DINA_Vegaøyan brosjyre NY eng 15-04-05 10:39 Side 1

Norwegian world heritage sites History Eider ducks do not build nests as such, but instead lay their Strandlines that mark former levels of the sea around the Vega eggs openly, often on the ground, on a bed of down. To give 1 The Rock Carvings in Alta coastline carry many remains of Stone Age settlements. The them better concealment, shelter and protection, the islanders first Vega people lived here in a damp, stormy climate with a have developed the tradition of building attractive nesting places 2 The Vega Archipelago summer temperature four degrees lower than it is today. for these birds with the valuable down. These may be stone 3 Røros Mining town Numerous new islands gradually rose from the sea allowing constructions, simpler wooden structures made out of driftwood, VEGA the people to extend their territory. Over the past 1500 years, or small houses with space for several birds. A pile of dried 4 Urnes stave church generations of islanders have evolved a livelihood based on a seaweed is shaped into the foundation of a nest. 5 Bryggen in Bergen combination of fishing, hunting, sealing, farming and collecting eggs and down. The duck places down in her nest to conceal and warm her archipelago 1 eggs. The colder the area she nests in, the more down she places in her nest. When the chicks leave the nest, the bird tenders can collect the down and start the laborious process of

Skjærvær. Photo: Svein Mjaatveit Skjærvær. drying, shaking, rough-cleaning, screening and ultimately fine- Great Cormorant. Photo: Lars Løfaldli Great the 9th century. Throughout the Middle Ages and on to the cleaning the down. 50-60 nests give a kilo of cleaned down, just present day, collecting eggs and down from wild eider ducks enough to fill a perfect Norwegian quilt. has been an important livelihood on the Helgeland coast. The No down fill is as light and warms as well as the wispy down tradition of collecting down to fill quilts is still upheld on several from eider duck breasts. Unlike the down from other ducks and islands in the World Heritage Area. The work is performed in the from geese, eider down has small barbs which allow it to cling The Vega Archipelago 2 original manner, but on a much smaller scale than previously. together to provide admirable insulation.

Where: The eider ducks return to their breeding ground in the Vega Vega municipality in Nordland county Archipelago in February and March, and form flocks around the Size: islands in April. The females always return to the same breeding 1.037 km2 sea and land area

Strandflat coast. Photo: Birger Lindstad Strandflat coast. Photo: Birger sites, and after finding a choice spot to nest, they lay their eggs How to get to Vega: from May into June. The males then leave the breeding site. Car ferry from Horn to Igerøy on the island Vega. Express boat service 3 Bennett AS from Brønnøysund to Rørøy on Vega, and from Sandnessjøen to Kirkøy The newly hatched chicks stay in the nest for a couple of days on Vega. You reach Brønnøysund and Sandnessjøen by Route 17, by The Vega Archipelago consists of fifteen groups of small before starting their hazardous walk down to the sea. They swim plane or with the Coastal Express. 4 islands (øyvær), and 59 of the islands have been inhabited. with their mother for the rest of the summer. The ducks and Access in the World Heritage Area: To protect the birdlife, there is no access on shore in the 5 Such a group of inhabited and uninhabited islands and islets drakes do not meet up in the wintering areas before late forms a social entity. All the buildings in one of these groups, autumn. By then, the drakes have moulted and regained their Lånan/Skjærvær Nature Reserve from 15th April until 31st July. Skjærvær, have been legally protected. The settlement is tight- beautiful, white plumage, the ring has come full circle and Information on accommodation and other services: Vega Tourist Information, Tel. +47 75 03 53 88 ly grouped round the best harbour. Between the houses and courting begins once more. Brønnøysund Tourist Information, Tel. +47 75 01 12 10 spread across neighbouring islands and islets are small pat- More information: ches of arable land, haymaking land, pastures and simple, Vega municipality, Tel. +47 75 03 58 00, www.vega.kommune.no small houses built to shelter nesting wild eider ducks. The County Governor of Nordland, Tel. +47 75 53 15 00, www.fylkesmannen.no/nordland harbour at Skjærvær is now a convenient base near the fishing Internet sites: grounds for fishermen living in inner parts of the archipelago. www.verdensarvvega.no Many kinds of beacons form an important part of the land- www.nwhf.no scape in the hazardous, rock-strewn waters. Recycling of whc.unesco.org Photo: Ann Elin Bratset buildings and variations in building traditions are a characteristic feature of the region. Driftwood and flotsam and jetsam have always been important building materials. The Vega Archipelago Directorate for Tending eider ducks – a unique interplay Nature Management was inscribed on UNESCO`s Directorate for Cultural Heritage between people and nature Postbox 8196 Dep. 0034 Oslo - Norway 7485 Trondheim - Norway The tending of eider ducks is mentioned as an occupation in World Heritage List in 2004 Phone: +47 22 94 04 00 Phone: +47 73 58 05 00 Norway in a documentary source from as early as the end of Skjærvær. Photo: Birger Lindstad Photo: Birger Skjærvær. Telefax: +47 22 94 04 04 Telefax: +47 73 58 05 01 Eggs and down. Photo: Lars Løfaldli Eider duck. Photo: Lars Løfaldli http://www.ra.no http://www.dirnat.no DINA_Vegaøyan brosjyre NY eng 15-04-05 10:39 Side 2

