Alstahaug municipality in Norway has approximately 7.300 inhabitants spread across no less than 917 islands and islets of all shapes and sizes, the largest of which is called Alstenøya. Cultural life in the municipality is abundant and wide-ranging, and its history reaches way back in time. The well-known names from the Viking Age include Sigrid and Torolv Kveldulvson and Hårek of Tjøtta. We might also mention that the famous clergyman-poet Petter Dass lived in Alstahaug and was minister there from 1689. The principal industries are industry, commodity trade and agriculture. The Coastal Road runs through the municipality.

Sandnessjøen is the administrative centre of the borough of Alstahaug and is a major hub of communications in the outer regions of Helgeland. The main industries in the borough include the retail trade, public and private services, aquaculture, and mechanical service industries including shipbuilding and offshore activities that serve the oil industry off the coast of Helgeland. Regardless of the time of year you visit – with the mystical midnight sun, a spectacular thunderstorm or the magical Northern Lights.

SANDNESSJØEN

Sandnessjøen is the focal point of the surrounding district with daily arrivals and departures of buses, boats and plains. Sandnessjøen has a service centre with good shopping opportunities. It is also a natural startingpoint for trips out to the islands or other parts of Helgeland. The tourist information centre on the quayside provides visitors with information about the city and the surrounding district. The Coastal Steamer (Hurtigruten) has daily departures.

COASTAL STEAMER (HURTIGRUTA)

The World´s Most Beautiful Voyage is a voyage like no other. Nothing can compare with it. Nothing about this journey will resemble anything you have ever experienced before. A ticket for the Coastal Steamer is a ticket to the theatre, an 11-day drama in which new acts constantly unfold all around you. More information Coastal Steamer (Hurtigruten)

THE SEVEN SISTERS

The famous rock formation De Syv Søstre is easy to recognize from both sea and land. The altitude of the highest peak is 1.072 metres. All peaks can be reached without climbing equipment and there are marked trails. A race over all seven mountains tops is arranged periodically and the record, set in 1994, is 3 hours and 54 minutes. The mountains are, from north to south: Botnkrona 1.072 metres above sea level, Grytfoten 1.019 metres, Skjæringen 1.037 metres, the Twins (Tvillingene) 945 metres and 980 metres, Kvasstinden 1.010 metres and Breitinden / Stortinden 910 metres. Sandnessjøen Tourist Association has marked trails to each of the summits so that you can go safely from top to top on your own. There are books on each summit where you can sign your name. If you climb all the peaks you are eligible for a special diploma as proof of your achievement. Registration cards and maps of the trails are available at Sandnessjøen tourist information centre.

PETTER DASS

Throughout the ages, Alstahaug has become best known due to such prominent personalities as Petter Dass. He was born in Herøy in 1647 and lived there for the first six years of his life. At the age of 22, Petter Dass returned to Helgeland, first to Vefsn and Nesna, and then to Alstahaug, where he became minister in 1689. He was also writing, and his best-known works are The Trumpet of Nordland and the hymn “Mighty God”, to Thy dear Name be given Highest praise”. He lived in Alstahaug until his death in 1707.

PETTER DASS MUSEUM

Here you can gain an insight into how the poet-clergyman Petter Dass lived. The grounds accommodate a main building, a storehouse, a cookhouse/scullery, a well house, a chapel and down by the sea a quayside warehouse where boats and tackle help illustrate elements of coastal culture. A guided tour will give you insight into an important part of Norwegian history and culture. Guided tours are available between mid June and mid August.

HELGELAND BRIDGE

The 1065 metre long Helgeland Bridge connects Alstahaug Municipality to the mainland. When you drive along branch road Rv17 from the Helgeland Bridge towards the town centre, you will pass by the statue of an elk. This is to symbolize the borough of the elk, Alstahaug. The statue was erected in 1999 and was made by the sculptor Skule Waksvik. Elk can be seen all over the borough, and when the elk hunting season starts, it is not uncommon for them to be seen wandering down from the forest and along the streets, or helping themselves to goodies in people’s gardens.

