Personal hiking favorites:

Local favorites in Lofoten

Fantastic hiking trails in Lofoten – my top picks

Lofoten has countless world class hiking trails – with so many possibilities making it hard to choose.
That’s why I made this overview of my favourite trails.

Lofoten consists of 5 primary islands that will surely take your breath away.

Here is where you will find inspiration to plan your own Lofoten adventure:

To plan the perfect Lofoten hiking trip you only need two apps:

UT.no – A great hiking planner that includes detailed maps with descriptions of the

these hikes. This article is meant to be used together with this App.

All you need to do is type in the names underneath – and the App will show you where the hike starts, the length and the difficulty.

A great tip is to download the maps and follow your position “offline” without losing too much battery.

YR.no – The best weather service that most accurately forecasts local weather.

Here you can type in the name of the place from this list and you will get a forecast of

what weather to expect.

Austvågøy (The island where Svolvær is on)

Austvågøy offers multiple great hiking trails and these are my favourites:

1) Matmora (787 meters above sea level)

Matmora is located on the “outer side” of Lofoten, meaning the west coast facing the big Atlantic Ocean. This hike is simply a marvelous evening tour.

From the hike up you will see some of the finest views that Lofoten has to offer.

The beginning from Delp is a bit steep, but once you get up onto the plateau the path

is less challenging. On this tour the “journey is the goal” and it is not necessary to

reach the summit to catch the gorgeous view.

Perhaps the finest spot in Lofoten to see the sunset.

2) Glomtinden (419 meters above sea level)

This is a family friendly hike and a treasure that everyone will enjoy.

It follows an old path that was used with horse and carriage back in the days.

The track is found from both sides of the tunnel but we think that the track from the

Kabelvåg side is the finest.Once you get to the saddle, there is a gravel track that leads up towards the peak.

The last bit is rather steep and should only be done in dry conditions.

In fact the viewpoint below the actual peak offers a great 360 panorama you will

never forget.

3) Festvåg (189 meters above sea level)

This hike will give you a breathtaking panoramic view over the Lofoten wall.

From here you can see the town of Henningsvær and the “Vestfjord” ocean.

The trailhead is found centered in the valley as you look up.

We recommend taking the path to the right when you reach the lake on the plateau.

Cross the dam and follow the trail to the cliff to see something beautiful.

For the more adventurous hiker you can go all the way to the peak of Festvåg (541

meters above sea level).

Gimsøya (the island with the Golf course and horseback riding)

As a curiosity this island has the highest concentration of excavated viking

settlements. If you venture here it is easy to see why; this island has a great

combination of farming friendly areas and easy access to the ocean.

I recommend driving the circular tour around the island.

Gimsøy has miles of white sandy beaches and many spectacular sights.

1) Hoven (376 meters above sea level)

This hike is suitable for the whole family and is particularly fine during the afternoon

or evening light. The peak offers a wonderful 360 degrees view.

This will get everyone excited because here is simply so much to see.

Did you find the lake that is shaped like a heart?

2) Storknubben (599 meters above sea level)

This hike starts in the valley of “Jenndalen”.

Use the parking on your right side and get ready for a real hiking adventure.

It is a bit long for the youngest hikers but suitable for the people who need to burn a

little extra energy. Briefly said – this is a truly wonderful hike.

Vestvågøy (Lofotens biggest island, the one where Leknes is located)

As it is the biggest island, it provides a myriad of options.

Here are my all time favourites:

1) Himmeltinden (962 meters above sea level)

This should be considered as a whole day hike. On a clear day you may see all the

Lofoten mountains from the summit. It is a bit long and steep for the smallest.

The route up to the top is quite long but the view is really worth it.

A tip is to plan enough time (approx. 5 hours) sog that you may enjoy every step of

the way.

The summit is the highest on the island and a great place to get “an overview”

An easy alternative is to take the walk from “Haukland beach” to “Uttakleiv”.

The route over the pass is an easy walk. Upon arriving at the beach you can take the

coast route along the sea making this a round trip for the whole family.2) Offersøykammen (436 meters above sea level)

We think that this is Vestvågøys finest view. It has a somewhat steep beginning but

once you get up onto the plateau it is an easy and enjoyable walk.

A tip is to park at the end of the old road.

It takes around one hour up so do not rush the steep parts.

Flakstadøya (The island across the scenic bridges)

1) Kvalvika strand (168 meters above sea level)

A great trip for the whole family. The hiking starts directly across from the parking

and is enjoyable the whole way. Enjoy the view from the saddle and plan enough time

on the beach to explore all the little fine things.

The beach is so beautiful making it hard to leave.

The extra energetic people can climb all the way to the top of Ryten (534 meters

above sea level).

Moskenesøya (The island Reine is located on)

1) Reinebringen (448 meters above sea level)

Sherpa stairs have recently been made on this very popular hike.

As of early 2020, they are not quite finished and the top part is steep and may be

slippery when wet. Otherwise this is a great and easy hike and you will find benches

to rest tired legs. A great tip is to bring something cozy for the summit and have

enough time to really take every detail in.

“Above all, do not lose your desire to walk. Everyday, I walk myself into a state of well-being & walk away

from every illness. I have walked myself into my best thoughts, and I know of no thought so burdensome

that one cannot walk away from it. But by sitting still, & the more one sits still, the closer one comes to

feeling ill. Thus if one just keeps on walking, everything will be alright.”

― Søren Kierkegaard

Lofoten stories and background:

The squire and the fisherman

Squires

Class divisions system has always characterized different societies, and life in the fishing

village was no exception. The squires were both in the social and economic elite in these

small villages. Their prosperity was clearly visible to all, and the towering white squire house

(væreiergården) was eye-catching for the visitors. Also the pretty gardens that often adorned

residence of the owner were a symbol of wealth and class. No one should fail to see that thiswas where the great people lived.

The squire literally owned the whole fishing village. There were fish processing, drying racks,

fishermen, and perhaps also stores. The fisherman who came to the place got to rent a rorbu

from the squire on the condition that he undertook to shop for food and equipment in his

store, and supply him with fish. In this way the squire got a unique power over the fishermen

in his place. Revenues for the squire were significant, but this was not only due to cabin rental

and sale of dried fish. It was hard work and academic excellence in economics and fisheries

underlying.

There have been many stories about squires over time, and the fishermen had divided

opinions on these. It has both been said that they were greedy, power-hungry people who

cheated the dutiful fisherman and that they were caring people who helped the fisherman in

distress. What is true or not true is hard to say, but it is certain that most squires were

concerned that residents of his village were good. He gladly gave free land to allow

construction of churches, infirmary, and the like.

The squire as a person was disputed. He had money and power, and could thus determine

many people’s lives. The trader could also require duties of their crofters. The fishermen were

dependent of the squire’s will because he had a monopoly on all trade in the vicinity. There

was thus a large class divide between fishermen and squires. One can clearly see this by the

surnames of squires who did not have the typical “-sen” names (Hansen, Jensen, Johansen

etc.) which was and still is very common in Lofoten. Such “upper class names” could be Zahl,

Dreier, Sverdrup, etc.

Class distinction was indeed maintained by the children squires who married with children of

officialdom. A priest daughter could become a squire’s wife, and it grew close family ties

between squires and officials. This represented an economic and social elite in Lofoten.

The combination farm

Austvågøy and Gimsøy have relatively good agricultural potential on the seaward side of the

islands. However, they are small compared with Vestvågøy in the middle of Lofoten. The

island is one of the largest rural municipalities in the Nordland county. In the middle of the

island there’s large flat fields and many farms surrounded by high, protective mountains.

Subzero temperatures can be more noticeable in this “inland” than out in the villages by the

sea. Further west in the ocean is Flakstad Island and Moskenes Island. Here there is less land

and farms and they become fewer and smaller the farther west you go. The islands appear to

be mainly mountains and rocks. And when this is said, Flakstad lush with its rural villages on

the outskirts compared to Moskenes. Moskenes is very bottom of agricultural statistics.

“He’s on a boat and she’s on shore”

Out here the most important has always been the fish, but far into this century, the Lofoten

families were dependent on a small farm and exploiting the earth’s resources. In this

mountainous kingdom could also families without properties hold animals because of the

green, fertile but inaccessible mountain hay. The people climbed high into the mountains to

provide feed for cattle and sheep. The good opportunities for fishing, combined with livestock

and a small farm, was what gave livelihood.

A fish farmer’s home had four legs to stand on as an economic foundation:

▪ The fishing season. The Lofoten fishery after christmas, and some were part of the Finnmark fishery at Easter.

▪ Home fishing, year around.

▪ Field farming: potato and carrot

▪ Husbandry: Cattle, sheep, goats

The women had primary responsibility for the home and small farm with livestock. They took

care of the subsistence economy. This provided important revenues that do not appear in tax

accounting and paperwork. The man took care of the fishery. This gave the money to pay

taxes and to buy essential goods such as flour, wood, kerosene, sugar and utensils.

Throughout the 1960’s and 70’s it was common to put down the smaller fisher farms. The men

were fishermen all year or did other work. The women took a job outside the home. Today,

there is few that run the traditional combination farm. Small farm buildings still remain

typical of Lofoten landscape. In addition, it currently appears that several young families take

up the combined operation forma. The Voice of the municipality in the 1990s passed out and

encouraged people to start with sheep – and they have succeeded in it. In 1994, the Lofoten

lamb named the world’s best lamb – maybe that is why more people have wanted to start with

sheep?

The history of the rorbu

Demand and supply

Before the year 900 the saga tells that boats were fitted along the coast to go to Lofoten and

participate in winter cod fishing season. In addition to typical home fishing was heard along

the coast of the extremely valuable winter fishery off the Lofoten Islands. People began to

travel for days and even weeks in open sailing boats and rowing boats, to participate in the

rich Lofoten fishery. And it is said that they lived and slept under overturned boats all winter.

The influx of fishermen eventually created need for better housing conditions. It was when

King Øystein the early 1100s, decided that it would be built cabins for visiting fishermen in

Kabelvåg, old Vågar. This says something about how important this fishery was for the

country’s economy.

But it is not certain that it was King Øystein who was the first to build Rorbuer. It was in fact

rorbuer also before that time and we have indications that the fishing season, originally called

Våga fishing, as livelihood in export purposes is considerably older.

In Nusfjord in Flakstad, there was in 2004 found remains of what appears to be five,

particularly old shacks. The oldest of these strains presumably from somewhere between year

400 and 500, perhaps as early as 425 BC. There are no rorbuer as we know them today, but

they have a frame of wood, and was covered with turf. This finding, together with other

findings made in the Lofoten Islands and elsewhere, shows that the fishing industry was

established long before King Øystein time.

The name RORBU.
What does it mean? BU denotes a (small) house and is related to live (Norwegian:

bo). Thus a smaller house to live in, but it is also used in other contexts, for example a toolshed.

The first part of the word RORBU comes from the word to row. For centuries the fishermen

came in rowing, and the motorized fishing boats didn’t come until the beginning of our

century. One literally rowed fishing. Even after three generations of motor boats it is still the

vernacular to “row fishing”. Rorbu is thus the house the fishermen lived in while they were

rowing fish.

Environment

The rorbus was originally built entirely down to the shoreline, often on piles in the sea, and

the natural access for rowing straight to the shed. In many fishing villages it became very tight

settlements, where the red cabins – and the fishing industries – dominated. About the

characteristic red color of the boathouse we can say that the red paint was the cheapest and

therefore the most widely used. Along with the large number of racks for drying fish this

created a distinctive building environment in Lofoten’s fishing villages.

A traditional fisherman’s cottage consisted of two parts: one part was built by logs. Here ate

and slept fishermen. In this room there was a stove for heating and cooking. The room was

used for maintenance of equipment and sometimes baiting the line. The bunks fishermen used

were often placed under the roof, so that the limited floor space was not occupied by the beds.

There were wide bunks, where they were two and three man in width during major fur rugs

and thick woven rugs. The second part of the hut was first built entirely of single planking

where the wind blew through the wall, and snow could lie inside the walls in the winter. This

room was used for storage of equipment and the Lofoten chests which the fishermen brought,

which contained food, clothing and other personal belongings. In each cabin lived and worked

8-10 men closely together for 2-3 months.

New objectives and modernization

Around 1960, when hundreds of rorbuer were empty all year round and many were

demolished or blown down by the winter storms, some of the better cabins for the first time

got rented out to tourists who came to Lofoten.

Over a 20 year period, the number of tourists who wanted to stay in the cabin increased, and

the owners restored and modernized their rorbuer. The old main room could often be left as it

was, while the part that was used for storing tools and other equipment have been insulatedagainst cold and furnished with shower, toilet and one or several bedrooms. While it

previously was necessary to carry water to the cabins, we today can say that all cabins have

running water. Lofoten currently has between 300 and 400 rorbuer. Of these, nearly 100

newly built rorbuer, or cabins in rorbu style, which have in fact never been used by fishermen.

They are still popular as accommodation for tourists who want distinctive accommodation fit

during their stay in Lofoten. Without letting of rorbuer to tourists we would probably found

not more than a handful of rorbuer in Lofoten today. Tourism has been directly responsible

for an important part of our culture, rorbuer, has survived in its original environment.

Boat houses

In the fishing villages one can find major buildings for storage of the fishermen’s catch. These

piers are usually built in two to four floors, with rooms furnished for the accommodation of

fish workers and boat crew. Since much of this accommodation was used by fishermen, these

are sometimes also referred to as rorbuer. To distinguish this type of accommodation from the

traditional, detached rorbuer, we use the term SJØHUS (boat house or sea house) about these

larger buildings.

Accommodation in boat houses are often more modern than the old rorbu cabins, and in many

cases these units are more spacious than the traditional rorbu. Some boat houses functions as

hostels allowing multiple tenants share a common kitchen and living area.

Stockfish

Lofoten is one of the best places in the world for the production of dried fish. The further west

you travel in Lofoten, the better, and it’s especially beneficial in Værøy and Røst. It is an

experience for both the eye and the nose to visit the islands in May, while the slopes and

hilltops are covered with fully laden stockfish racks. Proud islanders turn out his arms and

says, “Here hang our money!” or “Mmmm, the smell of money!”.

The process

When the cod come in to the fish recepcions the head and entrails gets removed. One then ties

two and two together and hang them on racks. No other country can compete with this way to

preserve food. Many have tried; none succeed, such as Iceland, which had last trial year in

1992. This because there are such strict requirements of drying area: The air should not be too

dry. The temperature should be appropriate, so low that the fish won’t get destroyed by

maggots and flies, but still, the air being so hot that it does not freeze. A constant wind drag

with a hint of salinity provides the best results. These factors are found in Lofoten, and are

helping to make stockfish an extraordinary item that has become popular far beyond Norway’s

borders. We have sources that say that it was exported dried fish already in the sixth century

(sale of dried fish from Hålogaland to Uppsala). Stockfish is mostly taken down from the

racks before the middle of June. Traditionally, 12 June was fish collecting day (“feskhentar-

dag”). Now it’s the fish grader’s to sort the fish by quality.

