| Lofoten Islands | |
 | |
| State | Norway |
|---|---|
| Region | Northern Norway |
| Surface | 1,227 km² |
| Inhabitants | 24.000 (2011) |
| Tourism site | |
| Institutional website | |
Lofoten Islands are an archipelago off the coast of Norwegian Sea.
To know
When we talk about the Lofoten Islands it is often to indicate the most emblematic islands of the Norwegian coast, which are, in fact, south of the archipelago: Lofoten, Vesterålen and Senja.
When to go
Lofoten Islands: full screen map.The Lofoten lie beyond the Arctic Circle. Despite this, the climate is characterized by rather mild temperatures mainly thanks to the Gulf Stream. The minimum temperature recorded in 2009 was -13.1 ° C on 7 February, while the maximum was 26.6 ° C on 3 August. The lowest average monthly temperatures in 2009 were recorded in December (-0.8 ° C) and February (-2 ° C).
Given the latitude, the Lofoten are affected by the phenomenon of the midnight sun and considered an excellent observation point for the Northern Lights.
Background
Svolvær it is the oldest city in the Arctic Circle, although its central structure dates back to the Viking era, there are archaeological finds dating back to much earlier, around 3000-4000 BC.
In 1432, driven by a storm, the Venetian Pietro Querini (as evidence of that fact a monument was erected, still present in the Lofoten), who reported on the continent news about the fauna and flora of the archipelago, in addition to local practice of drying cod (stockfish), which would later have great fortune in Italy (particularly in the Veneto areas from which Querini came): most of the stockfish produced in the Lofoten islands is in fact exported to Italy.
Territories and tourist destinations
Main islands
- Hinnøya
- Austvågøy
- Gimsøy
- Vestvågøy - The most populated area in the Lofoten and regions Vesterålen.
- Flakstadøy
- Moskenesoya
- Værøy - a small island about six hours from Bodø by ferry (via Moskenes) and about 2 hours by ferry from Moskenes.
- Røst
Urban centers
Other destinations
- Trollfjord - is a small 2 km long fjord between the Lofoten and Vesterålen islands. The fjord reaches up to 800 meters wide. The mountains surrounding the Trollfjord are between 600-1100 meters.
How to get
By plane
There are scheduled flights from Oslo via Bodø to the airport of Svolvær is Leknes.
From Bodø ferries to Røst, Værøy is Moskenes, even away Skrova from Svolvær.
The ferry from Narvik in Svolvær it has been optional since 2007.
On the train
The closest train stations are Narvik and Bodø. Narvik is connected only to the Swedish railway network, Bodø only to the Norwegian one.
By bus
From Narvik bus to Lofoten (Lofotenexpress).
How to get around
What see
- Midnight Sun . This natural spectacle is called the midnight sun: the sun reaches its lowest level for the summer period until 01:00. The midnight sun can be observed from May 27th to July 17th. The best places for this are Brenna, Eggum is Ramberg.
- Viking Museum of Borg on the island of Vestvågøy.
What to do
At the table
On the islands that make a living from fishing, the food is, of course, mostly fish, especially cod. But other fish dishes such as salmon or halibut are also offered in hotels and restaurants.
However, consider that the prices are about 4 times those you find in Italy
Tourist infrastructure
The rorbu they are the houses of the fishermen of the archipelago. During the fishing season, in winter, they are used by them, while in summer they are rented to tourists.
Safety
- Nordlandssykehuset Lofoten (Hospital). Sykehusbakken 23, 8372 Gravdal / Leknes, Tel .: 47 760 60 100.
Related items
- Polar night
Other projects
Wikipedia contains an entry concerning Lofoten Islands
Commons contains images or other files on Lofoten Islands
