Drive it Yourself: The Lofoten Islands Part 1: Å to Svolvær
Learn about part one of the famous road that runs through the Lofoten Islands.
The Hidden North
North European travel guide
Population 1,162 / 67.5 degrees north
Å i Lofoten, Norway
Located at the southern tip of the Lofoten Islands, Å is a well-preserved fishing village with the rorbuer lining the coastline and fish drying racks standing on the hills. Many of the preserved buildings have been turned into museums, so Å is a great place to add on any trip to Lofoten. It is also one end of the Lofoten Tourist Road.
About Å i Lofoten
Latitude: 67.5 degrees north
Population: 1162
Moskenes Municipality
In this Travel Guide...
Map of Å i Lofoten
Things to See & Do
Here’s an overview of some of the best things to see and do in Å i Lofoten
Museum
Norwegian Fishing Village Museum
The Norwegian Fishing Village Museum is spread over several preserved buildings in Å and tells the story of the Lofoten Fisheries over the past 200 years. The buildings have been preserved to show what things looked like between 1840 and 1960.
The museum is mostly outdoors and encompasses a large part of the village. You can walk around the various wooden buildings and harbour area. There are seven buildings that you can enter and all of them are from the 19th century. In some of the buildings there are museum guides telling stories about the buildings, what they were used for, and the people who lived there.
Museum
Lofoten Stockfish Museum
The Lofoten Stockfish Museum is devoted to explaining how the traditional stockfish is produced. After all, it is one of Norway’s oldest export commodities. The museum is inside a preserved landing station and shows the process from when the fish is brought ashore to when it is exported.
Hikes, Day Trips & Experiences
Looking to go for a hike or take part in a unique experience? Here are our recommendations!
Hiking
Tindstind
Tindstind (great name!) is a moderate hike that will take about 1.5 hours (2km). Tindstind is one of the last mountains on Lofoten which can be reached by trail. The trail begins on the north side of Lake Sørvågvatnet.
Road-Trips
Follow our road-trip guides for scenic trips around Å i Lofoten
The Lofoten Islands Tourist Road
In part one of the drive, we begin at Å and continue to Svolvaer.
Self-Guided Walks
Å i Lofoten on YouTube
Watch our YouTube videos featuring Å i Lofoten
The Lofoten Islands Tourist Road
In part one of the Lofoten Islands tourist road, we begin at Å and continue to Svolvaer.
Uniquely Å i Lofoten
Here are some things that you must do and try in Å i Lofoten
What's with the name?
The name Å is rather unique – not many places in the world have one letter for a name. The Å refers to a small river.
History of Å i Lofoten
Å i Lofoten was first mentioned in historic documents in 1567. For a period in the 19th century, Å was one of the largest fishing villages in Lofoten. There used to be two ruling families here: the Ellingsen family and the Nilsen/Hennum family. Normally in fishing villages there was one ruling family, so this is quite unique! Because of this, the village had two docks, two fish oil factories, two clusters of cabins, and so on. Of course, there were also two big manor houses – they stand side by side! The sixth generation of the Ellingsen family still lives in Å. Both of the manor houses are privately owned and not open to the public.
Å was a thriving fishing village until the 1960s. Today, most of the fishing industry has moved to other areas of Lofoten. Still, there is some fishing here.
Unique buildings in Å have been preserved, including a cod steamer from 1850, a bakery from 1844, several fisherman’s cabins, an old trading environment and more. Several of the houses are listed.
Å i Lofoten Today
Tourism is the main industry in Å, though the traditional cod fishing still takes place here.
Travel Information
Getting Here
Fly: No airport
Drive: Å i Lofoten is located at the end of the E10 highway that runs through the Lofoten Islands.
Train: No train access
Ferry: Ferries operate out of nearby Moskenes.
Getting Around
Everything in Å is within walking distance.
You must park at the large parking lot at the end of the E10 and walk into Å. Don’t worry – it’s a very short walk!
Shops
The Old Shop (Gammelbutikken) is where you can buy tickets to the Fishing Village Museum as well as a wide range of locally produced souvenirs and gear.
Places to Eat
Cafes & Bakeries
Å Bakery is a must visit. The Å Bakery was established in 1844 and all the bread and buns are baked in the wood-fired oven from 1878. The bakery is famous for its cinnamon buns, which may just be the best in Lofoten. Their selection of breads, pastries and buns changes every day, so be sure to check their Facebook. Also, the wrapping used for the cinnamon buns contains the recipe! https://www.facebook.com/bakerietia
Quick Bites
Reasonable Restaurants
High End & Unique Eats
Brygga Restaurant is the best place to try fresh seafood.
Places to Stay
Camping
Moskenesstraumen Camping is a nice campground on top of a cliff just south of the village.
Cabins & B&Bs
Chains & Mid-Range
Å Feskarbrygga Rorbuer is where you can stay in one of the old fishermens cabins.
High End & Unique Properties
One of the best places to stay in Å is the Å Rorbuer, located in the middle of the harbour and the village. These cabins vary from 1 to 4 bedrooms and come with a private bathroom, fully equipped kitchem, and a seating area.
Five minutes by car from Å is the Lofoten Rorbuhotell, which has an excellent restaurant and modern hotel rooms or cabins.
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