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Leknes is a town in Nordland county, Norway. The town is also the administrative center of the municipality of Vestvågøy (with 10,764 inhabitants, it is the most populous municipality in Lofoten and Vesterålen). The 2.37-square-kilometre (590-acre) town has the population density of 1,340 inhabitants per square kilometer (3,500/sq mi). Leknes was designated a "town" in 2002.
The town is situated in the geographical middle of the Lofoten archipelago on the island of Vestvågøya. It is approximately 68 kilometers (42 mi) west of the town of Svolvær and 65 kilometers (40 mi) east of the village of Å in Moskenes. Leknes is one of the few towns in Lofoten that does not depend on fisheries and does not have its town center by the sea. Because of this, and because of its rapid growth... Read more
Leknes is a town in Nordland county, Norway. The town is also the administrative center of the municipality of Vestvågøy (with 10,764 inhabitants, it is the most populous municipality in Lofoten and Vesterålen). The 2.37-square-kilometre (590-acre) town has the population density of 1,340 inhabitants per square kilometer (3,500/sq mi). Leknes was designated a "town" in 2002.
The town is situated in the geographical middle of the Lofoten archipelago on the island of Vestvågøya. It is approximately 68 kilometers (42 mi) west of the town of Svolvær and 65 kilometers (40 mi) east of the village of Å in Moskenes. Leknes is one of the few towns in Lofoten that does not depend on fisheries and does not have its town center by the sea. Because of this, and because of its rapid growth in recent years, it does not have the same traditional wooden architecture as most other towns in Lofoten, and may thus not be as picturesque as its neighboring fishing villages. However, the natural surroundings are among the most stunning in Norway, with mountains, peaks, cliffs, and white sandy beaches.
The town's harbor Leknes Havn is one of Norway's most important and visited harbors for cruise ships. The old school in the Fygle neighborhood has been converted into a museum. Hol Church is located on the eastern edge of the town. Leknes is a "twin town" with the nearby village of Gravdal, where one branch of the Nordland Hospital is located. Gravdal is located about 4 kilometers (2.5 mi) southwest of Leknes. In Leknes, the sun (midnight sun) is above the horizon from May 26 to July 17, and in winter the sun does not rise from December 9 to January 4.
The main islands are easily covered by car. The E10 route links Hanøy in the extreme Northeast of Austvagøy island and Å at the Southwestern tip of Moskenesøy through a series of bridges. Although the archipelago may look small on the map, the full crossing is a good 180 km along the E10 on a very windy road, with the usual Norwegian speed limits. However, due to the state of the roads don't expect to average much more than 50 kph. At the southeastern tip, around Reine, the road furthermore becomes very narrow, so take your time along the way.
All the other secondary roads radiate from the E10 but note that some are even windier and narrower.
Also note, that petrol is available only in the larger towns, so make sure you fill up when you get a chance.
Most places can be reached by bus. Students get a 50% discount on long trips.
If you plan to visit the southernmost islands of Lofoten, i.e. Værøy or Røst, you will need to take a ferry from Moskenes. Værøy is an around 1.5 hours sailing trip from Moskenes, and another approx. 2 hours to Røst.
There are (fairly expensive) bikes for hire at various points around the islands and the E10, as a usually relatively unpopulated highway makes a good cycle path for short trips. In addition, there are occasional cycle lanes, usually on bridges or around the outside of the many tunnels.
The main attraction of the archipelago is its majestic scenery. The coastline is dominated by high mountains cut by fjords, as well as sandy white beaches.
Apart from the scenery, the fishing history of the archipelago is visible in several little villages all around the coast. Nusfjord and the lovely Å are prime examples. The Lofoten has many traditional fishermen red cabins built on the seashore or over stilts (the rorbu), and it is even possible to stay in one.
In the summer, you can enjoy the midnight sun. In Leknes, the sun remains above the horizon from May 26 to July 17. The midnight sun is best viewed from the western beaches, such as the Vestvågøy Island beaches Utakleiv and Eggum.
When there is midnight sun, there is a polar night, and in winter the sun does not rise from December 9 to January 4. The archipelago is at a good latitude to admire the Northern lights, but from the end of April to September, the nights might be a little too clear.
The beaches of Lofoten are also quite renowned. Utakleiv was ranked as the number one most romantic beach in Europe by the British newspaper The Times, and the neighboring Hauklandsstranden is ranked by the Norwegian newspaper Dagbladet as the best beach in Norway. Eggum was chosen to be the millennial spot in Vestvågøy and in 2007 an amphitheater was created here (designed by Norwegian architects Snøhetta, designers of the library in Alexandria).
Norwegian... but as usual for touristic destinations in Scandinavia, English should get you everywhere.
LOCAL TIME
12:22 am
January 17, 2021
Europe/Oslo
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The ship is on a tender in Leknes (Lofoten, Norway), passengers are transported to the shore by boats. You can get from the pier to the center of the village on a free shuttle, there's absolutely nothing to do in Leknes . That's why we took a tour and it... |
At 7:30 a.m. the MS "Midnatsol" left Bodo and made its way north. That night, we came across one of the most unusual sites. It was a 63 miles (102 kilometer) journey from the high seas to the
Lofoten Islands, then we became acquainted with one of the most impressive
Norwegian archipelagoes... |
Having left
Svolver
and toured several islands, the MS "Midnatsol" sailed to the Raftsundet strait that separates the Lofoten archipelago from the Continent (though, strictly speaking, to the right is not the continent but the large island of Hine, adjacent to the continent).
Here, in... |