Clean food without additives

Dried fish is a healthy product, chemically free from artificial additives and created as we say

“of air and love.” Manufacturing process is resource friendly and arguably the least energy-

intensive process in the world. All values in fresh fish are kept in stockfish, only the water isremoved. The nutritional value of a kilo of stockfish equals about five kilos of fresh fish.

The stockfish is durable for years under reasonable storage conditions. Upon dilution it sucks

up all the moisture again and to transport it is therefore a unique food product to export.

Stockfish was also one of the first foods from animal kingdom which was the subject of

international trade.

Classification

It is said that the stockfish quality grader is an artist in his field, he will quickly see, smell and

consider. The fish is roughly sorted into three main groups: 1 Prima, 2 Second and 3rd Africa

(Tertia). Then an ocean of different sorts follows, up to 30, according to quality, thickness and

length.

The origins of this must be subscribed the Hanseats’ (and later the trade men from Bergen’s)

ability to exploit different markets’ requirements for taste and size. In particular, the stockfish

to Italy is fine graded. There are at least 12 different grades of prime Lofoten stockfish. In

addition, the second class have at least 6 grades. Prima Lofoten cod is sorted by length,

weight and appearance.

Most of the stockfish is exported, which is reflected in the names of the sorting grades.

Exports of dried fish were in the 1300s 80% of export earnings in Norway. In 1994 it was

exported 4824 tons of stockfish at a value of NOK 392 million. 30 countries are on the list of

buyers of this precious commodity, and at the top of the list is Italy, importing 3946 tons. It is

therefore not without reason that the Mayor of Røst says: “God bless the Italian housewife

and her kitchen! May the Italian eating habits remain!” Other important buyers in 1994:

Croatia, USA, Switzerland, United Kingdom, Nigeria, France and Germany.

VÅGAN MUNICIPALITY

● Includes the islands Austvågøy, Skrova and Gimsøy

● Numbers: 477 square kilometres (184 sq. miles), the biggest in Lofoten in respect of size,

approx. 9030 inhabitants

● This is the municipality in the northern part of Norway with the largest production of

salmon and trout; in respect of the traditional fishing industry it is the second largest. The

clean seawater gives perfect conditions for breeding. There are 12 fish farms in the

municipality, and the annual production is around 7000 tons.

● Formerly, there was extensive Sami settlement. Many of the place-names in Lofoten are

of Sami origin. For example, the name Svolvær comes from ‘Soulavarre’, which can be

translated as “mountains behind small islands”. The Samis here differed from those of

Finnmark, and were so-called “south-Samis”. They did not herd reindeer, but lived from

the sea. They were Christianised quite quickly. This, and inter-marriage between

Norwegians and Samis contributed to the almost total disappearance of Sami culture.

● Austvågøy is the only island of Lofoten where moose can be found – the latest count

showed a number of 126. The moose originally swam over from the mainland, and some

of them swim back. There are few wild animals on the islands; otter, mink, stoat, foxes

and hares.

Svolvær

● The first city in the islands (status granted 17.05.96), and the unofficial ‘capital’ in

Lofoten. With only 4290 inh, it might be one of the smallest cities in the country (or even

the world?)

● Built upon and around small islands

● Well-protected harbour

● The statue of the fisherman’s wife has been placed by the passage to the harbour. She

watches for those who went out to sea, but never returned

● Shops, “wine monopoly”, cafes, pubs, bars, discos, hotels

● Cinema, city theatre, several galleries

● Vågan civic centre

● Svolværgeita: 569 metres high (1866 ft.). Brave climbers do the jump between the two horns.

Distance between them is 1,5 m (or 5 ft.). At a wedding here in 1994, the bride and groom stood

on each horn, and when they had been wed, the groom jumped to his bride. They are still married.

People fear that the goats will fall down, but so far they are standing on safe and steady ground.

● Short-track airport, express boat to Bodø and Narvik, ferry to Hamarøy, in addition to the daily

calls by the coastal steamer. Express bus to Narvik. Shipyard in Osan.

● Secondary school

● Sport hall, skilift, athletics-court, football-ground

Skrova

● 300 inh., maybe the island with the highest number of millionaires in relation to the numbers of

inh. in the world: 30 of them are millionaires, or 10 %. This is due to the fishing industry as well

as whaling (do not mention to other nationalities than Scandinavians, if so, know the risk of

sanctions…). Ellingsen AS, whaling and processing of meat.

Industry

The main industry in Skrova is fishing, fish farming, and whaling. It is one of the largest whaling

stations in Norway, taking in about half of the whale meat in Norway each year.

The heyday of Skrova was in the 1970s and 1980s, when fishing and whaling were booming. Since the year

2000, there is now only one fishing factory, called Ellingsen’s.

The mountain is a really great and easy hike, well marked and an epic view of the entire Lofoten wall.

Also the beaches, little Hawaii (local name) are really a must see when visiting the island.

For much more info about the place: place read the Shark drunk : the art of catching a large shark from a

tiny rubber dinghy in a big ocean by Morten Andreas Strøksnes which is an amazing book about the history of the

place. When sailing to Skrova – you will pass the ocean stretch called “Hølla” which translates into “Hell” because so many people have lost their lifes there in horrible weather. Think – pre weather forecasting times when out fishing

in January to catch enough arctic cod to feed your family back home at the farm.

The battle of the Trollfjord:

The Trollfjord is a small fjord in Lofoten. The fjord is 2,5 km long but only 100 m wide at its narrow

entrance. The beautiful fjord has steep-sided mountains surrounding it and is a spectacular tourist

attraction in Lofoten today. Trollfjorden also was the scenery of one of the most well-known conflicts

related to the cod fisheries in Norway. It is the most famous fjord of Norway. Some of the credit for

this must be given to the German Emperor Wilhelm II, who in the summer of 1889 embarked on his

first Northern Norway voyage. Later there were several trips to the north. He often visited Digermulen

and the Trollfjord. Tourists followed in his wake. It is rare for “Skrei” (arctic cod) to migrate up in the

Raftsundet, but in 1890 this happened. “Skrei” was fished here in February and eventually the

Trollfjord was also filled with “Skrei”. The Trollfjord is therefore also known for the battle that took

place here on March 6, 1890, when the rowboat fishers went into action against the steamboat owners

that tried to block them from fishing in parts of the Trollfjord. This was in many ways a culmination of

the conflicts that had already taken place between larger, steam-powered net boats and the traditional

fishing from smaller open boats.

The shipowner and trader Ole J. Kaarbø had organized fishing with nets from steamboats, and thus

closed out fishermen with conventional gear from the innermost part of the fjord, where there was a lot

of “Skrei”. The fishermen thought the exclusion broke with the public right, and after a few of the

fishermen had broken the barriers.

The night before (March 5), representatives of the small boat fishermen had asked the steamboat

owners to help break up the ice that the Trollfjord was covered with so that the fishermen could come

the next day. The steamboats did this, but instead of opening up to the fishermen, they closed the

innermost part of the fjord with nets. They demanded payment from the fishermen to let them in. The

fishermen would not accept this, and eventually there was a fist fight between the small boat

fishermen and the steamboat crews. Among other things, the fishermen were flushed with hot water

from the steam boilers aboard the big boats.

The battle of the Trollfjord became known in the future and involved large parts of the coastal

population. The Norwegian Parliament also gradually took action and accelerated the work on a new

Lofot Act. In March 1891, the Norwegian Parliament passed amendments to the Lofoten Act,

which prohibited the use of nets during the Lofoten fishing. Essentially stopping big boats from

fishing in the Lofoten sea for arctic cod fish.

The battle of the Trollfjord is often regarded as the conservative fishermens resistance to new technology. But

the conflict was not so much about technology as it was about private capitalism and the wage system. The

fishermens opposition was against a future as wage earners. Traditionally the fishermen owned their own boats

and tools and were their own lords. The new fishing companies represented a new way of life on board the steam

ships as employees and wage labourers.

Every winter from February to April the skrei, or North Atlantic cod, wanders into the

Vestfjord basin and the fjords of Lofoten to spawn. In 1890 the skrei went particularly deep

into the fjords, even into the narrow Trollfjord. Most fishermen those days used small

traditional open boats with oars and sail. But a few shipping companies had been established

and they used new technology steam-driven fishing ships with closing nets. One day at the

beginning of March this year steamboats blocked the fjord mouth of the Trollfjord with nets.

The steamboats then caught the fish inside but prevented the small boats to get access to it.

The traditional fishermen raged and tried to enter the steamboats. The rising among the

fishermen, their loud protests and demands for better conditions also reached the Norwegian

government. As a result closing nets was prohibited in the Lofoten fishery from 1893.

Vågan Church

called the Lofoten cathedral due to its size, room for 1200 people, largest wooden church north of

Trondheim

● Built 1898, the first church at this very spot was built by king Øystein during his visit around 1120

AD. Ordered that a large church be built to accommodate all the fishermen during the Lofoten

fisheries.

● The Troll’s stone: the trolls did not appreciate a Christian church being built, so the

biggest of them threw a stone at the church. He missed, though, and burst with anger, and

the hollow left by his thumb can still be seen in the stone. A different theory claims that

king Øystein used this stone as an altar when he held the first Christian service.

Oscarskaret – ‘The Kings’ Stone’

The four recent kings Oscar, Haakon, Olav and Harald have all written their names in gold

during their respective visits. King Oscar came in order to celebrate the opening of the roadbetween Svolvær and Kabelvåg.

Kabelvåg

● 1990 inh. Despite two fires (winter of 1991/92 and Sept. of 1996), a lot of the old

architecture has been saved. Many of the houses have been re-built in the old style

● Home of many artists, art school, video-textile- and ceramics-workshop, folk high school

● History: At Storvågan (the area of Nyvågar), there are traces of settlement back to the

Stone Age. There was an important city there in the late 1000s called Vågar. Centre of

trade and church administration. King Øystein ordered that the first rorbuer (fishermen’s

cottages) be built here, because the only shelter the fishermen otherwise had was created

by turning their boats upside down and sleeping underneath them. Being a clever man, he

realised that if the fishermen froze too much, they also worked less, resulting in less tax

revenue for him. The king also ordered that the trade of stockfish should be channelled

through Vågar, and the annual summer sale of the stockfish attracted merchants from

Bergen who traded grain for fish and cod-liver oil. The painting “Dancing Bear” by Otto

Sinding is exhibited in the gallery Lofotens House, and portrays his vision of the trade

days in Vågar. However, the Black plague reached Lofoten in 1349, and the ruling

chieftains’ family died. The king then transferred the land to the state and denied the

Lofoten traders the trade privileges. Simultaneously, German merchants enjoyed great

power, and when the king prohibited them from going to Vågar to trade, the Germans and

the Lofoten merchants met in Bergen at Tyskebryggen. This was the beginning of the

Hansa era, which was a drawback for Vågar – the city changed into being an ordinary

fishing village. The Germans had a good nose for quality, and ranged the stockfisk into

25-30 classifications.

Storvågan: The merchant Caspar Friedrich Lorch came to Storvågan in 1811.. Having

been given the privilege to trade and run inns, he built rorbuer, and expanded the fishing

village.

Ørsnes

Small religious congregation, originally from the US. They are strict puritans, dance and

contraception is prohibited, which causes childbirths above average. Several years ago, the

congregation were granted their request to run a private school for their children. This caused

the closure of the Ørsnes primary school, because there were too few pupils remaining.

Vågakallen

942 metres (3090 ft.), and a difficult ascent for climbers. It takes 3,5 hrs to ascend the summit

and 2 hrs to go down, and it is preferable to use an experienced guide. When studying the

mountain from the sea, it looks like the figure of a man with his arms outstretched. According

to tradition, the young lads who are participating in the fisheries for the first time must take

their hats off to the mountain when passing it, to secure a good catch. The tales tell that

Vågakallen was a powerful troll who stood high up in the Lofoten watching the activities

along the coast. One day he found a goat at his fields, which he did not know, and presumed it

belonged to a troll in Svolvær. He did not like the idea if some one else’s goat eating his

grass, so he grabbed an enormous axe and threw it at the goat. He missed, though, and the axe

went far out into the sea until it hit a mountain. The mountain split in two, and is today the

Trollfjord. Then, he threw the goat to Svolvær. When the sun came up, the goat turned into

stone, and this is how Svolværgeita was created. Later the king Suliskongen shot an arrow

after vågankallen, that why he leans to one side. The arrow pierced the mountain Torghatten

further down south by the “seven sisters”. All of these stories are really a roadmap for

traditional fishermen to find the way to vågankallen and back again. Waypoints to reach theimportant lofotfishing.

Rørvikskaret

After several accidents and problems with avalanches blocking the narrow road, the tunnel

was built in 1975. The tunnel is built under masses of rocks that have fallen down during

landslides, and was at the time the most expensive tunnel in the country due to the safety

requirements. It fell down just after it was finished, and small rocks sometimes fall down from

the roof.

Rørvikvannet
Freshwater lake supplying Henningsvær with drinking water. The water is transported

through a water pipe lying next to the road to the village. It could not be laid underground

because of all the rocks. The fact that the water is constantly flowing, in addition to the mild

winters prevent the water from freezing.

Rørvikstranda

Pretty beach, but can only be used at ebb tide. The difference between flood and ebb tide is

2.8 m (approx.8.5 ft). Swimming temperature in the summer is approx. 10 degrees centigrade.

En route to H.vær: we often see climbers in the mountains, who come from lots of

countries to test their skills in the mountains. The routes are unbolted. Some of the routes

are considered to be very difficult. There is also a climbing school in H.vær, where,

among others, Arne Næss has been a teacher.

● View over parts of the Lofoten wall; on a clear day, Ureberget and Værøy can be seen

● In the small bay at the turn, the herring follow the currents under the rocks, and become

trapped in the bay.

● Before the water-piper was laid, people in H.vær had to row to Festvåg to buy water from

Vass-Lisa who guarded her water day and night. When the water pipe was finished, her

business experienced difficulties, so she fled – we do not know where, and we also do not

know how true this story is.

● The bridges were completed in 1983, and there were hopes that the improved connection

to the other villages would make living in H.vær more attractive. However, the opposite

happened – the bridges made it easier to leave.

● Cod-heads and stockfish: The heads are dried and ground into fishmeal, which contains

lots of nutrition for the fish in the farms and the livestock. They are also exported to

Nigeria for use in the agriculture, where they also make soup out of cod-heads. The

bodies, however, are tied together in pairs and hung up on the racks in March, when the

temperature is around refrigerator temp. According to tradition, the day to take the fish

down is June 12, but it does vary today. Nets prevent the birds from eating the fish, and

salt under the racks prevent the grass from growing, to reduce humidity and keep the flies

away. There are few places with the right climate for drying stockfish. The air has to be

salt; it must not be too cold, not too much rain and lots of wind. 90 % are exported to

Italy, and the remaining 10 are processed into lutefisk and eaten locally. (By the way, the

fish is quite handy, because the women of Lofoten do not have to buy a rolling-pin when

they marry…)

● The export to Italy started off with an accident, when the Italian sailor Querini and his

crew were on their way to Belgium and the ship was taken by a storm. They drifted all the

way to Røst, and were taken care of by the locals. They stayed at Røst for several months,

and Querini, who was a scholar, wrote a diary from his stay in Lofoten. He wrote, “…the

people of Røst are very friendly, but the bread they eat is rather wet…” He was referringto porridge. He tasted the stockfish and brought it back to Italy and introduced it to the

Pope, who decided that this should be exported to Italy. Catholics eat the fish when meat

is forbidden.

