Vestvågøy
Encyclopedia
Vestvågøy is an island
and a municipality
in Nordland
county
, Norway
. It is part of the Lofoten
traditional region
. The administrative centre of the municipality is the town of Leknes
.
Vestvågøy was created as a new municipality on 1 January 1963 after the merger of the old municipalities of Borge
, Buksnes
, Hol
, and Valberg
. With its 10,813 inhabitants, it is the most populous in the regions of Lofoten and Vesterålen
.
The Lofotr
museum in Borg, Vestvågøy
shows a reconstructed Iron Age
chieftain's residence, with a house measuring 80 metres (262 ft), built of stone
and turf.
) - but when Lofoten became the name of the whole archipelago the old name was replaced by Vestvågøya ("The western Vágøy", see Austvågøy
).
is from modern times. They were granted on 7 September 1984. The arms show two dried cod
fish, since the municipality is one of the main Norwegian exporters of (dried) cod or stockfish
and has been since the Middle Ages
.
This island and municipality is among the most scenic in Norway, with rugged cliff
s and peaks facing the southeastern coast. Towards the northwest, however, the land is flat, with extensive farmlands. Most people are to be found in the municipal centre of Leknes and in its "twin town" Gravdal, where the central hospital for the Lofoten
islands is located. Along the southeastern coast, one finds picturesque fishing villages like Ballstad
and Stamsund
, where the Hurtigruten
(coastal ferry) stops.
The coastline is dominated by high mountains and on the west coast also sandy white beach
es. Utakleiv the most romantic beach in Europe
, according to the British newspaper The Times
, and the neighbouring Hauklandsstranden is ranked by the Norwegian newspaper Dagbladet
as the best beach in Norway.
In Leknes, the sun (midnight sun
) is above the horizon from May 26 until July 17, and in winter the sun does not rise from December 9 until January 4. The midnight sun is best viewed from the western beaches, such as Utakleiv and Eggum.
and 65 kilometres (40 mi) east of Å. Leknes is the trading and shopping centre of Lofoten, only rivalled by Svolvær. Leknes has an airport for smaller aircraft, with 7 daily scheduled flights to Bodø
and some daily flights to Svolvær and Røst with the airline Widerøe
. There is a small bus
terminal which serves as a hub with bus links to the rest of Lofoten. The Leknes Havn (harbor
) is one of Norway's most important and visited harbors for cruise ship
s.
Island
An island or isle is any piece of sub-continental land that is surrounded by water. Very small islands such as emergent land features on atolls can be called islets, cays or keys. An island in a river or lake may be called an eyot , or holm...
and a municipality
Municipalities of Norway
Norway is divided into 19 administrative regions, called counties , and 430 municipalities...
in Nordland
Nordland
is a county in Norway in the North Norway region, bordering Troms in the north, Nord-Trøndelag in the south, Norrbottens län in Sweden to the east, Västerbottens län to the southeast, and the Atlantic Ocean to the west. The county was formerly known as Nordlandene amt. The county administration is...
county
Counties of Norway
Norway is divided into 19 administrative regions, called counties . The counties form the primary first-level subdivisions of Norway and are further divided into 430 municipalities...
, Norway
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
. It is part of the Lofoten
Lofoten
Lofoten is an archipelago and a traditional district in the county of Nordland, Norway. Though lying within the Arctic Circle, the archipelago experiences one of the world's largest elevated temperature anomalies relative to its high latitude.-Etymology:...
traditional region
Districts of Norway
The country Norway is historically divided into a number of districts. Many districts have deep historical roots, and only partially coincide with today's administrative units of counties and municipalities. The districts are defined by geographical features, often valleys, mountain ranges, fjords,...
. The administrative centre of the municipality is the town of Leknes
Leknes
is a town and administrative centre of municipality Vestvågøy in the county of Nordland in North Norway. The town is situated in the geographical middle of Lofoten, approximately 68 km west of Svolvær and 65 km east of Å...
.
Vestvågøy was created as a new municipality on 1 January 1963 after the merger of the old municipalities of Borge
Borge, Nordland
Borge is a parish and former municipality in Vestvågøy municipality, Nordland county, Norway.-History:Borge parish was created as Borge formannskapsdistrikt in 1837. In 1927 the district of Valdberg with 625 of inhabitants was separated from Borge to create a municipality of its own. The split...
, Buksnes
Buksnes
Buksnes is a populated area in Vestvågøy municipality, Nordland county, Norway.-History:Buksnes was created as Buksnes formannskapsdistrikt in 1837. On July 1, 1919 the district of Hol with 2,272 inhabitants was separated from Buksnes to create a municipality of its own. The split left Buksnes...
