A brief look at the Lofoten Islands
I had heard a lot about the stunning landscapes of the Lofoten Islands. They promised dramatic mountains, pretty fishing villages and a beautiful coastline.
So when an evening excursion to see a little of the islands was offered on the Hurtigruten ship, I was quick to sign up, as were several of my friends. There are eight main islands in the archipelago and countless rocky islets. Our bus tour was to visit two of them, Vestvågøy and Austvågøy. While we travelled from Stamsund to Svolvær the ship would make its way (with the majority of passengers remaining on board) around the coast to meet us there.
As we left the boat to board the bus in Stamsund there were a few flakes of snow in the air. It had been cold that morning in Bodø, now it was even colder. And this was on the last day of May, the eve of meteorological summer!
On Vestvågøy
As we drove across Vestvågøy snow continued to fall. The scenery was bleak but lovely, hard though to photograph from the bus.
And when we stopped at a viewpoint, clouds soon descended to hide that view. I managed just one shot before the mountains disappeared completely!
We crossed by bridge briefly on to Gimsøy (a small island with, to my surprise, a golf course) and on to Austvågøy, the snow still falling.
On Austvågøy
We drove across the southern part of Austvagoy Island, the snow starting fall a little heavier. The landscape here was more mountainous, or rather perhaps, the mountains were closer to the road.
Our main stop was by an art gallery and museum. The former, the Espolin Gallery, displays the work of a local artist, Kaare Espolin Johnson, illustrating mainly the tough lives of local fishermen. The paintings were dark but quite haunting.
We then walked over to the open-air Lofoten Museum with its fishermen’s huts on the shore below the former home of the local landowner. Our guide told us how the latter lived a privileged life at the fishermen’s expense. He not only owned and charged rent for the small huts. He also demanded that the fish caught here were sold only to him and of course therefore set the price they could get for their catches!
Despite the snow the setting was lovely and I enjoyed taking photos there.
According to the Museum Nord website:
The impressive manor house was completed in 1815, when Caspar Lorch was the owner of the fishing village. Here he traded and exported fish, as well as renting out cabins to many of those who came to join the Lofoten fisheries in the harsh winter season.
Museum Nord
That website also has a great photo of the complex in much brighter weather than we enjoyed!
On the drive back to pick up the ship in Svolvær the snow got heavier, settling even on the road.
Back on board we watched as the ship pulled out of Svolvær’s harbour, its jetties and surrounding rocks full of fish-drying racks. Although the fishing traditions documented in the museum may belong in the past, this is still (with tourism) the mainstay of the islands’ economy.
I visited the Lofoten Islands in May 2023
42 Comments
NortheastAllie
I have always wanted to see this area, and your photos and stories make me feel like I am there! Thank you for sharing this!
Sarah Wilkie
Thanks so much, I’m pleased to have transported you there 🙂 It’s definitely worth a visit and you could be luckier with weather than we were – a friend who was there a couple of weeks ago had warm sunshine much of the time!
grandmisadventures
Really beautiful pictures 🙂 The landscape and the weather is just dramatic and makes for some very atmospheric pictures.
Sarah Wilkie
Thank you ☺️ The landscape there is definitely dramatic and made more so by the snow
leightontravels
The Lofoten Islands look so moody and mysterious through your lens. Beauty, hardship and somehow a distinct sense of loneliness comes off the page for me. I also love that painting, what a masterpiece. Though I must concede that I wouldn’t want a replica in my home, it is rather terrifying. The Manor House is a fine looking building and wow, those fish racks…
Sarah Wilkie
Thanks Leighton, I guess I did something right if you get ‘moody and mysterious’ from these images as that reflects what I felt there. There’s something about a place this remote that both intrigues and slightly frightens me. Certainly life here is still tough for the fishermen in particular, though not so much so as in that painting!
Tanja
it seems to be very wintery for May. interesting post
Sarah Wilkie
Yes very wintery – it was pretty much like a January day in England!
rkrontheroad
I could feel the atmosphere of winter in the far north in your images. I do love outdoor museums!
Sarah Wilkie
And yet this is summer, or almost summer at least – 31st May 😮 I’m glad that atmosphere came across in the images, thank you Ruth 🙂
Monkey's Tale
Beautiful images,the snow adds to the feeling of hardship for the local fishermen.
Sarah Wilkie
Thank you Maggie 😊 Yes, I couldn’t help but wonder what it must be like here in winter, which is the main season for fishing!
the eternal traveller
I expect you were glad to be sitting in the bus looking out the window instead of doing the driving. But what a fabulous day out, with all the stunning scenery.
