Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
NYKSUND: A VILLAGE REBORN
The population of the small fishing village of Nyksund was already dwindling when, in the
1960s, the bakery and post office, heart of any community, closed down. Then, after a
storm wrought havoc in 1975, nearly everyone else left. Finally, in 1975, the last inhabitant,
blacksmith Olav Larsen, packed his bags. The village fell silent. Sheep and vandals moved
in.
For many rural communities across Europe, that's where the story ends. But for Nyk-
sund, it was only the beginning of a remarkable story of renewal. Slowly, over the dec-
ades, life has been breathed back into this charming, remote settlement that has been re-
born as an artists' colony. The crumbling old structures and commercial buildings have
been faithfully restored and nowadays, modern Nyksund boasts a summer population of
around 60 and some half-dozen hardy souls endure throughout the harsh winters.
One of those is Ssemjon Gerlitz, the German owner of
Holmvik Brygge
( 76 13 47 96;
www.nyksund.com
; s/d Nkr700/850), who has lived year-round in Nyksund for a decade and
more. Over the years, he and his team of helpers have gleaned, picked and scavenged
what could be salvaged from Nyksund's crumbling buildings and incorporated them into
the higgledy-piggledy guesthouse, where every room's different, each with its own per-
sonality.
Two things in particular keep him here, at road's end. He speaks of the lure of silence,
nothing but the rhythm of wind and waves for most of the year and of his sense of com-
munion with long-gone fisherfolk ('Every rusty nail I pull out was hammered in by
someone who lived and worked here').
This tiny community manages to support an active summer cultural program and a
The route to Nyksund is along a narrow ribbon of road that hugs the shoreline (the last
10km of which is unpaved). Alternatively, walk the
Queen's Route
,
a fine trek over the
headland from Nyksund to Stø (three hours return).
Stø
The small fishing village of Stø clings to Langøya's northernmost tip. It's the sort of place
that's so quiet seabirds nest in the low cliffs that abut the main street through town.
People used to come here for two reasons: whale-watching expeditions and the chance
to hike one of Vesterålen's prettiest walks. While the latter remains a possibility, the whale