, Hol
Hol, Nordland
Hol is a former municipality in Nordland county, Norway.It was created by a split from Buksnes on July 1, 1919. At that time Hol had a population of 2 272....
, and Valberg
Valberg, Nordland
Valberg is a former municipality now located in Vestvågøy municipality in Nordland County, Norway.It was created by an acrimonious split from Borge in 1927. On 1 January 1963 Valberg was merged with Borge, Buksnes and Hol to create the new municipality Vestvågøy...
. With its 10,813 inhabitants, it is the most populous in the regions of Lofoten and Vesterålen
Vesterålen
Vesterålen is a district and archipelago in Nordland, Norway, just north of Lofoten.-The name:The Norse forms of the name were Vestráll and Vestrálar . The first element is vestr n west, the last element is áll m ' sound, strait'...
.
The Lofotr
Lofotr
The Lofotr Viking Museum is a historical museum based on a reconstruction and archaeological excavation of a Viking chieftain's village in the North Norwegian archipelago of Lofoten, Norway...
museum in Borg, Vestvågøy
Borg, Vestvågøy
Borg is a hamlet near Bøstad, Vestvågøy, Norway. It is the location of Lofotr, a living museum presenting on a reconstruction and archeological excavation of a Viking chieftain's village.The area around Borg has many horses, most of which are Nordlandshester....
shows a reconstructed Iron Age
Iron Age
The Iron Age is the archaeological period generally occurring after the Bronze Age, marked by the prevalent use of iron. The early period of the age is characterized by the widespread use of iron or steel. The adoption of such material coincided with other changes in society, including differing...
chieftain's residence, with a house measuring 80 metres (262 ft), built of stone
Rock (geology)
In geology, rock or stone is a naturally occurring solid aggregate of minerals and/or mineraloids.The Earth's outer solid layer, the lithosphere, is made of rock. In general rocks are of three types, namely, igneous, sedimentary, and metamorphic...
and turf.
Name
The municipality is named after the island Vestvågøy. The Norse name of the island was Lófót (see LofotenLofoten
Lofoten is an archipelago and a traditional district in the county of Nordland, Norway. Though lying within the Arctic Circle, the archipelago experiences one of the world's largest elevated temperature anomalies relative to its high latitude.-Etymology:...
) - but when Lofoten became the name of the whole archipelago the old name was replaced by Vestvågøya ("The western Vágøy", see Austvågøy
Austvågøy
Austvågøy is the northeasternmost of the larger islands in the Lofoten archipelago in Nordland county, Norway. The island is 526.7 km² and extends up to 40 km in the east-west direction and 30 km north-south. Austvågøy is largely a mountain massif, with lowland almost exclusively at...
).
Coat-of-arms
The coat-of-armsCoat of arms
A coat of arms is a unique heraldic design on a shield or escutcheon or on a surcoat or tabard used to cover and protect armour and to identify the wearer. Thus the term is often stated as "coat-armour", because it was anciently displayed on the front of a coat of cloth...
is from modern times. They were granted on 7 September 1984. The arms show two dried cod
Cod
Cod is the common name for genus Gadus, belonging to the family Gadidae, and is also used in the common name for various other fishes. Cod is a popular food with a mild flavor, low fat content and a dense, flaky white flesh. Cod livers are processed to make cod liver oil, an important source of...
fish, since the municipality is one of the main Norwegian exporters of (dried) cod or stockfish
Stockfish
Stockfish is unsalted fish, especially cod, dried by cold air and wind on wooden racks on the foreshore, called "hjell". The drying of food is the world's oldest known preservation method, and dried fish has a storage life of several years...
and has been since the Middle Ages
Middle Ages
The Middle Ages is a periodization of European history from the 5th century to the 15th century. The Middle Ages follows the fall of the Western Roman Empire in 476 and precedes the Early Modern Era. It is the middle period of a three-period division of Western history: Classic, Medieval and Modern...
.
