Facts About Vesterålen
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FACTS ABOUT VESTERÅLEN Vesterålen is a cluster of remarkable and 13th centuries the stockfish trade years old. A dark mineral, resembling land. From the mountains at Sellevoll you islands, located 200 km within the with Bergen started, and caused a tran- Gabbro is found at Åsanfjorden in the Bø may see how the mounds form a pattern Arctic Circle. 35.000 people live in this sition to money-based economy. One of municipality, dated back some 3500 mill. looking like a flat cone-shaped cake. The archipelago of unspoiled beauty. the consequences was a change in the years. More recent minerals (400–600 Bog-Ashpodel with beautiful yellow flo- Westwards, facing the Norwegian population pattern, increasing the num- mill. years) are found on Andøya, betwe- wers grow on the poor marshland. The sea; a ragged alpine landscape of ne- ber of people in the fishing districts. The en Dverberg and Skogvollvatn, and a common trees in Vesterålen are Birch, edlesharp peaks. To the east; the wa- later Middle Ages was a period of narrow zone of even younger minerals Roan and Willow. European Bird Cherry terways of the coastal express stea- growth, caused by the stockfish trade (100–150 mill years) between Ramså and Grey-Alder are relatively rare, and mer, bordered by wide beaches and with the Hanseatic League. At this time and Haugnes, the latter the most recent pines are planted in parts of the region. small communities huddled closely people started to settle in villages, such mineral found ashore in Norway. Rich de- Sigerfjord is famous for the beautiful villa together. In the centre of the islands as Andenes and Langenes. posits of fossils, oil and coal are found in gardens, where foreign trees grow, indi- are vast areas of marsh with creeks Ecclesiastical art from Holland and the same area. The landscape in cating a favourable local climate. The and ponds. Vesterålen offers a dis- Northern Germany is partly preserved Vesterålen was shaped over the last 2 rectory garden in Hadsel was earlier tinct flora, rich birdlife, plentiful deep- from this period. The altarpiece of million years (Quarternary Period). The known for its collection of rare species of sea and fresh-water fishing, beautiful Hadsel church (1520) is particularly no- high mountain areas often have a plain primula. scenery and picturesque fishing ham- teworthy. The Stockfish trade made or slightly rippled surface, e.g. Staveheia lats. Vesterålen dependent upon the on Andøya and Langøya mountains give Birdlife European trade cycles. The falling price a craggy and ragged impression. The Mt. The northern location and the varied na- Communications of fish and the rising price of grain during Reka northwest of Eidsfjord, and the ture of Vesterålen ensure rich bird-life. Coastal express steamers call daily at the 16th and 17th centuries led to consi- mountains between Stave and Bleik are The sea around the islands is very rich Risøyhamn, Sortland and Stokmarknes. derable poverty. But the centuries experi- typical examples. Between the mountain and plentiful, providing a feeding place 5 bridges link the islands together and enced growth periods, and mobility of plateau and the beach there is a steep for the large colonies of birds. Amongst connect them with the mainland. Several the population. Every summer and au- slope. The coastal plains, the slopes and these Artic Seahorse and Gannet are daily flights to the airports at Andenes tumn small cargo boats sailed to Bergen, many of the valleys were shaped by gla- well represented. Nykan near Bø, and and Stokmarknes, and Evenes airport is loaded with stockfish and cod liver oil, ciers, while the mountain plateaus only the Bleiksøya are the most famous roo- also within reach. The bus services are salt, beer, clothes and commodities. This partly were formed by the icecaps. Some keries. During the winter there are good frequent within the region, and there are trade ensured regular contact with the mountains on the coastal plains are rem- hibernating areas for Auk and Sea- direct connections to the railway stations outside world. Merchants from Bergen nants of the erosion, e.g. Bleiksøya and Ducks, and the rare White-Billed Diver is at Narvik and Fauske as well. It’s easy to and Trondheim had a monopoly of trade Gaukværøy. The highest watermarks in a common sight in the sounds between drive to Vesterålen from Narvik, (connec- in the northern part of Norway. But gra- the west are 20–25 meters above sea-le- the islands. In Vesterålen all the common tion to E-6). The new road to Kiruna me- dually, independent trade activities star- vel, and in Hadselfjord, Sortlandsund sea-birds at this latitude can be found. ans a regular route to Sweden. However, ted