Henningsvær – the island with the world fameous football field

After crossing the last bridge: an old Nordlandsboat (fembøring) is to be seen at the left.

● Called the Venice of Lofoten, because the village consists of several small islands. Has

also got an “Eiffel tower”.

● 520 inh., but up to 1500 fishermen come for the fishery. There are many rorbuer, and big

stones protect the harbour from the waves of the sea. During the winter fisheries of the

past, there were so many boats here that one could cross the harbour by jumping from boat

to boat.

● Lofotbrygga exhibition, Larsens cod-liver-oil factory that is a cafe today.

● Deep sea rafting at Lofoten Safari

● Several hotels and restaurants

● Gallery Lofotens house. Slideshow by Frank A. Jensen from Svolvær, lasts 15 or 18 min.

Karl Erik Harr, of Harstad has a permanent exhibition of his paintings here, in addition to

an exhibition in connection with his 60th birthday. He does not sell his pictures, since he

strongly holds the opinion that art should not be commercial. He rents the pictures to the

galleries, and has also decorated the inside of the M/S Nordkapp. The Golden age Gallery

exhibits paintings by north-Norwegian artists made in the early 1900s. Some of them are

well known to students of art: Thorolf Holmboe, Otto Sinding, Even Ulving and Gunnar

Berg (of Svinøya). There are explanations to the artists in the gallery. The sales exhibition

also includes photographs by Frank A. Jenssen, and cards painted by Dag and Eva Harr,

Karl Erik’s brother and sister.

Lyngvær

trade centre in the Middle age

● Old quay, from which the ferry used to depart for Smorten and Gimsøy

● Camping site for caravans, with small fish pond for the tourists

● The sculpture: cost 800 000 kr., made by an American artist. He had the view that no art

could possibly be prettier than nature, so the “art” of the sculpture is that it is a part of the

surrounding nature, in the sense that looking through the glass gives an extraordinary

image of nature. It is also possible to open one of the walls and stand inside the sculpture.

Due to the fact that the former mayor lives here, local people claim that this is not a

sculpture, but the mayor’s shower.

Kleppstad, smoltanlegget

The first part of the process of breeding a salmon takes place in the fresh water pools, when

the eggs are hatched. After approx. 4 months, the small fish are transferred into the sea pens.

Gimsøybrua

built 1982, ferry before that time. The strong currents in September-October bring large

schools of herring through the channel. The wind on the bridge during this period can get

rather strong, though. Red lights warn the drivers when it is not safe to cross.

● Nice little story: When the ferry still was in use, a farmer wanted to cross, bringing his

cow. He politely asked the captain how much he had to pay for it, and after having given

it a little though, the captain replied that it would be reasonable to charge the same price

for a cow as for a motorcycle with an additional wagon, which was 10 kr. The man gave

the captain the 10, and the 5 he used to pay for himself. The captain shook his head andgave the man the 5 back. The honest farmer asked why, and then the captain replied: “you

know, my good man, that the driver goes for free”.

Gimsøy

240 inh., and one of the northernmost golf courses in the world. The model is Scottish, and

has a certain resemblance with one of the first golf courses that were built in Scotland during

the 1400s. There are 9 holes, and a midnight sun tournament in which the golfers start playing

at 12 o’clock at night. It can be risky to play golf here because of the climate; either there is

fabulous midnight sun, or thick fog. The locals have no tradition of playing golf, which is not

strange at all, since 99% of the islands are suitable for anything but golf.

● The island is probably the first island to have been settled – this was 6000 years ago. The

people lived on fish, otter and beaver. Archaeologists have found pieces of a skeleton.

What is more, pollen analysis shows that barley was grown already 4000 years ago.

● Agriculture

● The Hov mountain: looks like the hoof of a horse (hov), but hov also means ‘pagan

temple’. Archaeologists have discovered the a circular foundation, and think there is

reason to believe that the Vikings met here in order to sacrifice to the gods. They normally

sacrificed male animals, and the blood from them.

VESTVA; GØY MUNICIPALITY

● Approx. 10 767 inh. Vestvågøy is the second largest agricultural producer in Nordland

County. Sheep, cows and goats are the most common animals, but there are also horses,

pigs and hens raised. There are approx. 30 000 sheep in the Lofoten, of which 50 % are on

VV. The Lofot lamb is well known for its taste, and this is because the lambs eat fresh

grass with lots of nutrition. The grass is also lightly salted, because it grows so close to the

sea. The most commonly grown vegetables are potatoes, carrots, nettles, cauliflower and

different types of cabbage. But berries like strawberries, raspberries and red and black

currants can also be grown. Despite the latitude the soil is well suited for agriculture,

because of the Gulf Stream. However, it is too cold for growing fruit, although there is

one apple tree in the Lofoten, which is in Mortsund well sheltered near a mountain.

Haugen

Site for litter disposal, caused lots of discussions

● Small, dark blue house in the turn past the litter disposal: a lorry driver was once on his

way from Leknes to Svolvær transporting fish, it was windy and the road was slippery.

Although he drove cautiously, the lorry slipped off the road and went straight through the

wall. The lady who lives in the house, was in the kitchen making coffee, and heard a

terrible noise from the living room. She ran to see what it was, only to find a lorry, a

driver, and fish everywhere. She was so stunned that the only words she managed to say

were: “would you like a cup of coffee?” But she got a bit offended, though, when she

learned that the driver had smashed her favourite chair. A few years later another truck

crashed into the house, this one carrying salt. Then another. After three collisions in 10

years, the owners decided to move out.Lyngedal

● Closed school

● There have been finds from the Iron Age, including the farm foundations. There have also

been excavations of Stone Age sites.

● Sometimes sea eagles can be seen in this area. They are threatened with extinction.

Alstad/Knutstad

● Lofoten turistsenter, camping site with rental of huts

● Small chapel, and there is a path over to Valberg for those who walked to church on

Sundays before the chapel was built.

● Sometimes there are swans in the bay, which is a mixture of salt and fresh water. The

stock of herring is this water is not like normal sea herring. It has one more bone in the

back and a different taste. Salt water is heavier than fresh water, so there is fresh water

vegetation on the top, and seaweed at the bottom.

● Home for the elderly

Borgpollen

Same water phenomena and herring as in Alstad. The bridge by the Shell petrol station is built

on the same site as a bridge in the Viking Age. Archaeologists have found parts of it and

exhibited it at the Lofotr museum.

Borge Church

● Built 1987

● The shape looks like a ski-jump, but the mountain behind the church inspired the design.

● Architect: Knut Gjernes

● Great acoustics, often used for concerts

● Open to visitors during the summer

Lofotr Viking Museum

The largest tourist-attraction of the Lofoten. The longhouse was discovered by chance in

1981, when a local farmer was ploughing his land and discovered a few pieces of glass and

ceramics. He contacted Kåre Ringstad, a local archaeologist, who notified the Tromsø

Museum, and the rest is history.

● The name Lofoten is derived from ‘Lofotr’, which meant ‘lynx foot’ in Norse.

● The house, which stood here between 500 and about 950 AD, was at first 67 m (230 ft)

long, but was rebuilt to 83 m (272 ft.) around 700 AD, which is the size of the

reconstruction. The house was divided into living quarters, a banquet hall, a storage space,

and stables.

● Hurricane Frode destroyed the living quarters and parts of the guildhall. Luckily, the

finds were saved.

● Around 100 people lived in the house, including slaves and mistresses as well as the

chieftain and his family. In addition, different craftsmen such as wood-carvers and

blacksmiths worked for the chieftain

● There were several small farms surrounding the chieftain’s house, and the system was

fairly well organised: the farmers paid taxes to the chieftain; and in return, they received

assistance, e.g. when the harvests were bad.

● Finds show that the chieftain had at least three boathouses, and we also know that the

Vikings from Borg had been to Denmark and France. The ship “Lofotr”, a copy of

Gokstadskipet, which lays in Borgpollen today, sprung a leak outside Sommarøy in

Troms. Later, it was raised.● The house was left sometime between 900 and 950 AD, due to the growing impact of

Christianity. Writings from Iceland confirm that the chieftain Olaf Tvønnåbrunni from

Borg in Lofotr came there to claim land, as did many others.

● The Norwegian royal family visited Borg during their 1997 Norwegian tour. A banquet

with mead had been prepared for them, and the local choir Non Troppo participated.

During the evening the royals maybe had too much fun (or mead) – the king of Sweden

danced on the tables and Juan Carlos of Spain had to get a helping hand getting back onto

the coach. Gorbatchev has also visited Borg, for a conference on globalisation.

Vestvågøy Museum

The School:

– Built in 1868, and used as a schoolhouse for 60 years.

– In the first few decades, pupils used stone slabs, and special slate pens. They had to

buy their own, but of course, not everyone could afford them.

– Classes were quite large – for example, in 1900, the first form of Fygle School had 36

pupils. Children of different ages being taught in the same class was quite common

– Up until around 1920, children would attend school for two or three weeks, and then

have two or three weeks off so that other children could use the desks. Because of

this, the average school year only lasted 12 to 14 weeks.

– During the winter fishery, the 11 to 14 year old boys would be given time off to work

as kitchen boys, or cooks, in the fishermen’s cabins. Towards the end of spring, it was

the girls’ turn, and they would work to save money for their own or their sister’s

confirmation dress. Often, children would have to stay at home and work simply to

help the family survive.

– Part of the first floor was used for woodwork and handiwork classes, the other part

was where the teacher lived.

– In 1900, the teacher at Fygle School earned 902 kroner. Relatively speaking, this is

about 12% of a teacher’s average salary today. However, he also worked for the

municipality as an accountant, and tended the school’s farmlands.

– The schoolhouse was also a meeting place for Christmas parties and 17th May

(National Day) celebrations, as well as for the local council.

The Rorbu

– This is a ‘double’ rorbu cabin. It was originally built at Ure harbour in 1834.

– 8-10 men lived here, the crew of four boats. All their gear – nets, tackle, bait, etc –

were also kept in the rorbu. They slept on platform beds hung from the ceiling, with 2

or 3 men to a bed for warmth.

Bøstad

Primary school, library, and grocery store

Liland

The congregation of Pinsemenigheten

Himmeltinden

The highest mountain of the island, 965 m (3166), called the roof of VV

● Popular with sporty hikers, takes 2,5 – 3 hrs to ascend

● The radar “Sindre” is one of the most powerful radars in the northern part of Europe, and

covers a radius of 2400 km. (1491 mi.) The elevator inside the mountain makes the day

easier for those who are going up there on duty. A hiker on her way to the summit withher rottweiler discovered that his paws were sore because of all the stones, and the Nato-

base came and took the dog down by the elevator. But she was not allowed to join him,

due to the strict security precautions

● The mountains of Lofoten are among the oldest and the youngest in the world. Those of

Moskenes are 2,8 billion (American numbering system – 280 000 million English) years

old. They are mainly gneiss containing corridors of granite. They were remade under

strong heat and pressure, the soil of the earth raised itself, and folding and division into

layers began. Traces of this process can be seen in Rørvikskaret. All this took place 30 m

under the ground, and then, the mountains were pushed up. This process led to the

extraordinary shapes. These have been kept at their best in Moskenesøy. The reason for

this is that the glaciers, which were very thick at Andøy, got thinner and thinner the

further east they reached in Lofoten. Evidence of the passage of glaciers can be seen in

several places, one of which is at Lyngvær. There is more evidence in the form of valleys

with the characteristic U-shape. The Ice Age came to an end about 8-10 000 years ago.

Skjerpen-vannet and the river

We often find herons by the lake

● The Skjerpen waterfall has more salmon per cubic litre than any other in Norway

● In general, the fishing opportunities are great in the lakes. In addition to salmon, there is

trout and char.

Opdøl

The American artist Scott Thoe, who has lived in Stamsund for more than 20 years, decorated

the primary school. He has also decorated Hol Bygdeheim and Ballstad Slip (shipyard), which

is the largest mural in Scandinavia.

Skulbru

Agricultural area, two Nordlandshouses

Leknes

Centre of the VV municipality, almost 1880 inh

● The mayor Guri Ingebrigtsen was formerly Minister of Social Affairs

● The old dairy celebrated its centenary several years ago, and made the largest brown

cheese in the world. The weight was close to two tonnes, and they arranged a competition

for the locals to guess its weight. There was panic among the contestants when a rumour

began circulating that the cheese was the prize

● Airport: several daily departures for Bodø, can be a bit tricky in the winter due to storms

● Cafés, restaurants, bars, pubs, one disco, hotels, cinema. The Norlandia Hotel used to be

in Lillehammer, but it was moved to Leknes after the Winter Olympics

● Football-hall, football-ground, athletics-court, sports-hall and swimming-pool

● The local newspaper Lofot-Tidende has twice been awarded the best local newspaper in

the country

● Lofotposten and Nordlands Framtid have branches here

● All kinds of shops

● Leknes primary school

● Vestvågøy secondary school: (UK: Equivalent to studies of A-levels. US: Equivalent to

high school), students may do sports and leisure studies, electronics, carpentry, and

mechanicsFygle

Horn’s butchery, the only private butchery in northern Norway

● Hol church, originally built in the 1300s, although its current appearance is a result of

renovations completed in 1806. The church was supposed to be built in Sennesvik, but

the people of Hol were tired of the people in Sennesvik getting all the privileges, so they

rowed to Sennesvik late at night, stole the building materials and rowed them back to

Fygle. The people in Sennesvik interpreted this as a sign from God, so they did not dare to

do anything other than build the church at Hol

● Terje Wiik’s farm: one of the farms with the largest production of milk and meat

● Primary school

Hagskaret

Great starting point for hiking or skiing, floodlit track, Hagstua restaurant, Red Cross has a

cabin here. View to Henningsvær. Road leading to the ski-jumping fields

Storfjord

This is the largest forested area in Lofoten. The spruce and pine trees are introduced species,

and can be found all over the islands

● Small white house at the right when doing the first turn: the house of Arnolda Dahl who

designed the traditional costume of Lofoten

● Good fishing opportunities, trout and char, cottages for use in holidays.

● Closed school

● The catholic chapel: the only one in Lofoten. Mass once a month for the 100 members of

the congregation, the priest comes from Bodø by aeroplane. In 2004, two Polish monks of

the Cistercian Order moved here to start a monastery.

Steine

Important fishing village, 100 inh

● Given the name Steine because of all the rocks. The mountain behind the village is called

Steinstinden. There have been several landslides here, and the most tragic took place in

1906 when 19 visiting fishermen were killed and many fishermen’s cottages were

destroyed. A stone has been raised in memory of those who died

● The whaling boat Nybræna, which Paul Watson’s Sea Shepherd tried to sabotage at

Christmas 1992

● Fishermen’s cottages: popular in the summer for tourists. The cottages nowadays are

comfortable and include all amenities. The first cottages consisted of only two rooms. One

for the fishing gear and other equipment; and one in which the fishermen slept, ate etc.