unesco the vega archipelago The Vega Archipelago UNESCO is the abbreviation for the ”United Nations The Vega Archipelago on the Helgeland coast comprises Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization”. UNESCO’s 1037 square kilometres of open cultural landscape made up goal is to contribute to peace and safety through international of a myriad of islands, islets and skerries, where fishing and cooperation within these areas. The organization was trapping have been taking place for ten thousand years. As established in 1945, and Norway became a member in 1946. the first islands gradually became settled, the characteristic landscape was shaped little by little through the interplay The UNESCO convention for the protection of the between fisherman-farmers and inhospitable, but rich nature. Bryggen in Bergen worlds cultural and natural heritage. Dreyer Photo: Riksantikvaren/Andreas The Vega Archipelago is not famous for large monuments or The convention for the protection of the worlds cultural and the ingenious creations of architects. Its universal value lies in natural heritage was approved in 1972, after cultural heritage the way the area has handed down history and cultural and natural areas were increasingly under threat from war, traditions evolved on an exposed coast with rich natural natural disasters, pollution, tourism or more simply, neglect. resources. New commercial enterprises have left few traces to break the long lines back in time. The Vega Archipelago is not self-explanatory for those The convention encourages all countries to promote the travelling through the landscape for the first time. But if you protection of cultural and natural heritage of both local and have an eye for detail, the history of the toils and pleasures of national significance. The most important goal of the convention

generations become clearly apparent. Today, the island Søla. Photo: Lars Løfaldli is to identify cultural and natural heritage of universal value. landscape stands out as a living witness to the life and work The need for a coordinated effort, both human and economic, of islanders inhabiting an extremely exposed coast. was demonstrated by the international rescue of cultural Coastal nature – the frame surrounding life Urnes stave church and work

heritage monuments in Egypt and Nubia, when the Aswan Photo : Harald Ibenholt The Vega Archipelago was inscribed on the World Heritage Parts of the Norwegian west coast are fringed by a strand- dam was built in the 1960’s. Sixty countries, including Norway, List in 2004. flat. A strandflat coast typically consists of numerous low participated. The committee justified its decision as follows: The Vega archipelago reflects the way generations of islands and scattered coastal peaks. This type of land- fishermen/farmers have, over the past 1500 years, maintained a scape is only found in a few other parts of the world. The Cultural and natural heritage can include monuments, single sustainable living in an inhospitable seascape near the Arctic strandflat in the Vega Archipelago is all of 30 kilometers buildings or groups of buildings, cultural landscapes or natural Circle, based on the now unique practice of eider down harvesting, wide, and the World Heritage Area contains more than areas. These can be created by nature, or by people in and it also celebrates the contribution made by women to the 6500 islands, islets and skerries. The peaks on Vega and cooperation with nature. They can be buildings that represent eider down process. Søla form towering coastal mountains. important historic developments, or natural phenomena of A marked bedrock boundary divides the World Heritage exceptional esthetic or scientific value. Area in two. Calcareous rocks dominate the northern half, giving a rich flora, while the bedrock is acid and the Norway ratified the convention on May 12, 1977. The World vegetation poorer in the south. Not only people have derived benefit from the rich maritime Heritage Committee has so far approved five Norwegian Røros Mining town Photo : Trond Taugbøl Photo : Trond resources of the Vega Archipelago. As many as 222 nominations to the World Heritage List: species of birds have been observed in the archipelago, Bryggen in Bergen (1979), Urnes stave church (1979), Røros which is considered to be the most important wintering Mining town (1980), The Rock Carvings in Alta (1985) and the area for seabirds in the Nordic region. A significant part of Vega Archipelago (2004). the Svalbard population of barnacle geese rests in the Vega Archipelago on its passage northwards. The largest colony of cormorants in the world breeds on one of the Further information conserning the worlds cultural and outermost skerries in the west. A number of sanctuaries natural heritage; have been designated to preserve this outstanding birdlife UNESCO’s web site, whc.unesco.org and it is forbidden to land there during the breeding The Norwegian Directorate for Cultural Heritage’s season. web site, www.ra.no

The Rock carvings in Alta Eider duck house. Photo: Lars Løvfaldli Photo : Riksantikvaren/Arve Kjersheim Photo : Riksantikvaren/Arve