Sarah Wilkie
True, I certainly wouldn’t have wanted to drive in that weather! But we had to get out of the bus to visit the gallery and museum, and fortunately they were well worth braving the snow for 😀
Anonymous
Sarah these are beautiful shots thank you so much for sharing. I love snow and reading about your tour and looking at these pictures on a Sunday morning make my heart smile, a lot. I like that you find the place beautiful despite the bleak skies.
Sarah Wilkie
Thank you 😊 I’m not sure who you are as this has appeared as ‘anonymous’, but I have a feeling you must be a VT friend? Glad you enjoyed the snow!
Anita
Of course I’ve heard about Lofoten’s amazing landscape! I’ve never been there but now I got to join you on your visit. Neither likes the dark nor the cold, but you seem to be hardy 😁 But that’s probably a prerequisite for experiencing what the rest of us only dream about. Thanks for sharing all this Sarah.
Sarah Wilkie
Thank you Anita 🙂 Of course I would have preferred better weather but it was only really as bad as a typical winter day in England and I’d come prepared for that with winter jacket, boots, gloves etc.!
thehungrytravellers.blog
My God that looks bleak. No wonder the artist depicted the scenes in such dark tones, it must be like that for a considerable chunk of the year. It’s a harsh climate to live in but I guess it’s what you’re used to.
Sarah Wilkie
Bleak indeed, and imagine what it must be like in winter, in the Polar Night! Yes, I guess if you’re born to it you may not find it quite as much so as we would but still a tough life even today.
Josephine Hill
Wonderful Sarah
Thank you for sharing
Sarah Wilkie
Thank you Josephine 🙂 I know how much you enjoyed Bergen and your train ride but it would have been fun to have you all on the Hurtigruten too!
Richard Kolar
I remember that ride sitting on the scenic side of the bus. LOL
Sarah Wilkie
Yes, you definitely picked the right side, in both senses of that word 😀 You owe me some great views in Chicago to compensate!
Anabel @ The Glasgow Gallivanter
Beautiful in its bleak way, I would like to visit some day. And it seems landowners are the same everywhere. Thinking Highland Clearances etc.
Sarah Wilkie
Yes, very beautiful, if cold! And I agree about landowners everywhere – even as the guide told us about this practice I was thinking, ‘I’ve heard this sort of thing elsewhere’ …
Nemorino
Too bad you couldn’t see the midnight sun.
I have fond memories of visiting the Lofoten Islands in mid-summer 54 years ago.
Sarah Wilkie
Well we got a couple of glimpses of midnight sun later in the trip including our last night in Tromso – but definitely no signs of it here!
margaret21
This looks an interesting expedition. And I think an expedition may be enough of an experience of these islands. It all looks pretty tough, even grim. Your beautiful photos don’t tempt me.
Sarah Wilkie
It was a bit early in the season for this far north and we were rather unlucky with the weather. A friend who has just been has shared some lovely photos with blue skies and sunshine! I’d be keen to see it like that one day 🙂
margaret21
It would be good to see both sides of the coin.
Anne Sandler
I like those moody images Sarah! You did well photographing from the bus, and thanks for taking us with you!
Sarah Wilkie
Thank you Anne 🙂 I’d have got more from the bus if I’d been sitting on the other side, but the snow and rain on the windows made it difficult in any case.
Mike and Kellye Hefner
Though it was a gray day, I think these are some of the most enchanting photos I’ve ever seen. The black and white effect with just a few touches of color are exceptionally beautiful. My favorites are the fishing hut (?) with the mossy roof, the fish drying racks, and the tree in front of the manor house, although they are all fabulous.
Sarah Wilkie
Thanks so much Kellye 😊 I really liked that tree too and took several photos of it from different angles.
Alison
Gosh it does look bleak Sarah, almost no colour in those photos, very Nordic noir. Beautiful though and would be great to get back in the warm
Sarah Wilkie
Very bleak because of the poor weather in particular, and it was quite late in the day too, although they were into Midnight Sun season by then (sun? what sun?!)
Sue
Wow, thanks for my Virtual Tour!
Sarah Wilkie
Glad you liked it Sue – and being virtual meant you got to stay in the warm 😆
Sue
😄😄😂
Yvonne Dumsday
Many thanks for sharing the trip that I missed.
Sarah Wilkie
You’re welcome of course Yvonne 🙂 And thanks for taking the trouble to check it out and comment here as well as on TravellersPoint!