The beds were platforms hung from the ceiling, and 2-4 men slept in one bed. The

cottages (and barns) are always red, because red used to be the cheapest colour to produce,

since it could be easily made out of animal blood. “Middle-class” people had yellow

houses, and the rich and prominent ones had white houses. But sometimes they could not

afford to paint the entire house white, so they would only paint the side that was visible

from the sea

Stamsund

Poort-of-call of the coastal steamer since 1929

● Was built up by the J.M. Johansen family dynasty, a company that is now owned by

others, like the businessman Kjell Inge Røkke and his company Melbu Fiskeindustri.

Formerly, there were factories for the production of herring oil and cold-liver oil, but

nowadays only the fish-filleting factory is left● Today Stamsund has around 1400 inhabitants, but until the 20th century it was practically

deserted, apart from during the Lofoten Fishery. The 1875 census, for example, records

only 4 permanent families living here.

● The stone quay is 1.4 km long. Work began in 1918 and lasted into the 1930s, keeping

many families from going under during the Depression. All of the labour was manual, the

blocks all shaped with hammer and chisel. There are no bolts or mortar holding the

blocks in place, they are fixed in position by their own weight and the precision with

which they were made. The bedrock is up to 7 metres below the surface.

● Lofoten trålerrederi: large trawler company with several subsidiaries

● Lofoten War Museum

● Two theatre groups: Teater Nor and Nordland Figurteatret

● The puppet-theatre stages several productions annually. Professional actors and puppet-

makers from other countries also participate

● Art school for children

● Old town hall from the days when Stamsund was the centre of the Hol municipality

(before the re-structure of the system in 1964)

Valberg Kirke

● Built in 1889, the third on this site

● Before the church, there was a chapel, built around 1660 but blown over in a 1749 storm.

A storm also destroyed the second church.

● Before the road was built, it could be something of an ordeal to get to church. If the

weather was fine, you could come by boat. If the wind or sea was too rough, however, the

only way was on foot. For some, this meant trekking over the mountains from inland in

their Sunday best, with a packed lunch in their knapsack. Missing a Sunday service now

and then was acceptable, but for important occasions – christenings, weddings, funerals –

attendance was mandatory. Valberg Church shared its priest with Borge, on the other side

of the mountains, so the priest too had to hike over the mountains.

Stamsund Kirke

● Completed in 1937, the first church in Stamsund. Earlier, people had used the chapel in

Steine, but that was blown down in a storm in 1905.

● The building committee decided that the church should be built to withstand bad weather,

so reinforced concrete was chosen. Its shape caused a lot of controversy, and it was

nicknamed “The Power Station”. Today, though, it is regarded as one of the best

examples of functionalist architecture in Norway.

Unstad

● Set in a classic, U-shaped glacial valley on the outer coast, with no protection from storms

coming in off the Norwegian Sea

● The old road went across the reef, and was especially dangerous in winter, even when the

snow was cleared. The village was often cut off for weeks at a time, so the inhabitants

would stockpile what they could to see them through. Even as recently as the 1960s,

military helicopters were used to airlift in supplies in particularly stormy periods. It

wasn’t until 1905, when the tunnel was completed, that access in the winter improved.

● In recent years, Unstad has become popular in winter with extreme “Arcitc Surfing”

enthusiasts, and will host the Surfing World Championship in 2013.

Haukland and Vik

● In 2001 a jury of 20 sponsored by the national newspaper Dagbladet, and including the

Minister for Tourism, voted Haukland the most beautiful bathing beach in NorwayBerg and Mortsund

(ca 300 innb.)

Many of the oldest houses in the area are located on small farms where independent operation

is now closed. In recent years, it is also built many new houses. Livelihoods have changed

dramatically in recent decades. Many work yet in fisheries and agriculture, but there are fewer

and larger units. Many work in service industries and other professions, but have chosen to

settle in this area instead of Leknes. Ramsvikveien and Petvik are old farms with registered

grain production from the 1300s until after World War II.

History

About 2 km from Leknes towards Stamsund take on county road 867 towards Mortsund. Here

are dispersed settlements with some clusters of houses. In this area people have lived for

years. On some farms there are records dating back to year 1300, which is also evidenced by

numerous archaeological finds. These include many excavations from even older times

including Holsøya, Einangen, Ramsvika and Petvika. At that time, the livelihoods were

hunting and fishing. The oldest discoveries made dates back to the Neolithic age from ca.

1500 BC to about 150 AD.

Sights

Hol Church is the oldest church in Vestvågøy. It is a beautiful cruciform church, and was

completed in 1806. When the church in Hol was built, it was originally meant to let it located

in Sennesvik, to which the materials were brought to the church. But one autumn night some

of the people in West Hol brought the building materials to Hol, and no one but those who

had been involved in the transfer knew about this. It was spread out rumors that the materials

were moved by supernatural powers, for it was Mary’s wish that the church would stand at

Hol, and the church also became dedicated to her. But it is said that on one of the mens’

deathbed some of the men came to confession, but it was not real to absolution thereof, as

they thus had shortened considerably the priest’s journey that lived in Buksnes.

The first church came just before 1400. At Holsøya there has been made a number of

discoveries from ancient times, including a variety of tombs and artifacts. Most come from

the Viking Age, and there are clear links to the activities that took place at Borg. Information

board for the area stands at Fygle school.

Activities and surroundings

Nearby lays Lofoten leisure farm with a horse riding center and the possibility of riding.

Sandberg equestrian center is located a bit further towards Mortsund.

After leaving Petvik the landscape changes character and you’ll arrive old fishing villages

such as Sandsund and Mortsund.

The road from Fygle to Mortsund goes through a beautiful and varied landscape with high

mountains to the east and Buksnesfjorden to the west.

Shopping and Dining

There have been many fish merchants in the area. Today there are fish landing in Mortsund.

There are also rorbu cabins with cafeteria and shop. One can also find a large salmon farms in

the area.

Gravdal

● Around 2100 inhabitants.

● The largest residential area in Vestvågøy, and one of the most built up.

● The Lofoten Hospital and the Nordland Fisheries School are located here.

Buksnes Church

Buksnes Church was built in 1905, after the previous church burned down in 1903. It was

designed by Oslo architect Karl Norum. And the style reflects very much the time in which it

was built.

1905 was the year that Norway gained independence from Sweden, and there was a great

resurgence of interest in Norway’s identity. The priest at the time wanted a church that

combined Norway’s religious, architectural, and cultural heritage. This is why this church,

unlike other churches on the islands, is not in the traditional cross, or long church style; rather,

it is built in the so-called Dragon Style, and has more in common with the old stave churches.

This is also why you see so many motifs and symbols from the Viking past, such as the

dragons on the roof, the Viking knot work carved on the pulpit, and the faces on the

supporting columns.

One challenge the architect faced was to set elements from a pagan past in a Christian context.

So it is said that the dragons have been subdued by Christ, and now guard the church.

Similarly, the faces on the columns belong to heathen gods who are forced to hear God’s

word.

Everything inside the previous church was burned. So the altar, clock, silver, and font also

date from 1905. The organ was constructed in 1998 by Ryde and Berg, the same instrument-

makers who constructed the organ in Oslo Domkirke.

With its 5000 members, Buksnes parish is the largest of the five parishes on Vestvågøy, and

has programs directed at all age groups. Attendance for Sunday services is between 80 – 100,

but on occasions such as Christmas or Confirmation, the church is full.

Ballstad

● With around 1000 inhabitants, Ballstad is one of Lofoten’s biggest fishing villages.

● The first village was built on the western (Kræmmervika) side

● One of the holms outside the breakwater is Galgiholmen (from Old Norse galgi: gallows)

which was a place of execution until the early 1800s. According to legend, fishermen can

sometimes see the long black hair of the last woman to be beheaded fluttering in the wind.

Her head would have been left on a stake, as was the custom at the time

● As well as a gallery, a café and restaurants, Ballstad has a cod liver oil factory, and the

shipyard has Northern Europe’s largest mural, painted by American artist and Lofoten

resident Scott Thoe.

● The first cod liver oil factory was built in 1881 by a company from Birmingham, England,

and managed for 30 years by an Englishman, although the building of the factory was

arranged by the village owner Jacob Jentoft. In the 1880s 300 of the 400 boats at Ballstad

delivered cod livers there.

● There are many rorbuer here, and Ballstad was one of the first places to offer the

fishermen’s cottages for rental to tourists.Nusfjord

Overview

Nusfjord is one of Norway’s oldest and best-preserved fishing hamlets with a long-standing

tradition of “Lofotfiske”, or seasonal cod fishing. 50 charming fishermen’s cabins are the

destination for many thousands of visitors who want to experience the authentic Lofoten each

year. The fishing hamlet is an idyllic gem crammed with history and superb buildings

“packaged” in scenery – a living museum. As you walk around the fishing hamlet, you will

find a protected power station, 4 protected fishermen’s cabins, the sawmill, smithy, various

boathouses, a large, evocative cod-liver oil refinery, a shop that is a living museum in its own

right, a unique restaurant with panoramic views across the fjord and a tiny inn with a big

heart. Everything has been refurbished to its original condition.

Surroundings

Nusfjord is located in a magnificent landscape encircled by steep mountains that rise up from

the fjord arm of Nusfjord (the Lofoten Wall). In Nusfjord, it is possible to experience the

contrast between peace and quiet by the idyllic fishing waters, and the drama and charm of the

open ocean.

Nusfjord’s unique location and atmosphere simply have to be experienced!

Historic Nusfjord

UNESCO proclaimed 1975 The European Architectural Heritage Year. Back then, Nusfjord

was selected as one of three pilot projects in Norway to raise awareness of the importance of

preserving old timber house environments. Stephan Tschudi-Madsen, at the time Director-

General of the Norwegian Directorate for Cultural Heritage, wrote in his book “Vakrest i

Landet – Tyve godt bevarte steder i Norge” [“the most beautiful in the country – twenty well-

preserved sites in Norway”] published by Cappelen in 1991:

Travelling can often be synonymous with becoming spellbound. Overwhelming buildings,

incredible historic testimonies, mighty works of art or fascinating individuals. Gunter Nagel

from Hamburg, 54, has never forgotten Nusfjord. In summer 1991, he and his family came

back for the 16th time to the same fishermen’s cabin – no. 38 – closest to the quayside. In

Nusfjord, it is now simply known as “the Nagel cabin”.

The story of the Nagel family’s holidaying habits is not unique to Lofoten. Together with

many others, Norwegians included, they regard the Lofot environment as an utterly unique

experience of nature, with the sea, fishing, the fjord, friendly people and old timber buildings.

Nusfjord is Gunter Nagel”s earthly paradise, and he calls it his second home.

Bonsak Gotaas had a trading licence in the 1840s and probably ran his business in Nusfjord in

the fishing season with a country store, warehouse, salt store and drying racks for 30,000 fish

Hans Grøn Dahl took over the buildings in 1877 and made Nusfjord into an individual trading

post. When he took over, there were four households making their living from agriculture and

fisheries, and two who made their living exclusively from fisheries – a total of 19 people. In

1843, Dahl bought the remaining part of the royal estate, and shortly afterwards gained

complete control of Nusfjord by buying out Jens Lossius. In other words, the village ofNusfjord has had an owner since 1847. In 1853, he also bought the fishing hamlet of

Strømøen, southwest of Nusfjord. This has since been closed down, but it used to provide

income from fishermen’s cabins, a smallholding and a cotter’s farm. Dahl set up leasehold

contracts with crofters and seaside residents.

Hans Dahl was unable to write; his signature was “document signed”. It is said that he stood

on the quayside most of the day counting fish, which used to be paid for in gross hundreds

(approximately 120s). In the evenings, his daughter Dorthea had to write down what each

boat had delivered – purely from his memory! His son Bernhard Dahl took over as village

owner in 1882 and ran the place until 1932. In his time, Nusfjord came to be more or less

what it is today. His son Hans got an education consistent with his status, entered the business

in 1932 and, together with his brother-in-law Lauritz Høiskar, built the fishing settlement in

Vika. In 1972, Hans married Antoinette Johnsen from Nøtterøy, and their eldest son Bernhard

was the village owner until 1986. Then Rolf Jentoft A/S took over the majority of shares in

Dahl Nusfjord AS.”

Today, Nusfjord is owned by Nusfjord AS, with graduate architect Roar Jacobsen as the main

shareholder. In recent times, Nusfjord has been modernised in keeping with developments

that have occurred in the transition from being purely a fishing settlement to a modern tourism

business where its uniqueness and proximity to the sea and its resources set the tone. All

restorations of the building complexes in Nusfjord are carried out in close collaboration

between the head of cultural heritage in Nordland country Egil Murud, and the Norwegian

Directorate of Cultural Heritage.

Today, the Norwegian Directorate of Cultural Heritage has granted protected status to 5

buildings in Nusfjord. The fact that altogether only eight buildings have been granted

protected status anywhere in Lofoten speaks volumes about the status of Nusfjord as an

example of the preservation of buildings of notable national heritage value.

Nusfjord is an industrial, technical, and cultural monument, representing over two centuries of

fish harvesting and fish export. Experience some of its history through its preserved buildings

and the unique atmosphere around them.

Buildings

Nusfjord has an intertwining building area, which evolved at the end of the 19th-Century and

the beginning of the 20th-Century.

The building complex has survived as a homogenous unit, unscathed by fires or intrusive

elements of modern architecture. This gives Nusfjord its uniqueness. Under UNESCO´s

Cultural Protection Act of 1975 Nusfjord was one of three pilot projects in Norway aimed at

preserving and promoting areas containing unique wooden structures.

The combined settlement of Nusfjord essentially goes back to the late 19th and early 20th

century. The village was spared the major conflagrations, and the building stock remains

homogenous, without the addition of more recent styles. This gives Nusfjord its unique

character. Under UNESCO’s Cultural Protection Act of 1975, Nusfjord was one of three pilot

projects in Norway aimed at preserving and promoting areas containing unique timber

structures.

Nusfjord is considered to be one of the best preserved fiskevær (fishing hamlets) in Norway.Archaeologists have uncovered evidence of the earliest “industrial fishing” in the Nordland

region (2003). Excavations have uncovered settlements from the 5th century.

Four fishermen’s cabins from the turn of the 19th century are under protection, as well as a

power hamlet (1905) in Nusfjord. Other building complexes have been designated worthy of

preservation.

The Bakery

The bakery was built in early 1877, supplying the fishermen and the local residence with fresh

bread and other baked wares. The second floor was originally used as a doctor’s office, but

more recently it has served as living quarters.

Cod Liver Refienry

The refinery was built around 1910 and served its purpose to produce fish oil from the fish

liver. The fish liver was retrieved from the Buying Station´s throughout the village then,

transported by rowboat to the mill. Cod liver oil was a very attractive export product, used in

industrial production and for medicinal purpose.

The General Store

The General Store, built in 1907, is probably the most visited building in Nusfjord. The

original furnishings, with shelves, cupboards, benches and drawers are still in place and in

use. There is also a large assortment of advertising posters and store items of historical

interest on display. Traditionally, the General Store was the gathering place for Nusfjord’s

residents. It was here they met to do their daily shopping, get their mail, or just have a chat.

