Lofoten

The Lofoten Islands: western sister of the Ofoten, proud ‘seawall’ of Northern Norway, 3 billion years old (not a typo). The jagged islands of the Lofoten are among the oldest mountains in the world. And yet, they remain relatively unknown.

The Lofoten Islands weren’t connected to the mainland by a bridge until 2007. But fishers and hunters have lived in the area for centuries. Thanks to the Gulf Stream, the climate here is relatively mild and attracts many birds.

What perhaps characterizes the Lofoten most (aside from the mighty mountains) are the rorbuer, the typical red wooden houses and fishing huts. Next to the huts, you’ll often see endless racks where cod is hung to dry. The rorbuer stand with their ‘legs’ in the water, making it easy for fishers to pull up alongside in their boats and deliver their day’s catch to the hut.

The cod hangs on racks in the open air to dry all winter long. During our sailing trips along the Lofoten and Vesterålen, we’ll definitely see a number of rorbuer and various stockfish racks. Some rorbuer can be visited and are set up as museums, small cafes, or shops (or all three at once).