due to the innkeeper (trading and and Risøysund 30–40 meters above the Visitors from the South may find the travellers coming on the E-6 from the conveyance) licenses of the 1770s. sea-level. After the last glacial epoch mountain areas, the birch woods and the south will find the ferry Bognes– Successful herring fisheries from 1861 about 15–20.000 years ago, many mo- vast marshland areas most interesting, Lødingen the easiest route. The ferry meant that the district prospered, and led raines were deposited on Andøya, especially on Andøya. The Black-tailed connection Melbu–Fiskebøl takes you to to the establishment of many seine fis- Langøya and the northern part of Lofoten. hing stations and several steamship Hinnøya. companies. There was a considerable In the old days… migration from the southern parts of Flora and vegetation We still know fairly little about the oldest Norway. The population grew from 8.670 Demanding vegetation is not common in history of Vesterålen, but continnous ex- in 1855, to 22.460 in 1900. In 1893 Vesterålen because hard and acid rocks cavations bring new knowledge. The ol- Vesteraalen Steamship Company together with steep and shady landsca- dest known traces of settlements in (OVDS) initiated the first weekly coastal pe occur in most places. The valley bot- Vesterålen date back to 5.000 years B. «express», steamer between Trondheim toms and the steep hillsides are often co- C. The first islanders lived by fishing and and Hammerfest. vered with birches. Black crowberry and hunting, and migrated seasonally. dwarf corner grow on the woodland floor. Cultivation of grain and cattle breeding Style of building Hillsides have rich fren vegetation. were known as far back as 1400 B. C. The old dwellings in Vesterålen resemb- Heathberry, Bilberry, Matgrass and Traces are found of settlements recogni- led peat-huts. The loghouse became Mountain Lady’s Mantle are common on sable as farms; i.e. dwellinghouses and common during the 17th century. The the treeless plateaus. Near Ramheia and barns encircling a yard, dating back to ground floor of the earlier loghouses had Røyken (400 m) on the northern edge of the beginning of the Christian era. The 2–3 rooms. One could walk upright on Andøya there are large concentrations of Puffin houses were made of timber, and the in- the ground floor only in the loft, the win- various mountain-plants. The drift-sand sulation and roofing material were clay dows were on the short sides of the hou- areas near Bleik (on Andøya) and near Godwit, common in the southern parts of and stone. se, squeezed in between the rafters and Bø (on Langøya) are particularly worth Europe, is rare in Norway, and only nests During the first thousand years A. D. the- the floor, and one could walk upright only seeing. At the end of July all the mea- on Andøya. The White-tailed eagle lives re was a tremendous increase in the below the ridge pole. The entrance was dows are completely covered in white in the mountain areas and by the coast. number of settlements in Vesterålen. Not located on the leeward side, and led di- Burnet Saxifrage, and you may find Some parts of Vesterålen are frequently only the good agricultural areas became rectly into the kitchen. Until the end of the herbs and beautiful wild flowers, such as visited by migrating geese, both more densely populated, but also outly- 19th century, practically all houses were Harebell and Wild Betony. Near the be- Barnacle Geese and Pink-Footed Geese ing areas such as Gaukværøy in Bø. roofed with peat. Even the loghouses of ach a belt of bluish green lyme grass breed in Vesterålen. Invasions of birds During the Viking Age (800–1050) fixed the upper class were relatively modest, grow among Yellow Lady's Slippers, etc. from the east, e.g. Woodpie and settlements became more common. This and rarely with 2 full storeys. The majori- The occurence of Kobresia Myosuroides Waxwings, are often observed in is seen today from the farm mounds ty of houses were long and narrow, sel- in the drib sand areas near Bleik, is per- Vesterålen. where house remnants and refuse are dom more than 5 meters wide. Until haps a remnant of the glacial epoch, deposited in thick layers. During the 12th about 1850 there were few houses of in- when Andøya supposedly had icefree Life in the ocean ternational design in Vesterålen. The areas. The only place in Scandinavia All the common fishes in Northern shape of the house was more often de- where it is possible to study the 20.000 Norway are found in Vesterålen, such as termined by climate, accessible building year history of vegetation is from the bot- Cod, Haddock, Pollack, Tusk, Ling material and social needs, than by style. tom depositions of Lake Endletvatn and Rosefish, Halibut, Herring and Salmon.