Today the store has a small selection of snacks, fishing equipment, and souvenirs available for

visitors.

Nordnaustet Boathouse

Today the Nordnaustet Boathouse is used for exhibiting older boats and fishing equipment.

The house was constructed between 1877 and 1888 and was used for storing larger sailing

vessels. The period between 1870 and 1910 is what is called Nusfjord’s time of greatness. It

was during this period that the major part of the buildings was erected. After this time the

buildings were altered or expanded to meet with the demands of the fishing industry. During

the busiest seasons it was not uncommon that the boathouse also served as living quarters for

fishermen.

As the boathouse is near the water, it housed the largest of the boats. The boats used at this

time, such as the “fembøring” and “åttiring”, were almost exclusively sloop-rigged open boats

with small enclosed compartments aft. The “åttring”, which is the second largest vessel type

in the region, had four sets of oars, with a beam-length of 30 to 38 feet.

The power station

The power station, built in 1905, was the third power station ever to be built in Northern

Norway. It was capable of producing 15 KW of power, enough electricity to power one light

on the dock, one electrical winch in the old receiving station, as well as supply electricity to

the station owner’s mansion.

The power station was hydro-electric, and the main water valve to the station could be opened

and closed from the station owner’s mansion. It is said that Bernard Dahl shut off the water to

the station in the evening, when he wanted peace and quiet in the village. All the fishermenknew that when the lights went off in the harbour it was time to keep quiet.The power station

in Nusfjord is of national, historical interest, as it is the oldest surviving power station in

Northern Norway. It is under national building protection, and the county of Nordland is

currently pursuing restoration plans.

For Nusfjord the power station represented a giant step for progress, simplifying a number of

tasks. Foremost of these was the winch in the old fish receiving station, enabling fishing boats

to be unloaded more quickly and thus enhancing effectiveness. The winch was delivered by

Christian Wisbech of Christiania (Oslo) in 1908 and was installed in the upper story of the

receiving station. The winch-driven crane is important in that it is the first example of the use

of electricity in Nusfjord to alleviate the hard labour in the receiving station. As the most

modern fishing village in Lofoten of its day, many fishermen were attracted to Nusfjord.

During the period from 1906 to 1910 there were over a thousand fishermen who utilized

Nusfjord as their home base. 1908 was the most prolific year with 1538 fishermen spread over

362 boat crews

.

Red Boathouse

In the red boathouse, “rødnaustet”, you can find fishing gear and equipment from the fishing

station.

The red boathouse

The red boathouse, built before 1877, is the oldest remaining building in Nusfjord. The logs in

the building are notched and secured with wooden pegs. The house was originally used as

storage for fishing equipment and small boats, as well as a place to process lumber from the

saw mill next door. Through the opening on the broad side of the house, lumber could be

transferred from the saw mill. Here it could either be turned on the lathe or cut into more

complex shapes on the band saw as roof headers for some of the finer houses in the village.

As the fishing industry gradually underwent a modernization, the role of the boat house lost

its importance. This lead to the building being converted into a hen house, and thereby

securing egg production to the village.

Saw Mill

The Dahl estate included a forest by Namsenfjorden. This forest, though 780 kilometers away

from Lofoten, was part of Nusfjord until 1972, at which time it was sold. Visitors may find it

strange to hear that timber had to be shipped in all the way from Namsenfjord by Trondheim.

The fact is that fir or spruce trees have only been part of Lofoten’s surroundings in the last

decades. The fir trees you can see today are all relatively young. If you were to go back 10-20

years you would not find a single fir or spruce tree.

Transporting timber from Namsenfjord was no simple task, considering that it made the

journey first being floated and, then, hauled by ship. The journey was risky, as storms at sea

could mean the loss of a lot of timber. Upon arriving in Nusfjord the timber was stacked in

huge piles below the saw mill before being pulled in by a motorized winch, either up on the

ramp along the long left wall or directly up to the saw blade. The timber was cut into rough

planking, some of which was used in the flooring of Nusfjord’s many buildings. The flooring

in the second floor of the old receiving station was among the last of the saw mill’s tasks.

The saw mill was closed down in the 70’s after a safety inspection rendered the mill unsafe.

The procedure consisted merely of cutting the electric cable to the saw’s motor. The saw has

not been in use since.The Smithy

The Smithy was first mentioned in documents from 1909 while in previous registers there are

mentions of a rorbu in the same location. By judging the layout of the smithy there is reason

to believe this is the case and that it was converted to its new use in the period between 1888

and 1909. Coal was used to heat the iron, which was kept hot by a manually operated bellows.

The blacksmith usually had a young assistant, whose job was to operate this bellows and keep

the fire going in the hearth. This was not the most interesting job for a boy, and it is said that

young girls in Nusfjord, in passing the smithy on their way to school, could see the young

assistant waving through a peep-hole in the wall. The peep-hole is still visible next to the

entrance.

Later the manual bellows was replaced with an electric-driven bellows, which still works

today. After heating the iron to a red glow it would be hammered and forged on the anvil next

to the hearth. In the timber constructions of the older buildings in Nusfjord you can still see

old nails which are hand-forged and were forged right here. After obtaining the right shape,

the iron was cooled in a water basin and then moved to a work bench for the next process.

The blacksmith’s position was an important one, as he maintained tools and equipment

necessary for processing fish, as well as ensuring the fishermen access to proper fishing

equipment.

Smoke House

It is difficult to date the construction of the Smokehouse, as there is no documentation of fire

insurance (which has made it possible in other instances to date the buildings in Nusfjord).

The Smoke House was not mentioned until 1975 in a map of Nusfjord, but the export of

smoked salmon took place long before this date.

The Smoke House represents the final station in Nusfjord’s exported produce.The Smoke

House was reserved primarily for salmon fished around Nusfjord. In these waters there is still

an abundance of salmon, as the area offers a natural habitat, with good spawning conditions

on the sandbanks in the mouth of the fjord. The salmon still comes in today to spawn, but the

chances of hatching are more limited in recent times. This is mainly because of the amount of

fresh water, which earlier ran freely from Storvatnet lake down to the mouth of the fjord, has

been limited by a dam. The dam provided water for the most recent power station built in

1947. The salmon was filleted and covered with salt before smoking. This was done in order

to draw out the moisture in the fish and allowing the smoke flavor to penetrate the fish better.

After this, the fish was hung in the smoke house, ready for smoking. Then, in a small pit

adjacent to the outside wall of cottage nr. 26, the fire was kindled. For this a mixture of birch

bark, juniper, and wood chips were used in the smoking process to give the fish a special

flavour. The resulting smoke was then drawn through a pipe, under the wall and through the

floor of the smoke house. This process is called cold smoking. After being smoked the salmon

was either packaged in whole fillets or sliced and canned in oil.

As the Smokehouse is still in use today on a recreational basis by locals and visitors, it’s not

unusual that guests suddenly think there is a fire outside of rorbu cottage number 26.

MOSKENESØYA few facts and figures

● Area: 117 km² (68 square miles); Inh: 1192

● Is the westernmost of the Lofoten islands connected by road. Settlement is concentrated

on the southern side of the island, where the harbours are more protected. Due to rough

weather conditions, most of the villages on the northern side have been abandoned (still,

people live at Fredvang and the surrounding area). The fishing villages lie close to each

other like a chain from Hamnøy and westwards. The pattern of settlement shows the

importance of the fisheries: the welfare of everyone in Moskenes is either directly or

indirectly dependent on continued good fishing

● Some have expressed anxiety about the future; the fact that the fisheries have become

smaller might indicate that the locals have to meet great challenges.

● Among the oldest mountains in the world (see Flakstad for details on the geology)

Mølnarodden

● The name comes from ‘mølle’, or ‘mill’. Previously, there were several small mills

around the river Mølleelva. The grain that came from Bergen was ground here.

● Was a well-known fishing village until the 1970s. The former squires of the family

Krogtoft bought fish for processing and trade

● The school has now been closed, and the children go to school at Ramberg

● If one starts off from here, one can go to the lake of Solbjørnvannet, where trout can be

caught. This is the deepest lake on Lofoten. It is 167 m (547 ft.) at its deepest, and

actually reaches a point lower than the seabed. The local glaciers during the ice age

created the deep lakes – and measured in relation to their actual size, the lakes of Lofoten

are the deepest in the world.

● There is a water-power station for generation of electricity

● Facility for breeding salmon – run by Ellingsen of Skrova – he has another at Soløya

Soløya

● The name might derive of the Sami word ‘solo’ meaning ‘island’

Solbjørnnesset

● Danger of landslides

● Site for litter disposal, much debated as are most sites for litter disposal. The permit was

granted in 1996

Akkarvika

● The name comes from ‘akkar’ which means ‘octopus’

● Nice place to rest when visiting Moskenes – view to Skrova in the east and Værøy and

Røst in the west

● Danger of landslides – often closed in winter time

● Memorial with the name of King Olav V engraved to tell about his visit in 1963 to

celebrate the opening of the E10, now named King Olav’s Way. The blacksmith Hans

Gjertsen in Sund wanted to give a steel cormorant to the king, but the police minister, who

feared that Hans would start telling jokes or behave improperly, would not allow him to.

Hans ignored this and rowed all the way from Sund to Akkarvika. Nobody saw him

coming since everybody had their attention on the king – so Hans saw his opportunity to

surprise the king with a cormorant. He told the king that this was a present from him. The

king was surprised, but grateful, and the story was on the front page of the national

newspapers the following day. The cormorant is still exhibited in the royal castle.Hamnøy

● Is situated in one of the many “arms” of Reinefjorden

● The Hamnøy lake supplies drinking water

● Important fishing village, well-known subject for painters and photographers

● Rental of fishermen’s cottages and the restaurant “Krambua” with traditional furniture and

decoration, serves fish dishes

● Bird cliff with kittiwakes that make lots of noise in the brooding period. The locals

celebrate the annual breeding season with a festival.

The bridges

● Were finished in 1981. They are narrow and sometimes, especially in the summer, the

circumstances can get pretty chaotic when lots of vehicles try to cross at the same time

Sakrisøy

● Fish farm for breeding salmon, now run by the municipality. It started up in 1984 and was

then the first fish farm in Moskenes

● The fishermen’s cottages are yellow (see Nusfjord for details on this)

● Warehouse for stockfish. In the summer time the locals sell stockfish and other fish

products

● The story of Tennes-Kaspara of Sakrisøy is well-known and has been made into a theatre

play by Lofoten theatre. Described as being tall, unusually beautiful, and of a pleasant

disposition, she was accused of being a witch and was convicted for having beaten her

fiancé to death. A young sweetheart falsely accused her, and the year she spent wrongfully

imprisoned seems to have twisted her mind. She confessed to murdering the man in a

fight, and also to the murder of her five babies, born out of wedlock. She swore that a

dreadful accident would occur after her death, so her prison was locked up. 150 years

later, some young boys, driven by curiosity, went into the building. A fire started just a

few days later, burning down several racks and fishermen’s cottages. She was one of

eight to be beheaded in a mass execution, the last in Lofoten, and there is a memorial

sculpture to her – a bronze axe embedded in a stone block – in the village of Moskenes.

The other seven had all been convicted of high treason in the Napoleonic Wars.

● Dagmar’s Museum of dolls and toys: exhibition of more than 1500 dolls, teddy bears,

cars, boats and other toys from 1860-1965 in an old restored barn. Second-hand shop and

sale of antiques.

Hermannsdalstinden

● The tallest mountain of Moskenes at 1042 m (3418ft.)

Anøy

● The local general store was built in spite of the fact that the squire did not approve – it

used to be that the poor people, i.e. fishermen and common workers, lived on this side of

Reine while the more prominent ones lived at the Reine peninsula.

● Kreditkassen (Cash machine/Autobank)

Kjerkfjorden

● The name derives of the Sami word “Kjerke”, which means large rock. This suggests that

the former settlement was Sami

● The village does not have a road, so the locals depend on boats or the ferry from Reine

● The mountain just above is called Helvetestind, and is a great challenge for climbers. Thename might derive from the story about the boy who came too late for school and

explained the delay by saying that he had been to Hell gathering sheep. The teacher sent

him straight back home again.

● There is a path over to Horseide on the northern side

Vindstad

● Path to Bunes on the northern side along an old road

● Ferry connection to Reine

Forsfjord

● Water-power station from 1936 onwards

The Reine lake

● Interesting geology: 69 m (226 ft.), reaches 2 m. (6 ft.) under the bottom of the sea

Olstind

● Looks like the Sugarpus in Rio and is 680 m. (2231 ft.)

Reine

● Administrative centre of Moskenes, approx. 400 inh. It includes Sakrisøy, Anøy and the

villages of the Reinefjord

● A well-known village, the view over the peninsula was voted the most beautiful view in

the world by Time Magazine. It has been recreated in Madurodam, Legoland and

Disneyland. It has been photographed by many photographers and painted by many

artists, including Otto Sinding. “From Reine in Lofoten” is one of his best-known

paintings.

● Has had two squires, first the Lund family (1830) followed by the family Sverdrup (1870).

Hartvik Sverdrup let the church be built in 1891, where the family’s churchyard is. The

Reine artist Herman Bendixen made a relief as a memorial to those who lost their lives at

sea, and it can be found here.

● Rental of fishermen’s cottages and sea-houses, which is very popular in Reine, where the

cottages have been preserved in the traditional style One of the frequent visitors is the

former German chancellor Helmut Schmidt, who always stays in the outermost cottage

with turf on the roof – this is the one that can be seen from the Anøy side.

● Gammelbua restaurant: serves fish dishes, and used to be a general store in the 18th

century.

● Ferry to Reinefjorden

● “Panta Rei”, the gallery and sales exhibition of the artist – and fisherman – Jan Wangaard.

He is a painter, photographer and blacksmith, but he is educated an industrial designer. He

has made a copy of the oldest Nordlandsboat that is still intact (it is exhibited in the

Tromsø Museum), and he uses the boat for fishing. He also sells souvenirs

● Sports hall, swimming-pool

● Bank, post office

● Several whaling boats

The Dypfjord bridge

● Built 1961, if crossed quickly the bridge moved and made a shrieking sound. It had a load

limit of 39 tons, and as trucks today sometimes carry more than this, a new bridge was

built in 2002.

● Settlement until the beginning of the 2nd World War, and one of those who lived here wasTobias. He was a fisherman, postman and story teller. He collected mail at Sørvågen and

rowed it all the way past the maelstrom to Værøy. He was known for his tall stories, like

the one about the time he was at sea and he claimed the waves were so big that when he

was on top of them he could see all the way to the northern side, and in the valley of the

wave he could pick up stones from the bottom of the sea. Another story he could tell was

about that time when there was so much herring in the sea that a killer whale threw up fish

and filled his boat.

Seljevi

● Danger of landslides, there was a quite large one in 1999

Moskenes

● Excavations reveal that people were living here as early as in the Stone Age – there were 2

caves 8 m (26 ft) above sea level

● Ferry departing for Bodø, Værøy and Røst, fully booked over the summer

● Tourist information and a café

● Fishing industry, producing, klippfish, fish-filet, lutefish and salted fish

The church of Moskenes

● Cross church, i.e. built as a cross, therefore, it is not necessary to keep crosses in the

church.