ALSTAHAUG CHURCH

Judging by its style and construction, the oldest part of the church seems to have been erected around the year 1200 A.D. The church comprises together with Herøy Church and Dønnes Church, the so-called triangle churches, sharing several common attributes. The churches in Alstahaug and Dønna both have been furnished with the characteristic onion-shaped domes. After the year 1200 A.D. Alstahaug church has been extended, refurnished and last restored in the 1960’s. This was the main church of Petter Dass. When Mathias Bonsak Krogh was inaugurated as Bishop in 1804, Alstahaug Church served as a cathedral from 1805 until 1928 when the bishop died.

TJØTTA

The War Cemetery in Tjøtta (the Russian War Cemetery) The Soviet prisoners of war who died in North Norway during World War II, were buried in ordinary cemeteries. After the war, however, the Norwegian authorities decided that they should be moved and brought together in a common cemetery on state ground in Tjøtta. The cemetery was consecrated in 1953 and comprises an enclosed common grave to the north with 6,725 dead, and 826 individual graves to the south.

Tjøtta International War Cemetery

This cemetery was devoted to all of those who perished at the sinking of the troop transport ship “Rigel” on November 27, 1944. When the Germans retreated from the northern front and Finnmark in autumn 1944, large numbers of troops were transported by sea southwards along the coast of Norway. One of the ships used was the Rigel with 2,248 Russian POW´s, 103 German prisoners and some Serbs, Czechs and Norwegians on board. In addition to these were a few hundred German escort guards and a Norwegian crew, and it is assumed that there were 2,838 people on the ship. On November 27, 1944, allied aircraft attacked the Rigel. The ship sank and altogether 2,457 people perished. The event is considered one of the most significant shipwrecks in the world. The wreck lay partially submerged off the coast of Rosøya island until about 1970, but has now been removed. This cemetery was consecrated in 1970. All the graves are anonymous, but a memorial stone in the form of a cross has been erected on the site.

LEIKENGA

In 1949 traces of a very old settlement were found in Tjøtta. The finds were made at Leikenga and the site, which was altogether 80 by 150 metres, consisted of a group of 16 buildings dating back to the Age of Migration.

TJØTTA FARM

The first well-known person to own the Tjøtta farm estate was the scald Øyvind Finnson Skaldespiller in the 900’s A.D. Øyvind´s son, Hårek, took over the farm after his father’s death and was soon to become the most powerful man in Hålogaland. Hårek was killed at the Battle of Stiklestad in 1030 and his son Einar Fluga took over the farm. In 1930 the farm was bought by the state for 90,000 kroner. It then became a sheep breeding farm and has since 1948 been a research centre. Today´s name is Planteforsk Tjøtta.

TJØTTA CHURCH

The church that stands in Tjøtta today is the third in the line of churches, erected after the first two were wholly or in part destroyed by fire.

BELSVÅG FARM ESTATE

The Belsvåg Gård estate is situated at the head of Alstahaugvågen bay, and the oldest building on the farm dates back to the 1600´s. In 1804 Mathias Bonsak Krogh was inaugurated as bishop of the Northern regions and a year later he settled down in Belsvåg. In 1812 he bought the estate and lived there until his death in 1828. Today´s owner provides overnight accommodation in the manor, the lodge and in cabins in the grounds.

VETTFJELLET MOUNTAIN (244 meters)

In the old days beacons were burned here to warn of the approach of an enemy. Today there are trails up to the top, where you will have a unique view of Alstahaugtunet, the shipping lanes, island realm beyond and Søvik that was formerly the administrative centre of the borough of Alstahaug until Sandnessjøen took over in 1899.

SAGAGÅRDEN

Sandnesgården farm was originally a place of heathen worship. The sagas tell us that Sigurd Herse owned the farm in the 800´s and that he lived there with his daughter, Sigrid. Sigrid married Torolv Kveldulvson, and when Sigurd died in 873, they took over the farm and Torget near Brønnøysund. Today there are no traces left of the Sandnes farm.

TRO ISLAND

A approximately 4.000-year-old rock carving from Røøya, which documents skiing’s thousand-year history. At the base of Holmenkollen ski jump, the Ski Museum display the Skier from Tro. The rock carving from Tro was used under the XVII Olympic Winter Games in 1994 Lillehammer.

THE SKERRY

Skerry Cruise Ferry or express boat cruises are arranged to the skerries during the summer. The B/F Sigrid will take you out to the exciting island Dønna.

