Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Getting There & Away
Up to eight flights daily connect Leknes airport with Bodø. Leknes has bus connections to
Å (1¾ hours, four to five daily), Stamsund (25 minutes, three to seven daily) and Svolvær
(1½hours,fourtosixdaily).Stamsundistheisland'sportfortheHurtigrutencoastal ferry.
Flakstadøy
POP 1450
Most of Flakstadøy's residents live along its flat north shore, around the town of Ramberg,
but, as with Vestvågøy, it's the craggy south side that has the most dramatic scenery. Many
visitors just zip through but it's worth stopping to sun yourself (sandy beaches are the ex-
ception in Lofoten) and perhaps to build in a detour to the arty village of Nusfjord.
NUSFJORD
A spectacular 6km diversion southwards from the E10 beneath towering bare crags brings
youtothecutesyvillageofNusfjord(
www.nusfjord.no
),sprawledarounditstiny,tucked-
away harbour. Many artists consider it to be the essence of Lofoten but be warned: so do
tour operators. And the locals are smart: it costs Nkr30 just to walk around plus a further
Nkr30 to see
The People & The Fish,
a 12-minute video about Nusfjord, past and present.
In the country store that recently celebrated its centenary, upper shelves are crammed with
vintage cans, bottles and boxes while the lower ones are stocked with contemporary fare.
There's the old cod-liver oil factory, boat house, sawmill and a cluster of
rorbuer,
most of
them modern. The most original feature that relates to other than a sanitised past is
Kris-
mar (
76 09 33 99)
, the workshop of Italian Michele Sarno and his intricate creations
in silver.
RAMBERG & FLAKSTAD
Imagine an arch of tropical white sand fronting a sparkling blue-green bay against a back-
drop of snowcapped Arctic peaks. That's pretty much
Ramberg
and
Flakstad
beaches, on
the north coast Flakstadøy, when the sun shines kindly on them. Should you hit such a day,
noonebackhomewillbelieve thatyourholidaysnapsofthisplace weretakennorthofthe
Arctic Circle, but you'll know it if you stick a toe in the water.
Set back from Flakstad beach and bypassed these days by the E10, the red onion-domed
Flakstad Kirke (guided tours adult/child Nkr30/free;
11am-3pm, late Jun-late Jul)