● Built in 1821 as the third church at this spot

● Seats for 250 persons

● The first church here was built in 1564, and many objects from this one have been

preserved, e.g. two candle sticks. There was a monastery here before the church was built,

possibly already in the 15th century

● The chandelier, the altarpiece and special seats reserved for those of the more prominent

classes are from the 2nd church here, which was built in 1766

Sørvågen

● Approx 300 inh.

● The only school in Moskenes where the pupils can finish off all grades in the primary

school

● Cinema and youth club

● Vest-Lofoten Hotel, rental of fishermen’s cottages

● Studio for the Moskenes local radio

● Gallery “Krysset”: the studio of the artist Tor Essaisen. He is mainly a painter, and is

original in that sense that he creates art from everything, like litter. He has both national as

well as international connections, and was visited by Günther Grass in the summer of

2001. Grass is known mainly as an author, but he also draws, and he exhibited in Tor’s

gallery. Tor is one of those who often take the initiative in arranging cultural happenings

in Lofoten. He had his first exhibition with Odd Nerdrum, an exhibition that, as is typical

for Nerdrum, attracted lots of publicity.

● Sørvågen was early a centre of communication technology. The first wireless telegraph in

the Northern part of Europe ended at Sørvågen in 1861, the signals were sent from

Bretnes. This was the second in the whole world. The first station for a ship radio was

built here in 1908. In addition, the first wireless telephone line in Norway went from

Sørvågen in 1928 to Hell on the northern side of Lofotodden . There is a museum at

Sørvågen devoted to this.

● The radio pole is 70 m high (229 ft.) and is called the “local Eiffel tower”The Tind River

● Stairs for the salmon. Since the salmon always spawns in fresh water, the locals have built

these stairs to help the salmon find its way to the lake. The salmon jumps up the stairs to

get there. However, this has not proved to be that successful here, since the fish does not

always manage the great jumps – they sometimes get caught before they get to the lake.

● Tind has yellow fisherman’s cottages

Å

● A well-known fishing village at the end of the Lofoten road. One of the reasons that it is

famous is the name – there are a few other villages in the country that are named Å, and

these are the only villages in the world have a name containing only one letter. The name

indicates that there is a river running through the area. (Å at the end of a name of a village

in Swedish means river, like e.g. Luleå). Visitors frequently steal road signs bearing the

name Å.

● Was built up by the squire Johan Ellingsen from Husøy in the middle of the 19th century.

The house in which he lived is still in the centre of the village

● Youth hostel and rental of fisherman’s cottages

● Café with a good selection of different dishes

● Camping site

● Brygga restaurant with fish dishes as their speciality

● Norwegian Fishing Village Museum: tells about life in the fishing village. Is divided into

different sections:

– On the first floor of the boathouse are exhibits of Nordland boats and photographs of Å

in former times. On the second floor there is an exhibition on superstitions, containing a

draug, a marmæl (the son of the mermaid) and a king cod

-The cod-liver oil steamery: the oldest one in the country, when the guides are not here to

tell about the story, there is a video shown on it. Possibilities for a taste of freshly steamed

cod-liver oil

-The black smith: he makes lamps and knives for exhibition and sale

-The bakery: a stone oven from 1844 that is still in use, up to 60 breads can be baked at

the same time. The cinnamon rolls here are famous

-The home of the fisherman’s family: shows an ordinary home from former times

* The stockfish museum: tells about production of stockfish. Local guides do tours around

the museum

Lofoten HistoryThe Stone Age, the Viking Age and the Middle Age

Steinalderen og storbåthallaren

The first traces of people found in Lofoten dates about 6 000 years back in time. In 1967 Kåre

Ringstad by chance found this Stone Age settlement at Storbåthallaren in Flakstad which is

the oldest known to man in Lofoten and Vesterålen. The discovery was very important. For

the first time we can gain insight into how the human life in the Stone Age was in the north.

The Lofoten Islands was back then covered with large pine and birch forests. There were deer,

bear, caribou, lynx and beaver, and the sea was full of fish, seals and whales. Agriculture

developed early, and as early as 4 000 years ago grain was harvested in Lofoten.

The Viking Age and Borg at Vestvågøy

The Viking Age saw the emergence of several large chiefdoms in northern Norway. It has in addition

to Borg on Vestvågøy been found remnants of chiefdoms in Buksnesfjorden (across Vestvågøy),

Steigenberger (on the mainland), in Hadsel (at Stokmarknes) and Andoy.

Borg

The chief seat at Borg has the largest banquet hall ever known from the Viking Age in

Scandinavia. The building was 9m wide and 83m long whole. A reconstruction of the

building is listed at Borg as the researchers believe it may have looked like.

Borg – centre

The archaeologists had for lung suspected that it could be a chief seat of Borg. Man knew abour large

boathouses not far from the longhouse and from the areas around Borg there’s located many large

burial mounds. At Eltoft, a few kilometers away, there was found a tomb with one of the finest swords

from Northern Norway. All this pointed out that Borg was a center for settlements.

The Chief Seat

The chief at Borg had rich trade relations with princes and rich people in many parts of

Europe (mainly the Mediterranean region, France, England and Germany). How do we know?

Archaeologists found pottery and glass that came from France and England. From England,

the Vikings also carried jewelry and a small stylus of gold may be a memory of a successful

crusade. They also found small images of gold ink, called gullgubber. The gullgubber shows a

couple embracing each other. These figures are only known from large farms where princes or

nobles lived. The couple embracing each other may be the mythical couple that gave rise to

the chief genus. Several famous scullpoems from the Viking Age such as Ynglingatal and

Hålogatal, tells of one such mythical wedding between a god and a giant woman who is the

origin of the chief genus.

The chief was the highest in the hierarchical system, and it was he who owned the place.

Under the chief was the free peasants. They were free men who had the right to bear arms.

They were farmers when they weren’t out cruising, they plowed fields, were blacksmiths and

carpenters. The farmers were the farmers sons. At the lower end of the hierarchy pyramid

were slaves, and they were treated like animals. They did the hardest work and had no rights.

They were an important trade item and a great source of income. It was a shame to be the son

of a slave woman. The child belonged to her master, who could do whatever he wanted with

it. He could put it out to die, feed it or give it freedom.

The farm

The house wife was responsible for farming, household and food. All this was importanttasks, which gave her much power and reputation. In the chief counties in the Viking Age the

Viking chief didn’t have all the power. He and his wife complemented each other and were

equal persons. The women had an important position because she took care of life at the farm,

while her husband was on a mission. The key ring was her symbol of power and authority.

The chieftain’s wealth was a combination of organization of hunting / fishing, trade and

taxation of farmers. In the barn, which was 32 meters long, it may have been up to 50 cows.

Part of this room, however, was certainly used as stables for the horses. In the winter, the

animals were stabled, while the summer went out to pasture. During the excavations one

could see a strong trampled area in front of one of the entrances, where livestock have stepped

in and out. Gilt bronze fittings for horse harness was found in the barn in the longhouse. It

was customary to hold slaves, and they often had to share a room with the animals.

Cropping was also done at Borg. The most common grain was barley, which is grown in this

area since the Neolithic age. At Borg they quite early started with grain cultivation. They

could do this because the average temperature was about 2 ° C higher than it is today. Aside

from farm use, they fished and hunted. Scientists believe that the chief fished in the winter

and even then sold dried fish in Europe.

The Middle Ages

In Norway The Middle Ages lasted from Olav Haraldson’s death in 1030 to 1537 when the

Reformation started. The period from 1030 to the early 1300s is called the High Middle Ages,

and the time of the Black Death in 1349 to 1537 is called the Late Middle Ages (or from 1349

when Norway and Sweden had common king).

In the Viking era the upper social layer in Lofoten had contact abroad, which is proven in

articles of foreign origin arriving there. The big change happened around the turn of the

millennium, when the trade came to include food and other consumer goods, not just luxury

goods. Spawning cod has sought to Lofoten since time immemorial, but it is only since the

1100s that there emerged a great trading product of fish, namely dry fish. Because of the strict

rules of diet in Lent in Christian Europe the stockfish developed into an important export

commodity.

One can assume that there were a large number of fishermen in Vågan during the fishing

periods. King Øystein built rorbuer here, possibly because he saw administrative benefits by

getting shacks concentrated. It was then easier for his representatives to supervise and to

ensure the crown revenue it was entitled to. It is not known whether the merchants lived in

Vågan the whole year. Most likely most merchants were from Bergen and stayed in Vågan in

the summer months when the fishery market took place.

In the winter Vågan in Austvågøy was a society center in Lofoten. When the stockfish was

ready for shipment in springtime, merchants from around the region gathered for markets.

Våga-stemnet (The Vågan market) perceived as a generic term for all activities that were

made by the visitors during the summer months in Vågan. The fishermen in Lofoten

accounted for fishing and production of stockfish. Hanseatic Bergen took care of further trade

and export abroad. The market’s main function was trade, but it was also used by the king and

clergy for administrative purposes. The area Storvågan testifies that settlement in the Middle

Ages was related to boating. One can assume that in the fishing ages were a large number of

fishermen in Vågan. King Øystein built rorbuer here, possibly because he saw administrative

benefits by getting the rorbuer concentrated. It was then easier for his representatives tosupervise to ensure the crown revenue it was entitled to. It is not known whether the

merchants lived in Vågan year round. It’s most likely that most merchants were from Bergen

and stayed in Vågan in the summer months.

The market also attracted clerics from all over the region. One of the main sources of the

church, was fish tithe, and it is therefore natural to imagine that the priests would follow the

distribution of the dividend-handedly. Fish tithe was a fee of 1/10 of the catch. Tithe was

divided between the crown and the church. The church’s part was again divided into two, the

church in the fishing village and church at fishermens home. The church also utilized priests

Vågan visits for administrative purposes. Towards the end of the 1300s there was a decline

for the market in Vågan. Trade found other ways than through the small purchase locations

(Storvågan, Borgvær and Veøy). The king tried to ban trade off purchase. Around 1350 the

king decides that the Hanseatic merchants are forbidden to travel north for trades. The

fishermen in Lofoten then had to go to Berge Bergen to trade grain for stockfish.

The Lofoten Fishery

A thousand years old tradition

Lofoten is perhaps best known for its 1000 year old cod fishing (cod are sexually mature cod)

also called the Lofoten fishery. From time immemorial spawning cod come from the Barents

Sea from the banks of Bear Island and Svalbard, to the outer and inner side of Lofoten to

spawn. As a warm breeze Gulf Stream sends its warm and salty Atlantic water up north along

the coast. This is often called The Norwegian Atlantic current. This influx is essential for

ocean climate up here and for the biological state of the ocean. However, the flow may vary

from year to year, and it is often so in warm periods that we get strong year classes of fish.

With this current come a great variation of fish fry and other small organisms more or less

passively. And in certain areas, such as in Lofoten, the current brings nutrients from the

depths to the surface and the light and provides opportunities for the rich production we have

in the ocean here.

Lofotveggen – The Lofoten Wall sticks out like a tentacle to this stream, forming in this way

“the world’s fish trap”. Many species of fish and other sea creatures has therefore its northern

limit in Lofoten.

The main school of cod rounds Lofotodden seeking towards the free flow between the

Lofoten Islands: Nappstraumen, Gimsøystrømmen, Raftsundet and Kjeldsundet. The cod

rarely go higher in the lake than 40 meters, so it does not go through these currents but remain

by the coast. Here it is relatively shallow, down to 300-400 meters, until the edge where it

cascades down. Such plateaus are called “banks”. From January to April spawning happens in

the Lofoten Sea, to the delight of fishermen for over 1000 years who has come to visit

Lofoten to catch tasty cod full of fatty liver and nutritious eggs. Fish as a commodity is the

same, the drying method is the same, but has otherwise fishing methods, production and sales

have changed.

It is assumed that the Lofoten Fishery can be dated at least 6000 years back in time, based on

the archaeological record of large quantities of fish bones and a fish hook in bones that were

found by Kåre Ringstad at Storbåthallaren by Nappstraumen in the 70s. Nets were also used,

but only in shallow waters. The catch at the deep sea was caught with hook and line – “juksa”.And so it was done for millennia to come, well into the Middle Ages. Furthermore, it is

believed that it was the Vikings who were the first who hung the fish on racks, dried it and

carried it out in Europe.

From the sixth century, we have information that indicates a trade relation between Uppsala

and Hålogaland. The story also mentions the old Frisian trade from the same century.

The sources show that the people already from before AD 500 lived in societies organized by

chiefs (who functioned as kings), and the shipping was so well developed that they travel by

warships as far south as Denmark.

King Øystein

It is estimated that the Lofoten Fishery took off in full swing around the 1100s.When King

Øystein built several rorbuer more fishermen came to Lofoten. In this way, the catches

increased, the king got more revenue and more control over the wealth that was brought to the

country.

The Lofoten Fishery and hunting methods are part of a not very restful chapter. It has not

been easy being “first out” with something new on the Lofoten Sea. The fishermen have been

very reluctant to adopt new types of gear, it’s said that “the old is good enough.” But most

important was probably the fear of having to make major new investments in an uncertain

industry. For most had plenty of debt…

Troubles and prohibitions

We know that in 1533 there was used longline as fishing tool in Vesterålen. But this didn’t

become normal for fishermen until 1580. Hand Lace-fishermen – quickly became frustrated

and complained that longline fishery ruined for them. The fishing was free and there was

lawlessness: No rules for departures and no rules for allowable gear. It was no wonder that

people were in despair – they asked the king for help – and was heard. In 1644 Cristian IV ban

on longline fishing. About 1750 cod nets (torskegarn) fishery became popular. The protests

did not materialize nor now, and in a short period the nets was prohibited. No, it was not okay

either to make laws or to buy gear – one never knew what would be forbidden next winter. If

the winter was bad, they blamed the new tools, and there was much fighting amongst the

fishermen in the fishing villages concerning the use of hand lines, line or nets. It went back

and forth with the provisions and repealing the same prohibitions. In the 1770s, both net and

the forbidden line were in use. In 1786 both types of gear was accepted. But conditions in the

fishing villages were still as much troubled, with strangers, few laws and worrisome large

turnovers of liquor and luxury goods.

The Lofoten Act – order at the sea

In 1816 came the “Lofoten Act”. It regulated departures in the morning, and split the sea into

fixed line and net areas of each fishing village. Property owners in fishing communities

became officers and were to ensure that everyone respected the new regulations. Now it

should finally be peace in the fishing villages, the fishermen had to stick to their own fishing

village, rent cabin there, and decide on the type of bargaining tool they should use. Great

dissatisfaction arouses. The law was too strict – it was not adapted to the unpredictable

fishery. The fish were distributed equally between the fishing villages – sometimes they were

here, sometimes there. It was experienced terrible to be bound to a region of Lofoten where

there were no fish, while others scooped. In addition, property owners became landowners

and operated as small sheriffs in the various fishing villages – they could control at its headwith wide powers. Dissatisfaction grew among both fishermen, the common man and woman

– and in officialdom.