CYCLING

The coast of Helgeland is perfect for cycling. Your enjoyment of the natural surroundings will be more intimate and authentic from the seat of you bicycle. You decide yourself what speed to go at and how far to go, and you can stop whenever you like and enjoy the scenery- and your freedom. At the tourist information you can hire bikes and get information where to cycle.

SWIMMING

Breivika, the Riviera of Helgeland. Take a swim in the artic sea or just enjoy the scenery.

HIKING

Sandnessjøen Tourist Association has marked trails to each of the summits so that you can go safely from top to top on your own. There are books on each summit where you can sign your name. If you climb all the peaks you are eligible for a special diploma as proof of your achievement. Registration cards and maps of the trails are available at Sandnessjøen tourist information centre. The mountains, The Seven Sisters (De Syv Søstre)

The mountains are, from north to south: Botnkrona (1.072 metres), Grytfoten (1.019 metres), Skjæringen (1.037 metres), Tvillingene (the Twins, 945 and 980 metres), Kvasstinden (1.010 metres) and Breitinden / Stortinden (910 metres).

Vettfjellet, (244 meters)

In the old days beacons were burned here to warn of the approach of an enemy. Today there are trails up to the top, where you will have a unique view of Alstahaugtunet, the shipping lanes, island realm beyond and Søvik that was formerly the administrative centre of the borough of Alstahaug until Sandnessjøen took over in 1899.

HUNTING

At Alstahaug you can hunt for moose, goose and fox. You can get more information by Phone +47 95 14 62 97 (Jeger- og fiskeforeningen).

CANOEING

Guided trips, canoe and kayak rental. Shoreline paddling, trips ashore and overnight stays in a lavo (Sami tepee) elk safari with a taste, guided rambling in the Seven Sisters or Visten mountains.

DIVING

Some parts of the Norwegian coast are world famous for their underwater environment. Thanks to the Gulf Stream, which provides the coast of Nordland with relatively mild climate, scuba diving is possible all year round. The coast of Helgeland is perfect for scuba diving and is said to be an Eldorado for divers. You can for example explore old shipswreck or dive for shells. Hunting or fishing under water is aloud and can be done with a knife, spear or harpoon. Anglerfish and wolf fish make particularly tasty prey.

SAILING

M/S Gamle Helgeland was built in 1954 and was delivered from A/S Stord to Helgelandske Dampskipselskap in Sandnessjøen the 8th of July 1954. The ship sailed in many of the company´s routes from 1954 to 1977 when she was sold. From 1977 until 2003 the ship was in service by the Norwegian Coast Guard as inspection vessel. Today this ship has veteran status as a part of the ship cultural heritage in Norway. The ship will be re constructed to have the same design as she had in 1977. M/S Gamle Helgeland is able to carry 90 passengers in a day voyages around the islands on the coast of Helgeland. Furthermore she is able to carry 12 passengers in 2 bed cabins with shower and wc in the corridor. The ship is a very good alternative for companies-groups or for private persons who wants to experience something else in their holiday. Here you will find 1954 atmosphere! The passenger saloon can be arranged for up too 60 persons for dinner.

FISHING

The coast of Helgeland is suitable for fishing, and in all four muncipalitys, Herøy, Alstahaug, Leirfjord and Dønna, it is easy to find good fishing spots. You can fish with a rod from the shore, or go out to sea in a boat. Regard to what you do, you will probably catch one fish at least. The sea fishing in Helgeland is exceptionally good! Sport fishing in the sea for saltwater fish is free of charge. Foreign citizens may engage in sports fishing with hand held tackle, but may not set out fixed equipment such as lobster/crab pots or nets, fishing lines or fishing nets. Foreign citizens are not permitted to sell their catch. Be aware that there are a number of special rules in regards to fishing. Remember to purchase a fishing licence. Usual fishes are: Cod, Saithe (Coalfish), Haddock, Tusk, Wolffish, Mackerel, Herring, Redfish, Atlantic halibut, Atlantic salmon and Trout.

GOLF

Alsten Golfclub is a golf course with 6 holes and a variation of difficulties. The course lies at Breimo Farm, approximately 6 km south of Sandnessjøen.