Å i Lofoten

Understand

At 68°N, the Lofoten archipelago is well above the Arctic Circle, and at the same latitude as Greenland or the northern parts of Alaska. However, it enjoys a relatively mild climate due to the circulation of the Gulf Stream, and temperatures up to 23°C in the summer are not uncommon. Still, it remains a subarctic destination, the weather changes fast, and even in the summer it may get cold. When the sun is not shining a sweater is recommended.

The winter is cold, but remains bearable. At this extreme latitude – the same as northern Siberia and northern Alaska – winters should be very cold, but instead of -40°C/F, Lofoten temperatures hover around freezing in winter, and start to climb in April.

thumb|Drying racks for stockfish

Before becoming a popular tourist retreat, Lofoten was and still is a very important fishing centre, especially for the special type of cod (skrei in Norwegian), attracted by the rich food brought by the Gulf Stream. At the end of the spring, thousands of tons of cod are hung to dry on wooden racks. For at least a thousand years the very rich Lofoten cod fisheries was a key factor in the Norwegian economy. Thousands gathered from all along the coast to take part in the winter-spring fisheries. The key to Lofoten’s fishery economy was the natural outdoor drying without the use of salt. Low temperatures and constant wind is necessary for this process to be successful, further north it is too cold and further south too warm and humid, while the Lofoten …

Get in

thumb|350px|Evening view of Austnesfjorden and Sildpollnes Church, Austvågøya

Get around

thumb|Afternoon at Tennfjorden, Raftsundet, Hinnøya

See

250px|thumbnail|Moskenes from the ferry

The main attraction of the archipelago is its majestic scenery. The coastline is dominated by high mountains cut by fjords, as well as sandy white beaches.

Apart from the scenery, the fishing history of the archipelago is visible in several little villages all around the coast. Nusfjord and the lovely Å are prime examples. The Lofoten has many traditional fishermen red cabins built on the sea shore or over stilts (the rorbu), and it is even possible to stay in one.

In the summer, you can enjoy the midnight sun. In Leknes, the sun remains above the horizon from May 26 to July 17. The midnight sun is best viewed from the western beaches, such as the Vestvågøy Island beaches Utakleiv and Eggum.

When there is midnight sun, there is a polar night, and in winter the sun does not rise from December 9 to January 4. The archipelago is at a good latitude to admire the Northern lights, but from the end of April to September, the nights might be a little too bright.

The beaches of Lofoten are also quite renowned. Utakleiv was ranked as the number one most romantic beach in Europe by the British newspaper The Times, and the neighbouring Hauklandsstranden is ranked by the Norwegian newspaper Dagbladet as the best beach in Norway. Eggum was chosen to be the millennial spot in Vestvågøy and in 2007 an amphitheater was created here (designed by Norwegian architects Snøhetta, designers of the library in Alexandria).

Do

thumb|400x400px|A view from Austvågøya to Gimsøystraumen in Lofoten. The bridge on the right is the Gimsøystraumen Bridge.

Activities include whale watching, mountain climbing, mountain hiking, diving, fishing, and sleeping in traditional fisherman cabins called "rorbu".

Outtt maintains a list of hiking trails in Lofoten with descriptions in English.

Buy

It's not so easy to keep to the budget here. In Svolvær, Narvesen kiosk is a good place to buy things such as drinks, food and v-bucks, and there's a bookshop in the town; art is sold in the town and overpriced souvenirs are easy to find. All of Svolvær's supermarkets are in the same part of town.

Eat

thumb|Cod drying near [[Å]]

Lofoten being a traditional cod fishing area, local delicacies are as one would expect taken from the sea. If you appreciate dried stockfish or cod, you will probably love the food. The stockfish of Lofoten is a prime source of revenue for the islands, it is exported to several southern European countries (especially Italy and Spain) where it is known as Baccalao or Stoccafisso. Several restaurants in Lofoten have Baccalao on the menu.

Due to the limited choice and the high prices, particularly on Værøy, you should bring your own food.

Sleep

There's lots of different kinds of accommodation. There are hotels, camping options, or you can even get a rorbu (a traditional fisherman's cabin). Sleeping outside is possible as it is quiet, but the temperatures can be near freezing even in the summer and the cold wind from the sea doesn't help at all.

Several accommodations are available in Reine. Be sure to book in advance if you come during the peak season (winter and summer). thumb|Port in Svolvær

Stay safe

Lofoten has little crime and island hopping by hitch-hiking is safe and not unusual. The most likely undesired event is to fall while hiking, or to catch a cold due to the bad weather. Other than that, you should be perfectly safe.