Eventually, the old squire’s duties changed. When it was determined that the public goods in

Norway were sold to users, most of the traders bought the lands and bacema the dominant

landowners in Lofoten. The local merchants took over the squire features and thus became

squires (væreiere) at each place. Moreover, there were squires who accepted and bought fish

from the fishermen. The fish was dried and placed in brine and taken to the merchants in

Bergen, the merchants in Bergen exporting the fish to Europe.

The fishermen needed credit to survive and it was the merchant who gave then this. The first

bank in Norway was came in 1816 and not until forty years later the first bank came to

northern Norway. Most fishermen were thus indebted to their squire and became financially

dependent on him.

Free Waters – free fishing

In 1857 Ketil Motzfeldt fought through a new “Lofoten Act”. The reason for this law was that

the law from 1816, which said that the sea would be divided between the various squires,

were misinterpreted and misused to the squire’s best.

The fishermen had to learn to read and write in order to familiarize themselves with how it

worked. And they had to learn how to fill out forms and loan applications in order to continue

with their work. The new Lofoten Act contained three important points, namely that the ocean

should be free, free fishing and a public observation. The law should ensure that fishermen

had more freedom and more rights. This law was not well received by either squires or

fishermen. The fisherman was skeptical of the new and squires were afraid of losing their

power.

The fishermen got more influence and freedom, at least on paper. The reality was that many

fishermen were still tied to certain places. Squires had lent them money to outfit and had

given them credit in the bad years. Squires knew that fishermen had to come to them, even

though the prices they offered for the fish was bad. Those who were in debt had no choice.

The 1900s

Towards the end of World War I the deck fleet in Nordland was mostly motorized. Because

mostly younger fishermen bought engines and built on the old Nordland boat, there was a

generational change in the fishery. Household economy was now completely dependent on a

skilled manager of home, and more and more responsibilities were delegated to the women.

There was now a slightly different division of labor between the sexes.

Nygaardsvold’s crisis policy in the 1900s made it easier for people to create their own

workplace. The Raw Fish Act in 1938 secured fixed rates and overall market conditions in the

fisheries. World War II led to the failure of the political and organizational development of

the northern Norwegian rural society. Money was there, however, enough of. For the first

time it was possible to sell all fish and even fish eggs. Some were probably used to make new

investments in boats and gear. The Quisling Government found it in their interest to put

fishermen in the best possible condition to produce the most food. In 1942-1943 covered

Norwegian fish 38% of Germany’s consumption, compared to only 11% before the war.

As a result, the fishermen could now borrow money in the bank; they could use new vessels,customized boats with engines. The fishermen were split on the question of the use of the

engine, because some thought that it scared away the fish. The figh against the engine was

short. While the steam engine, nets and trawls required large boats, it was possible to adapt

the new engine technology to the northern Norwegian small boat fleet. This was a step

towards the fishing boat, which could operate on the basis of the household creating good

incomes. The engine required some skill from the fishermen’s side.

After WWII

After the war, the government aimed to restore northern Norway. Einar Gerhardsen wanted to

modernize all sectors and after a while it gave good results. Economic growth and corporate

social changes also meant social change. According to economists predicted continued

economic growth a movement of labor from the “less” productive sectors and to the “more”

productive sectors. This led to the abandonment of coastal settlements into urban areas. This

was also the politicians’ desire so that it could still be economic growth in the north. Most of

the post-war period was thus characterized by centralization.

Modernization and rationalization also came to the fishermen. A new hunting and fishing

distribution technology should, in national economic terms, make fishing much more

productive. With new technology and capital in the fishing fleet the first step on the way was

to reduce the fish population. Capture capabilities increased, especially since the focus was on

the deep sea fishing fleet, and it came to major conflicts with coastal population because

trawlers including ruined farms to coastal fishermen.

With motorization, work at sea became both easier and safer. It was easier to go to where the

fish were and where fish price was the best. 1938 was a very important year in the Norwegian

fishing history: Then the Raw Fish Act, which ensured that the fishermen a fixed price for the

fish came to life. From now on, the buyers did not decide the prices, but the fishermen’s own

organization, Norwegian Raw Fish Organisation, determined the price of the catch. The

fisherman was secured a minimum and could hold their heads high. Up to World War II the

fish in Lofoten was either sold to the squire or buyers vessels in the harbor. After the war the

buyers vessels disappeared, but squires were no longer the autocrats as fish merchants. The

1950s and 60s were difficult years for the older, well-respected squire-owned companies, one

by one they went bankrupt. For fishing communities, this transition meant an uncertain

situation – but also opened for new opportunities. The authorities continued to focus on bigger

boats but boats under 40 feet had the biggest growth. The Government did not like this

development and began to question it.

Ottar Brox found a simple explanation: A fisherman preferred the small fish fleet instead of

life on board the trawler. Developments in technology in the fisheries sector were also about

laws and rights. Norway considers the ocean as common and until 1989 was mainly conduct

and not the catch which was regulated for the coastal fleet. Since the sea was free for

everyone, some fjords emptied of fish.

At the end of the 1970 – and 1980’s the quota system was built. First there were quotas for

various species of fish, then trawlers got quotas and finally in 1990, there were introduced

vessel quotas also for the coastal fleet in terms of the cod fishery. In the last century we

exported most fish as stochfish, but in the modern era, and with the help of new technology,

we also export fresh fish. We’ve not been particularly good at fish breeding, and we face a big

challenge here. Fish will probably still be the main resource we have in northern Norway for a

long time.The Lofoten Sea today

Today the seas of Lofoten are divided into line, gillnet and seine fields, it is the fishermen

themselves who decides the divisions. The boats must keep strictly to their fields. The

Fisheries inspectorate in Svolvær, says that the tendency is clear: The method of fishing

seines are increasing year by year. Seine boats have a small “trålnot” that tightenes around the

fish. There are a lot of fishermen who criticize the seine method. They say it is worse than the

seine fishery resources that cleared the sea in the 1950s, before it was banned. Strife between

the various types still occur and it is necessary that the Lofoten supervision have their boats

out to verify that the boundaries between the fields are observed.

Crisis and Optimism

In the late – 1980s there were crisis in a number of communities after the Lofoten fishing had

been very poor for several years. In the winter of 1995 there were again several fishermen

who participated and the total catch was again acceptable – as a whole. The fish was well into

the banks, and those who made money were the major nets and seine boats. For the small

fishing boats winter fishing was a disappointment in both volume and revenue. The Lofoten

Fishery is culture and crafts in a strong, long and proud tradition. It is a competition and

teamwork, long hours and worn out men, hours and hours on the freshest, most dangerous and

most beautiful workplace. It’s joy in the big haul and sorrow over the loss, black sea and the

struggle for resources.

Nature and the Islands

Ancient mountains and barren rocky ground

Lofoten consists both of younger and older rocks. The latter called primeval rocks are among

the oldest in the world, and are remnants of a once mighty plateau, about 3 billion years old.

Only Moskenesøy in Lofoten can boast of having parties with the oldest ancient ground. From

the shore, these mountains are steep and precipitous straight towards heaven. At the top,

however, they are soft, undulating and flat. The “younger” mountains have sharp peaks, sharp

ridges and are often called “alpine landscape.” Lofoten mountains are so high that scientists

believe they were ice-free during the last ice age, 18 000 – 20 000 years ago. But Lofoten is

not just mountains and rocks.

Yttersida and innersida – The outer side and the inner side

Geographically we distinguish between the outer and the inner side of Lofoten. The outer side

facing the Norwegian Sea and the inner side facing the West Fjord. The settlement is

primarily on the inner side. The outer side is more exposed to the heavy, wet sea mist and the

harsh storms. The inner side has a calmer weather and higher summer temperatures. In

addition, they mostly avoid the bad “good weather fog” that can come rolling in from the sea

after a hot summer day. Sea mist settles between the houses on the outer coast and the

temperature drops instantly. Then it is good to know that we have inner side, where the sun

often shines from cloudless sky. But the outer side does have its way. This is where you can

enjoy the midnight sun from approx. 25th May to approx. 17th July. And in August, the sun

may be even more beautiful when she deep red ducks down into the pale violet sea, and the

sky has no color templates can emulate.Climate

The warm Gulf Stream makes the Lofoten Islands much milder than other areas in the world

that is such far north. Like for instance Alaska and Greenland. The coastal climate in Lofoten

makes the winters mild and summers relatively cool. January and February are the coldest

months, with an average temperature of minus 1 degree. July and August is warmest with an

average temperature of 12 degrees. May and June is driest, with average rainfall of 40 mm of

rain.

Geography

The Lofoten archipelago is located in the sea north of the Arctic Circle at 67th and 68th

latitude. The main islands are Austvågøy, Gimsøy Vestvågøy, Flakstadøy,

Moskenesøy,Værøy and Røst. The southernmost part of the largest island in Norway, Hinnøy,

is also part a part of Lofoten. The archipelago’s total area is 1227 square kilometres. About

24,500 people lives in the region. By car it is 168 km from Fiskebøltinden towards Vesterålen

in the north to Å, where the E10 ends. Lofoten stretches like a rock wall southwest into the

sea. Between the mainland and the Lofoten Islands is Vestfjorden. Lofoten is mountains and

peaks, open sea and sheltered coves, beaches and untouched lands.

Birdlife

Lofoten has a rich and varied birdlife. We meet birds from forest, marsh and sea, and many

species that migrate past Lofoten every spring and fall. White-tailed eagle thrive in Lofoten,

and here you’ll find one of the world’s largest populations of the specie. Most seabird species

are found in the region. Razorbills, guillemots, cormorants, kittiwakes and the characteristic

puffin just to name a few. In particular, the outermost islands, Værøy and Rost, are famous for

their bird colonies and nesting, where 100 thousands of puffins and other sea birds can be

heard and seen in a colourful orchestra.

Life in the sea

The Gulf Stream brings many fish species from the south and arctic species migrate from the

north. Fishing has always been the livelihood of Lofoten. This is because of the location close

to the fishing grounds. Winter fishing for cod (spawning cod) is commercially the most

important. In addition, there are important species such as haddock, saithe, redfish, catfish,

herring, ling, flounder, halibut and octopus. The seals and killer whales are regularly observed

offshore Lofoten.

Plant life

Lofoten has a rich and varied flora. Alpine plants, meadow and beach plants grow side by side

along the beaches. The reason is bright, open landscape with relatively cool summers, making

the mountain plants to flourish all the way down to the shoreline. What there is of forest in

Lofoten consists mostly of slender birch trees, rowan and willow. All conifers are planted in

Lofoten.

The Midniht Sun

The Midnight sun is a phenomenon that occurs all or parts of the time between the vernal

equinox and autumnal equinox north of the northern Arctic Circle and between the autumnal

equinox and vernal equinox south of the southern Antarctic Circle. Midnight sun means that

the sun at its lowest position in the course of a single day does not go below the horizon and

thus theoretically visible 24 hours a day. The areas that have midnight sun in summer have

dark periods in the equivalent period in the winter. Due to dusk effect the dark period does not

necessarily mean that it is dark 24 hours of the day, in the same way as it gets light somewhatbefore sunrise.

The areas on the west and north of the Lofoten Islands have midnight sun in time 27 May – 17

July. For Værøy and Røst the period is a little shorter.

It is light all night in Lofoten during the period from May to July / August, but the sun is not

visible on the “inner side” of Lofoten because of the mountains. However, one can see the

midnight sun from mountain peaks in the Lofoten Islands.

The following places have great opportunities to see the midnight sun:

Røst: The entire municipality

Værøy: Nordland

Moskenes: Refsnes, Bunes, Horseid, Mulstøa

Flakstad: Fredvang, Ramberg, Vikten, Myrland

Vestvågøy: Utakleiv, Unstad, Eggum, Sandøy, Kvalnes, Grunnstad.

Vågan: Gimsøy, Brenna og Laukvik

The Dark Period

The dark period is a phenomenon that occurs in the winter, and just north of the Arctic Circle

and south of the Antarctic Circle. For a while the sun is below the horizon, even when it is at

its highest. This period is at its shortest near the polar circles and increases in duration closer

to the poles and is at its longest at the pole, where it lasts for six months. The areas that are

dark in winter will have midnight sun in an equivalent period in the summer.

Due to dusk effect means darkness not necessarily that it is dark 24 hours of the day, in the

same way as it otherwise will be light somewhat before sunrise.

Northern Lights – The Aurora Borealis

The sun has several coronal holes where it flows energetic particles with a tremendous speed.

This is what we call the solar wind, and it consists primarily of electrons and protons. The

solar wind coils particles into the soil, and when they collide with the earth’s atmosphere, they

are converted into light.

Billions of such processes occur simultaneously, together they form the northern lights as we

can see in the sky. This light show is seen most commonly in the areas around the North Pole

and South Pole (southern lights), because this is where the Earth’s magnetic field is weakest.

Solar wind particles may in fact not penetrate the Earth’s magnetic field, and at lower latitudes

the magnetic fields are closed.

The strongest Northern Lights in the Northern Hemisphere, we see the Lofoten from

September to April, but the period between November and March is the best time to see the

Northern Lights.

The Lofoten Islands

Like beads on a stringFrom the inner parts to the most outer parts the Lofoten islands are like beads on a string:

Austvågøy, Gimsøy Vestvågøy, Flakstadøy and Moskenesøy all connected with roads, and

Værøy and Rost far out with the legendary Maelstrom between them and the other islands.

People on Værøy and Rost says they are “going in to Lofoten” when they are traveling to the

other islands, but they still regard themselves as full-blooded Lofoteners. It’s the same

geography, but the islands are different in how the weather acts, how people live and the

natural resources they exploit. The islands offer exciting variation in nature, culture and

history.

Short facts about the Lofoten Islands

Austvågøy (Vågan municipality)

477 km2

9052 inhabitants (2004)

Vågan is located at the inner side of Lofoten and encompasses the southern and western part

of Austvågøy, Gimsøy (46 km2) in the NW and the Vestfjord including the Molla Islands and

Skrova Island. The coast is deeply indented by fjords, and here arises a number of high peaks.

The largest village is Svolvær other towns are Kabelvåg and Henningsvær and Skrova. The

main industries are fishing, fish processing, tourism and agriculture, and there are a number of

mechanical workshops. Art Centre with such North Norwegian Artists’ Centre, Nordland Art

and Film school, Lofoten Museum and Gallery Espolin. Svolvær is a port of Hurtigruten,

seaplane harbor and short airstrip airport. E10 passes through.

Administrative center: Svolvær

Vestvågøy

422 km2

10 813 inhabitants (2004)

Vestvågøy municipality is located right in the middle of Lofoten and includes the island

Vestvågøy (411 km2) and many smaller islands. Up to 1963 the municipality consisted of four

municipalities, Valberg, Borge, Hol and Buksnes. The village Leknes is a gateway. Other

towns are Gravdal with hospitals and State fishery school, and the fishing villages Stamsund

and Ballstad. Vestvågøy is one of Nordland county’s biggest rural municipalities with

significant cattle and sheep farming. The other main industries are fishing and fish processing,

meat and dairy and tourism. Through the municipality runs E10, Lofotveien. Hurtigruten

docks in the port of Stamsund and Leknes have airstrips and a cruise port. Important

monuments: At Borge there’s found remnants of a 83 meter long chieftain from approx. year

700. In 1995 Lofotr Viking Museum inaugurated here.

Administrative center: Leknes.

