple Grocery next door if they’re not.

Go to a Brewery

Does it say something about Poulsbo that we have FIVE breweries and a cidery within a fairly small city? Does it mean that we’re awesome? Or that we drink a lot? Or both?

Right on or near Front Street, you can visit Valhöll, Western Red, and Slippery Pig (which also has food), and if you want to take a long walk or a short drive up to Viking way, you can go to Rainy Daze or Echoes. And a slightly longer drive will take you up Highway 3 to Bushel & Barrel Cider House.

There are even a couple of beer runs every year (St. Patrick’s Day and Oktoberfest) that see people in costume running (or meandering) from brewery to brewery.

Restaurants

There are plenty of restaurants in Poulsbo, but if we need to take visitors out to dinner, we usually end up going to one of two places:

1. The Loft, because they have good seafood and a large outdoor area — part of it is covered but you can still see the bay from that area
2. Burrata Bistro — indoors for their bar and tapas, outdoors in the Summer for their full menu. I’d primarily been in the bar area. I didn’t realize their menu’s extent (and wonderfulness — is that a word?) until we took visitors there for a complete meal.

Sogno di Vigno, too, is good for Italian food — especially in the winter if you can get a seat by the fireplace or on the upstairs brick-surrounded terrace, which has heaters in the winter.

Things to See

Sculptures, Murals, and Public Art

Viking Statues!

Poulsbo has TWO Viking statues! The (smaller) one in Waterfront Park is of King Olaf. The larger one sits outside of “downtown” on Viking Way and is a 12-foot tall sculpture of a Viking with a sword and horned helmet!

The Poulsbo Norseman statue often gets dressed up for various events and has sported everything from beer steins to bunny ears to sombreros. It’s fun. I met one local who thought it “disrespectful” to dress a “proud Viking” in such an outfit.

In Waterfront Park, you’ll also encounter some Viking weaponry! The Guardian Stone is a sculpture by Bremerton Artist Lisa Stirrett depicting swords stuck in a stone. To my knowledge, nobody has pulled them out and made themselves King or Queen of Poulsbo. To my understanding, the sculpture is inspired by a similar statue in Norway.

Murals

Off Front Street, you can find a vast mural proclaiming “Uff Da!” on the side of Slippery Pig Brewery. What does Uff Da mean? You MUST know that if you visit Poulsbo. It’s commonly used to express or commiserate with someone else’s frustration. So, if you spill your beer from Slippery Pig? Say Uff Da!

You’ll also notice a giant, colorful Viking ship mural in town. It is on the side of Boehm’s Chocolate Shop – so you have no reason NOT to stop for chocolate.

Museums

Poulsbo doesn’t have many museums, but if you want to learn more about local history, you can visit the Poulsbo Historical Museum and Maritime Museum and the Hyak sandwiched between the two. It’s a mosquito fleet steamer boat that used to sail the area.

Suppose you’re visiting with kids (or a kidult who likes marine life)? In that case, the SEA Discovery Center is a small educational center with hands-on activities. I also should have listed it under sculptures, as a large Octopus statue is out in front.

Outdoors

You might imagine that since Poulsbo is right on Liberty Bay, it would be an excellent place for boating. You are correct!

If you have a boat:

1. I am envious of you. Be my friend.
2. You probably already know this.

Go kayaking on Liberty Bay

But even if you’re like me and have had smaller boats, you know it’s an excellent place for kayaking. You can rent a kayak at Olympic Outdoor Center from May through the Summer months. You’ll find their rental place right by the marina.

And if you have your own?

You can launch your kayak near the marina, but there are some other sites I’ve used more often: Oyster Plant Park has a few convenient parking spots nearby, a dock, and a beach area—yes, there are oyster shells, so I hesitate to launch the inflatable I have now there, but I used to use it all the time for my hard kayak.

If you want to venture farther down out of Poulsbo to Keyport, Keyport Saltwater Park is another spot I’ve put in when the tide was high. But you’ll have to paddle down a distance to get to Poulsbo.

The Kitsap Water Trails has a convenient, interactive map for paddlers of where to put in.

Take a walk in the Fish Park

Poulsbo’s Fish Park is a 40-acre park on the Dogfish Creek estuary with 1.5 miles of easy trails. It’s a great place to relax and take a stroll — and a favorite place for dog walkers! We’ve added a route map and a video with more information about the Fish Park here.

Upcoming Poulsbo Events

The list below includes future events from our calendar that are located in Poulsbo. However, for the official listing of events, visit the City of Poulsbo’s events calendar.

Poulsbo Viking Fest

May 17, 2024 - May 19, 2024

12:00 pm - 5:45 pm

Muriel Iverson Williams Waterfront Park

Poulsbo Viking Tour

June 15, 2024

9:00 am - 4:00 pm

Muriel Iverson Williams Waterfront Park

Poulsbo Blues and Jazz Festival

February 21, 2025 - February 22, 2025

5:45 pm - 2:00 am

18779 Anderson Pkwy

Gallery

You can view any photo we’ve tagged “Poulsbo” on our site in our Poulsbo gallery. Or add your own.

Your experiences?

Have you been to Poulsbo as a visitor? Or live nearby?

Leave a comment to add something we may have left out or you can add a location if we missed on on our map.

Footnotes

1. Though some naysayers have pointed out the historical inaccuracies of these. Down with you, I say! Keep up the horned helmet-wearing![↩]
2. My words, not his, but it was implied by his expression.[↩]
3. We say that because the location has changed businesses so many times — we hope that Cafe Cocina stays there![↩]