Hamnøy Audio Guide

Hamnøy: what does the audio guide cover?

1. 01

   Welcome to Hamnøya

   Welcome to Hamnøya, a small fishing village in Moskenes Municipality, in Nordland county, northern Norway. This guide tells the story of the village and the landscape around it: its fishing life, its red cabins, its bridges and its neighbors along the coast. You are on a small peninsula on the eastern side of the island of Moskenesøya, about 1.5 kilometers northeast of the village of Reine, facing the waters of Vestfjorden. Steep mountains stand behind the village, and the sea lies right at its edge. Hamnøya is a cluster of buildings strung between tiny islands, and over the years its view has become one of the most reproduced images of Norway. So take a slow look around. Over the next few minutes we will follow the cod that built this place, the red cabins on the rocks, the road and bridges that tie the village together, and the neighboring villages worth knowing about.

2. 02

   Built on Cod

   To understand Hamnøya, start with a fish. The village is counted among the oldest fishing villages in Lofoten, and it grew from the winter cod fishery. Its development was driven by its role as a base for the annual Lofotfiske, the world's largest cod fishery. Every year, fishermen came here to follow the cod. Seasonal work shaped the daily rhythm of the village, and it shaped the buildings too. The cabins, the quay and the working harbor all grew out of that tradition, with generations of fishermen heading out into Arctic winds in search of cod and other riches of the sea. The story did not end with the old days. The harbor is still an active fishing port, and you can often see local boats coming and going. What has changed is the economy around it. The village has moved from a purely fishing-based life to one that also includes tourism, but the sea still sets the tempo.

3. 03

   The Red Rorbuer

   Now look at the red wooden cabins. These are rorbuer, the traditional fishermen's cabins of Lofoten, and in Hamnøya they sit on the rocks and over the water, many of them built on stilts. They line the quay and climb the hillside, with a wall of steep peaks rising right behind them. Historically, these cabins housed fishermen who arrived in Hamnøya from all over Norway for the season. Some of the cabins in the village are more than 100 years old. Today many are rented out to visitors, so the same wooden walls that sheltered cod fishermen now shelter travelers. The red, the wood and the weathering together make a kind of language. Paint, timber and salt air tell you how people lived on this shore. Light changes the scene constantly, which is why photographers return here again and again, finding a different picture each time.

4. 04

   Bridges, Roads and the Famous View

   Hamnøya was not always joined to its neighbors by road. It was previously connected to Reine by ferry, until bridges on the main road through Lofoten, European route E ten, replaced the crossing as part of the Lofoten Mainland Connection. Today you can simply drive straight through, and a bus also runs along the same road. One of those bridges has become a favorite vantage point. It links Hamnøya with the island of Toppøya, and many photographers consider it the most popular photo spot in Lofoten. From the end of the bridge nearest the cabins, you get the classic frame: red rorbuer in the foreground and mountains behind. From the other end, the view takes in the whole island of Hamnøya. If you stop here, watch the traffic and the water as much as the scenery. Both are part of how this village connects to the rest of the archipelago.

5. 05

   Before You Head Off

   Hamnøya sits among a string of remarkable places in western Lofoten. Reine, just along the shore, is another fishing village set among sharp granite peaks that rise directly from the sea. Above Reine is the Reinebringen hike, the best-known climb in Lofoten, with sweeping views over the surrounding fjord. Farther along the road lies Å, the southernmost and most remote village in Lofoten, about 10 kilometers from Hamnøya. Its name is the last letter of the Norwegian alphabet, and it sits at the very end of the main road. Nearby villages such as Sørvågen and Nusfjord offer more corners of Lofoten's seafaring past. Before you go, take one more look at the line where the red cabins meet the water, and then at the peaks above. Which of the neighboring villages will you follow the road to next?