Lofoten Islands

The Lofoten Islands is an archipelago located north of the coast of Norway, north of the Arctic Circle. The Lofoten Islands rise out of the green waters like a wall, the mountains here are up to 1000 meters high, and the islands themselves are fringed by a white sandy coastline. The scenery is magnificent, with flocks of seabirds scattering the air in search of food, picturesque fishing villages hiding in bays, and the northern lights. Lofoten is an unforgettable experience, but the population of the five main islands is only 25,000.

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General Information

In the archipelago (150 km) the largest islands are Austvogøy, Vestvogøy, Flakstadøy and Moskenesøy, surrounded by skerries and cliffs, which are favored by birds, with whole colonies of them. There is even snow on some mountains (height up to 1266 m), and in the coastal strip there are a lot of bogs, lakes and meadows. Winters are mild and summers are relatively cool; there are excellent recreation areas for lovers of fishing, hunting and rock climbing.

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The main source of income for the islanders is fishing, mainly cod. Large schools of cod come here in late January, migrating from the Barents Sea. Some females reach a length of 2 meters. At the same time herds of orcas come here, looking for an easy meal. About 4000 fishermen go out to sea.

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On the shore the fish are hung on poles to dry, it’s an amazing sight. The cod have been wiped out in many places and this area has not been as badly affected, although fishing has been practiced here for over 1000 years.

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Not far from the coast of the farthest island Moskenesøya is another natural phenomenon. It is a giant whirlpool called Malström, caused by several fast currents. The whirlpool was first mentioned 2,000 years ago by the Greek explorer Pytheas. It was later regularly depicted on nautical charts.

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Another source of income for the region is tourism. Travelers can take a tour and see Malström and other sights, including Refsvikhula Cave with Stone Age rock paintings. Colonies of seals and eagles, deadbeats and otters can be seen, and the mountains are ideal for hiking and rock climbing.

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Eustvogøy Island

Svolver

Svolvaer (Svolvaer), the administrative center of the Lofoten Islands is located on the southern coast of Eustvogøy Island. The town (about 4,000 inhabitants) is the largest fishing port in the region and the commercial center of the archipelago. Svineya is home to the Nordnorsk Art Center (Nordnorsk Kunstnernesentrum), which features works by artists inspired by the beauty of the islands. North of Svolvera is the steep mountain Blatind (Blatind, 597 m; experienced hikers need 5 h round trip). There is a magnificent panorama from the summit.

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Тролль-фьорд

A narrow canyon leads from Raftsund to Troll Fjord, offering a beautiful view of the snow-capped thousanders rising from the mountain lake Trollfjordvatn.

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Kabelvåg

10 km south of Svolvær (by bus) is Kabelvog (Kabelvag) with beautifully restored old wooden houses of the XIX century, today they are small hotels. Be sure to visit the Fisheries Museum and the Lofot Aquarium, home to the marine life of the West Fjord. The city’s famous Espolin Gallery features works by Nurlan artist Kore Espolin Jonsson.Opening hours: June 15-Aug. 15 daily. 9.00-20.00, beginning of June-end of August until 18.00.

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Henningsvær

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Festvag lies on the southwestern cape of Eustvogøy at the foot of Mount Vogakallen (3.5 hr ascent). From there you can reach the fishing village of Henningsvaer by bridge, where the local fishing fleet “winters”. The port of “Venice of the North” is a favorite photo subject. The gallery of Norwegian painter Karl-Erik Harr is open.Opening hours: daily. 10.00-18.00, ser. June-ser. avg. 9.00-21.00.

Vestvågøy Island

Stamsunn

On the southeastern coast of Vestvågøy Island (11,000 inhabitants) lies Stamsund, a major fishing center of the archipelago and the transportation hub of the Western Lofoten Islands. Vikspollen Bay (Vikspollen) is famous for its fantastic beaches with the finest white sand – and this against the background of green mountains of bizarre shapes, but the water in the sea is very cool even under the bright sun.

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Ruins of a Viking house

In 14 km from Leknes (Leknes) in Borg (on the E 10 highway) were found the ruins of a Viking house – perhaps the largest of that era. The 80 x 8 meter farmstead most likely belonged to a chieftain. In the reconstructed building there is a magnificent museum of the forefathers of the Norwegians. In the living part of the house you can see how life was in Viking times, how their women spun, wove, knitted and dyed fabrics. And in the former common room visitors are offered dishes prepared according to ancient recipes.Opening hours: end of May-beginning of September daily. 10.00-19.00, other times 13.00-15.00.

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Flakstadøy Island

Ramberg

On the northwest coast of Flakstadøy Island, there is a place called Ramberg (vacation homes in the village of Nusfjord). A little to the east – in Flakstad – is a church made of rafted timber (1780). The view of Ramberg’s magnificent sandy beach is admired daily by three hundred residents.

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Nusfjord

After passing through the Nappstraumen tunnel for about 10 km, take the dirt road to the lovely village of Nusfjord, where historical monuments and the atmosphere of the old Lofoten settlement is still alive. The village is under UNESCO protection. There are rorbyu for every taste. Fishing lovers can go to the sea with experienced professionals (dress warm!).

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Moskenesøy Island

Reine

The administrative center of Moskenesøy Island is the fishing village of Reine (Reine, there are holiday homes) on Kirkefjord, where artists and mountaineers like to visit. 10 km southwest of the village is the tiny place O, where the Lofoten highway ends. The Malström whirlpool, described by Jules Verne and E.A. Poe (“The Descent into Malström”), can be seen from the hills of the coast. It occurs twice a day between Cape Lofotodden and Mosken Island.

A trip to the island of Verey

From Rijne you can go to the island of Vseray (Vseray), but we recommend this only for the “sea-savvy”. There are 760 people living on the island. In the south of the island there is the Mostad mountain – a real bird paradise: in summer up to 1 million birds hatch here – Atlantic tupicbirds, cuirasses, cormorants, terns and white-tailed eagles. The bird markets can be reached by boat (20 minutes) from Vereuil. There are still a few relict six-toed dogs on the island, which are called lundehunds. They are used for hunting tupiks.

Bird markets

From Reine (5 h) or Vereuil (2 h 25 min.) by boat you can reach the last stronghold of civilization – a group of islands Riast (Riast) – almost 100 km from the mainland. Here on the cliffs there is a great variety of bird markets (Vediay, Storfjell, Stavay, Trenyken and Hernyken). The largest colony of birds in Scandinavia counts, among others, almost 3 million deadbirds and rare species of petrels – these are the greater and lesser kachurka, as well as the grouse.

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Excursions

Among the excursions to the Lofoten Islands, the Troll Fjord day trip is particularly popular: by bus from Svolvær via Fiskebol to Stokmarknes and from there by liner Hurtigruten on the Troll Fjord and back.

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