Flakstad

180 km2

1484 inhabitants (2004)

Consists of Flakstad Island and the northernmost part of Moskenes Island, both with high

peaks and fjords. Flakstad was from 1964 to 1976 part of Moskenes. There’s a tunnel between

Flakstad and Vestvågøy. E10 passes through the municipality. Fishing is the main industry, in

addition to agriculture. Some tourism industry. Among the interesting fishing village marked

Nusfjord, which are very well preserved.

Administratve center: Ramberg.Moskenes

120 km2

1212 inhabitants (2004)

The Moskenes municipality includes the southern part of the island, and many smaller islands.

The settlement is limited to the narrow beach surface on the eastern side of the island, with

concentrations in the fishing villages of Reine and Sorvagen to Å. Fishing and fish processing

are the main industries. Tidal currents → Moskenesstraumen. Fishing Village Museum,

Stockfish Museum and more. Endpoint for E10 from Kiruna in Sweden.

Administrative center: Reine

Værøy

18 km2

759 inhabitants (2004)

Værøy municipality includes Værøy (15.7 km2), Mosken and some smaller islands far

offshore in the outer Lofoten. Almost all buildings are clustered around Sørland harbor. The

economic base is fishing and fish processing, and some sheep. Mechanical workshop. Great

bird areas with such puffins and eagles. Helicopter route to Bodø. Car ferry to Bodø, Røst and

Moskenesøya (E10).

Administrative center: Sørland

Røst

11 km2

617 inhabitants (2004)

The municipality consists of almost 400 islands, islets and reefs furthest southwest in Lofoten.

The largest island, Røstlandet (3.6 km2) is flat and grassy, and almost the entire population of

the municipality lives here in an elongated settlement on the east and south, where the road

goes. Some other islands have steep mountain peaks; the highest is Storfjellet (267 m). These

islands are habitats for puffins, kittiwakes, storm petrels and other seabirds. Røst has farming

with sheep, but the main industry is fishing and fish processing. Average temperature for

January is 1 to 2 degrees higher than anywhere else in the world north of the Arctic Circle.

July average temperature though is only 10 degrees higher. In 2002, the world’s largest deep-

water coral of the Lophelia type found outside Røst. The reef, which is between 300 and 400

meters, is 35 km long and up to 3 km wide. Røst has aircraft and car ferry connection with

Bodø and Lofoten.

Administrative center: Røstlandet

Nature

• Old as the hills

o Lofoten consists of a series of islands reaching out into the sea at 67-68*

north. The largest islands are Røst, Værøy, Moskenes, Flakstad, Vestvågøy,

Gimsøy and Austvågøy. From the Skomvær lighthouse in the southwest to the

little village of Digermulen in the northeast it’s all sea, mountains, fish-drying

racks. Værøy and Røst are the farthest out to sea, separated from the other

islands by the fabled Maelstrom – Moskstraumen. It´s 130 km from Å in the

west to Svolvær in the east.

o The mountains are prehistoric. The oldest, those around Reine, are reckoned

to be 2,7 billion years old. Most of the islands, though, have much younger

mountains. During the last ice age, some 20000 years ago, Lofoten wasprobably not covered by the inland ice. Lesser glaciers created long vallyes

and mountain ridges, leaving the peaks exposed. Jagged mountaintops soar

skyward, to the joy of mountaineers.

Fishing

• Fishery

First some history then and now, and why is Lofoten so popular for the Norwegian Atlantic

Cod…

• The Lofoten fishery was part of the annual rhythm of coastal people from

Trøndelag and northwards. After Christmas, fishermen’s Lofoten chests were

packed with dried food, warm clothing and hymnals as they left for Lofoten.

They were away from home from January to March/April, depending on how

the fishing went.

• While they were in Lofoten, they lived in shacks — simple houses, where an

entire crew lived in the same room. The boys were 14 years old and newly

confirmed the first time they went out. Pedlars, photographers, liquor dealers,

carousel owners, magicians and “less reliable ladies” also visited Lofoten

during this period, in case the fishermen had earned a little extra.

• While around 30,000 fishermen took part in the Lofoten fishery over 100 years

ago, the number of fishermen is now around 2000. The fishermen often live

aboard their boats, so the shacks are available for tourists. The fish are also

landed in a smaller number of fishing villages. However, the town is still as

busy in the winter months today. The slightly rough market life has been

replaced by a rich cultural calendar, with a chamber music festival, the World

Championship in Cod Fishing and the Lofoten Freeride skiing festival.

• When the temperate waters of the Gulf Stream enter the grounds around the

Lofoten archipelago, the temperature is exactly right for the Norwegian Arctic

cod to spawn. Large cod swim down from the Barents Sea in the middle of the

darkest winter, and become known as skrei on the way. They reach the

western coast of Finnmark and Troms before Christmas and get to Lofoten in

January. Some spawn as far south as Trøndelag and Møre, but most of the

spawning occurs between Røst and Lødingen, on the mainland side of the

Lofoten archipelago.

• Stockfish

o No other country can compete with this way of conserving good food. Many

have tried, none have been too successful – like Iceland, for instance, who

completed their final trial year in 1992. The fact is that very strict demands are

made on conditions in stockfish production areas:

§ The air must not be too dry and the temperature must be relatively low

so that the fish is not ruined by maggots and flies. On the other hand,

the air must be warm enough so as to avoid freezing. A continuous

breath of wind, with a touch of seaborne salinity, provides the best

results.

• A large portion of the cod landed in Lofoten is used in stockfish production.

The climate in the archipelago is perfect for preserving stockfish of excellent

quality. There must be wind which provides good drying. It cannot be so cold

that the fish is spoiled by frost, but neither can it be so warm that the fish rots

and that flies lay their eggs in the fish meat. After the cod are gutted, two are

then bound together by the tail so that they can be hung over round poles on

the fish racks. The cod is hung to dry in february/march and taken down in

june.

• The fish have by then lost approximately 70% of their weight. Before the fish is

shipped, it must go through a painstaking sorting process known as vraking. A

vraker considers the quality of every single fish through sight, smell and touch

and then puts the stockfish in one of the 12 categories.• Stockfish is extremely durable and is easy to transport. The majority of

Norwegians stockfish is exported to Italy, followed by Nigeria, Croatia and the

US.

§ They use the stockfish in dishes like

§ In Nigeria they are using the stockfish as

• Stockfish is a healthy, fresh commodity chemically free from artificial additives,

created almost from “fresh air and love” alone. The production process is

resource friendly and beyond all doubt the least energy-demanding food

manufacturing procedure in the world. All the nutrition of fresh fish remains in

the dried fish, only the water is removed. The nutritional value of a kilo of

stockfish is the equivalent of that of 5 kilos of fresh fish.

• In Norway we eat stockfish in the summer with a cold beer. To eat the dried

fish we must use a hammer.

• Why doesn’t the bird eat the fish?

• What about insects?

-Other fun facts about the life in the waters of Lofoten and the sea ways to get here

• Is there any sharks? Yes – greenland shark

• What types of fish can you fish?

• Is it the atlantic ocean? Facing main land we have the Vestfjorden and

the outside of the island we have Norskehavet wich is a part of the

North Atlantic Ocean.

• How far is it from Bodø to Lofoten?

• Does the ocean freeze in the winter? No, because of the gulf stream

the water never freezes in Vestfjorden or Norskehavet. In the

mountains the fresh water can freeze.

• Fish farms and salmon

o 60% of all exported salmon in the world comes from Norway

• The fishermen-farmer

o Along much of the coast, including Lofoten, people have traditionally lived off

a combination of agriculture and fishing. People were – for the most part – selv-

sufficient, with small areas of arable land among steep mountains and with the

sea on their doorstep. The women were for the most part responsible for the

home , the farm and the domestic animals. They took care of what we call

subsistence economy, providing important income that is not revealed in any

tax assessments or documents. The men took care of fishing, ensuring a flow

of cash income to pay taxes and buy essential goods like flour, firewood,

paraffin, sugar and tackle.

o As both fishing and agriculture have changed, especially throughout the

1960’s and 70’s boats and farms have become larger and fewer, the tradition

of fishermen-farmers has virtually disappeared.

o Families of Lofoten were also dependent on having small farms, and on

utilising what resources the land had to offer. In the mountain realm of

Lofoten, even the landless classes could keep domestic animals by making

use of the green and fertile, yet almost inaccessible mountainside hayfields.

The local inhabitants climbed high up on the mountainsides to harvest fodder

for their cows and sheep.

Settlements

• The Lofoten islanders

o Archeological finds include the Storbåthallaren cave on Flakstad and show

that people have probably lived on the Lofoten Islands since as far bac as

5500 BCE. Not much is known about life in the Stone Age, but, if we moved

forward by a few thousand years to the Viking peropd, then we know

considerably more. Major discoveries have been made, including Borg onVestvågøya. Here, in 1981, the remains of a thousand-year-old Viking farm

were discovered. Over the following 5 years, further excavations were

undertaken of what would prove to be, at 83 m, the longest building found in

Europe, from this era. A full-size reconstruction of that longhouse was built,

and this is now a living museum where you can go a thousand years back in

time.

Architecture

Traditionally Norwegian houses were painted a strong red, yellow, or white. White is the most

popular colour. The colour the owners chose depended mostly on the family’s financial

situation, geographic location and profession. Certain colours required certain resources,

therefore some colours cost more or less depending on the availability and access of the

various resources needed to make these paints.

Red: The red colour was the cheapest to produce. It was created by mixing ochre with cod

liver oil (or other vegetable oils or animal oils). As a result, many buildings in farming lands or

fishing areas where incomes were lower than average were mostly paint in red. This is why

so many barns in the country side were traditionally painted red.

Yellow: The yellow colour was a little more expensive than red and was also created by

mixing ochre with cod liver oil.

White: White was the most luxurious of colours since it was the most expensive. In the old

days the mineral zinc was needed to create white paint which was very expensive.

As a result, if one painted their house white they were showing their neighbours that they

were wealthy. Some wealthier farmers would paint their family home in white but their

surrounding barns or sheds in the colour red. There are stories of some families who were

concerned about their image living on the west coast of Norway who painted the ocean

facing wall of their homes in white and used red for the less important walls. Much like

people use cars as a status symbol in society these days, Norwegians used the colour of

their homes in the olden days.

Logistics

Bridges

Tunnels

• How deep under water are we in the under water tunnell?

How do we get power here?

We have mostly hydropower, and windpower is growing rapidly due to protections of the

waters and because we have so much land where the wind makes it easy to produce power.

The only problem is that the best resourses is in the north and that itself makes it hard to

send the power down south, and in the north we have a rich animal life to protect as well

The Norwegian use of electric power began in 1877.

The electrification came to Norway first in Fredrikstad near Lisleby Bridge. It happened

already in 1877 where they used it for lighting. Since Edison, who did not invent, but refined

light bulb, did not take out a patent until 1879, it was not a question of such, but of arcs. This

was before hydropower, so the early electrification was driven by steam engines close to

where the power was used. The electrification of homes went quickly in cities and towns.Counties and municipalities raised loans and gained momentum. In 1920, most people in

Oslo had electric lights, and before the WW2, about 80 % of Norway’s population had access

to electricity.

In 1910, Vemork world became the largest hydropower plant of 147 MW power. The

Norwegian state was also involved in the turns and established the laws on right of return.

This means that 90 % of hydropower is today publicly owned.

In the 20’s, wealthy people began to use electricity for more than lighting, even though the

power was still too expensive to cook and heat houses. The supply of hydropower also

meant that power-intensive industry grew. Norway was an excellent place to make

aluminum, ferroalloys and nickel.

Some of the Norwegian power production is based on wind power and there are plans for a

considerable further development of wind resources. Most of the hydropower resources are

utilized and what is left is either protected, or can be expanded as a small power plant.

Although Norway is blessed by nature with hydropower, wind power resources are much

larger, although much of the land areas that are suitable for such development are tied up

with buildings, agriculture, cultural monuments and other things.

Including the Norwegian waters, production opportunities are almost unlimited. Especially in

the north, where the wind resources are extra good. The problem there is the lack of

transmission capacity south.

Cost-wise, wind is also more attractive and the prices of development are falling with

technology development. Here, there is also access to capital. Foreign pension funds will

rather settle for stable, but lower returns, in addition to being green.

Source: Section Manager of NVE’s Energy Department, Section for Power System, Reed.

ing Vegard Willumsen

Naming of places

• Many places is named ´vik, like Kvalvika, Narvik, Rørvik and so on. And even on our

way to Haukland beach we´re drivin through a place named Vik. The name comes

from Norse cove, ‘bay or fjord bay’, also used for built-in terrain on land.

General history

Seasons

• Midnight sun and polar night

• In Lofoten, 200 km north of the Arctic Circle, nature can offer both midnight

sun and polar night. From May 25th to july 18th, the sun never sets below the

horizon. From december 7th to january 5th, the sun takes a timeout and never

climbs over the horizon. Even so, there are a few daylight hours around the

middle of the day. And in August, the sun may be even more beautiful –

setting in a pale violet sea, and leaving the sky in shades of colour that no

painter can ever hope to imitate.

• Northern lights in Lofoten between september to april. Best in ??

Locations:

Kabelvåg

Norway’s first economic adventure was fishing. And Vågan, today the name of the

municipality where Svolvær, Kabelvåg, Henningsvær and Gimsøy are located, was formerlythe name of Storvågan in Kabelvåg. Vågan was the center of the stockfish trade in Northern

Norway, and merchants came entirely from Bergen to make their trade here. Early in the

years around year 1120 fishermen’s cabins and churches were built in Vågan, and it testifies

to the fact that Vågan was a buying city already over 1000 years ago and with it the oldest

town north of Trondheim. The decay of Vågan occurred between 1384 and 1591, and the

reason is simply unknown to historians. Kabelvåg is poor on memories of prehistoric times

and the middle age. Nevertheless, Kabelvåg was perceived as the descendant of Vågan.

And there have been finds from the middle age in Storvågan west of Kabelvåg on an area of

an estimated 20,000 square meters of soil.

Vestvågøy:

• The largest agricultural municipality and has the largest number of sheep and goats

in the county of Nordland. In the middle of the island there are wide, flat fields and

many farms surrounded by high, protecting mountains. Subzero temperatures can be

rather more discernible here in this “inland” region than out in the villages by the sea.

Borg

• Read about “The Lofoten islanders” under Settlements

• Find more about the Viking period: they were extraordinary craftmens, trading fish,

why they chose to settle down in Lofoten Islands and so on

• In the 8th and 9th centuries, we know the names of the two Viking chiefs from

Lofoten, Olaf Tvennumbruni and Tore Hjort. Both are known in connection with

circumstances leading up towards “Rikskongedømmet”. These chiefs had several

predecessors in places like Buksnes, Borg and Gimsøy. The 83 meter long hall

building at Borg testifies to power in the Viking period. The building is the largest

known longhouse in Scandinavia from the 7th century.

• the chieftains’ power base consisted of hundreds of years before the stockfish export

via Bergen.