Geography
Cliff
In geography and geology, a cliff is a significant vertical, or near vertical, rock exposure. Cliffs are formed as erosion landforms due to the processes of erosion and weathering that produce them. Cliffs are common on coasts, in mountainous areas, escarpments and along rivers. Cliffs are usually...
s and peaks facing the southeastern coast. Towards the northwest, however, the land is flat, with extensive farmlands. Most people are to be found in the municipal centre of Leknes and in its "twin town" Gravdal, where the central hospital for the Lofoten
Lofoten
Lofoten is an archipelago and a traditional district in the county of Nordland, Norway. Though lying within the Arctic Circle, the archipelago experiences one of the world's largest elevated temperature anomalies relative to its high latitude.-Etymology:...
islands is located. Along the southeastern coast, one finds picturesque fishing villages like Ballstad
Ballstad
Ballstad is a village in Vestvågøy municipality, Lofoten, Norway, located on the southwestern tip of the island Vestvågøya. Its population is 956.-References:Ballstad 733 people 1 January 2009....
and Stamsund
Stamsund
Stamsund is a small village in Vestvågøy municipality in Lofoten in Nordland county. It has approximately 1400 inhabitants, and is an important fishing area with Aker Seafoods and J.M.Johansen with Lofoten trawl fishing the most important companies. Lofoten trawl fishing is the largest trawling...
, where the Hurtigruten
Hurtigruten
Hurtigruten or Hurtigruta is a Norwegian passenger and freight line with daily sailings along Norway's western and northern coast. Sometimes referred to in English as Norwegian Coastal Express, Hurtigruten ships sail almost the entire length of the country, completing the roundtrip journey in 11...
(coastal ferry) stops.
The coastline is dominated by high mountains and on the west coast also sandy white beach
Beach
A beach is a geological landform along the shoreline of an ocean, sea, lake or river. It usually consists of loose particles which are often composed of rock, such as sand, gravel, shingle, pebbles or cobblestones...
es. Utakleiv the most romantic beach in Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
, according to the British newspaper The Times
The Times
The Times is a British daily national newspaper, first published in London in 1785 under the title The Daily Universal Register . The Times and its sister paper The Sunday Times are published by Times Newspapers Limited, a subsidiary since 1981 of News International...
, and the neighbouring Hauklandsstranden is ranked by the Norwegian newspaper Dagbladet
Dagbladet
Dagbladet is Norway's second largest tabloid newspaper, and the third largest newspaper overall with a circulation of 105,255 copies in 2009, 18,128 papers less than in 2008. The editor in chief is Lars Helle....
as the best beach in Norway.
In Leknes, the sun (midnight sun
Midnight sun
The midnight sun is a natural phenomenon occurring in summer months at latitudes north and nearby to the south of the Arctic Circle, and south and nearby to the north of the Antarctic Circle where the sun remains visible at the local midnight. Given fair weather, the sun is visible for a continuous...
) is above the horizon from May 26 until July 17, and in winter the sun does not rise from December 9 until January 4. The midnight sun is best viewed from the western beaches, such as Utakleiv and Eggum.
Transportation
Leknes is the municipal and administrational centre and is situated in the geographical middle of Lofoten, approximately 68 kilometres (42 mi) west of SvolværSvolvær
-Communications:Parts of the town is built on small islands connected by bridges. There is a regional airport near the town, Svolvær Airport, Helle, and Svolvær is a port of call for Hurtigruten. There is a ferry connection Svolvær to Skutvik in Hamarøy, and express boat connections to Bodø...
and 65 kilometres (40 mi) east of Å. Leknes is the trading and shopping centre of Lofoten, only rivalled by Svolvær. Leknes has an airport for smaller aircraft, with 7 daily scheduled flights to Bodø
Bodø
is a city and a municipality in Nordland county, Norway. It is part of the Salten region.The city of Bodø was established as a municipality on 1 January 1838 . Bodin was merged with Bodø on 1 January 1968. Skjerstad was merged with Bodø on 1 January 2005...
and some daily flights to Svolvær and Røst with the airline Widerøe
Widerøe
Widerøe's Flyveselskap AS, trading as Widerøe, is a regional airline in Norway and part of the SAS Group. It operates a fleet of 34 Bombardier Dash 8 aircraft , serving 41 domestic and 6 international destinations...
. There is a small bus
Bus
A bus is a road vehicle designed to carry passengers. Buses can have a capacity as high as 300 passengers. The most common type of bus is the single-decker bus, with larger loads carried by double-decker buses and articulated buses, and smaller loads carried by midibuses and minibuses; coaches are...
terminal which serves as a hub with bus links to the rest of Lofoten. The Leknes Havn (harbor
Harbor
A harbor or harbour , or haven, is a place where ships, boats, and barges can seek shelter from stormy weather, or else are stored for future use. Harbors can be natural or artificial...
) is one of Norway's most important and visited harbors for cruise ship
Cruise ship
A cruise ship or cruise liner is a passenger ship used for pleasure voyages, where the voyage itself and the ship's amenities are part of the experience, as well as the different destinations along the way...
s.