Vågsøy muncipality in Norway has approximately 6.050 inhabitants and covers a area of 176,4 km2. Fishing, fish-farming and shipbuilding are the most important for settling and employment in Vågsøy. Vågsøy is the second biggest fishing municipality in the country and one of Norway´s most modern fish-processing plants is situated here. Nordfjord consists of the municipalities of Stryn, Hornindal, Gloppen, Eid, Bremanger, Vågsøy and Selje. A journey along the Nordfjord offers an exceptional variety of scenery ranging from blue glacier arms and towering mountains to fertile valleys and deep lakes, and taking you right out to the coast and the relentless breakers of the Stadhavet sea. The Huffington post has Nordfjord as The Most Relaxing Places On Earth.
The Jostedalsbreen glacier gives the rivers and lakes a special green hue that is found only near the glacier. Here, there is plenty of refreshing water and fresh air for everyone. The noumerous attractions of Nordfjord lie waiting for you. You can take part in some of our many activities or just wander in the sun along white sandy beaches, breathing in the fresh air. Or maybe you would like to explore our cultural history? Regardless of where you are, whether on the glacier or mountains, by the fjord or sea, you will find the small idyllic places that you’ve always been looking for. Such places that you can only see afterwards by closing your eyes.
Måløy attained town status in 1997. It lies by Ulvesundet sound on the island of Vågsøy, after which the municipality is named, and is joined to the mainland by a 1.224 metre long bridge, an impressive structure that forms a majestic gateway for all sea-going traffic. 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. See the pictures from the Coastal Steamer taken by one of our passengers.
THE KANNE STONE
Over thousands of years, ocean waves have ground the rock to the special shape it has today. You find it in the village of Oppedal, approximately 10 km west of the centre of Måløy. Every year many visitors come to Oppedal to take a closer look at the stone. The Kannestein or Kanne Stone was formed by loose stones and the pounding of the waves over a period of thousands of years, and stands today as a 4 – 5 metre high, narrow-footed rock. This is caused by stones having split loose, which have knocked and gnawed at the rockface until they have become polished and rounded. Loose stones have then worked themselves deeper into the rock. New stones have come, and in time the potholes have become deeper and wider. Several potholes near to each other have been polished for so long that the sides have been rubbed away, leaving just the middle section, such as the Kanne Stone.
THE FJORD HORSE
The Døla stallion “Rimfakse” was bought in to Nordfjord at the end of the 19th century. The intention was to use him for breeding purposes to make the Fjord horse a bigger and sturdier working horse, but after some time weaknesses became apparent in Rimfakse’s descendants. Their colouring was unattractive and they became bad-tempered. At a meeting in Innvik a decision was made to remove horses of Døla descent from breeding.
The Fjord stallion Njål, sold to Sunnmøre in Rimfakse’s time, was bought back and along with his descendants devoted 100% to breeding. Njål from Oppstryn is therefore reckoned to be the common ancestor of all today’s Fjord horses both in Norway and abroad. You can get better acquainted with these beautiful beasts by visiting one of the riding schools in Nordfjord and letting the Fjord horse itself give you a guided tour of its beautiful realm.
VÅGSBERGET
In 1636 trader Didrik Fester from Bergen came to Vågsberget to open a trading business. There was probably trading activity and an inn before Fester´s arrival, and the trading post at Vågsberget has changed hands several times throughout the years. Restoration work is being carried out on Vågsberget but the café and exhibition is open in summer and guided tours are available. Exhibition featuring old fishing boats and equipment. Open by arrangement for functions or guided tours.
SILDA
Silda the island in Sildagapet bay is an old fishing community, which in its heyday had a population of 150 who made a living from fishing and farming. Its current winter population is only about 30, while in summer it is host to several hundred people, staying in holiday houses and cabins. The island has a very special restaurant perched on a rock out in the southern harbour. There are also cabins for rent there. The impressive jetty in Silda’s northern harbour was started in the 1860s and completed in the 20th century. Boating people will find a sheltered, well-equipped guest marina in the northern harbour with amenities such as showers, washing machine/ tumble drier and electricity. With the exception of a few tractors, the island is “car free”, but it has good cycling and walking tracks, footpaths and excellent walking terrain. A regular boat service runs to and from Måløy several times a day.
LIGHTHOUSES
Vågsøy municipality has four impressive lighthouses. They are situated far out on steep crags with the foaming sea as their nearest neighbour. Three of them are open daily and are available for let for short or long periods.
KRÅKENES LIGHTHOUSE
A weather station that collects important information, the lighthouse, which offers great views of the ocean at Stadhavet, lies at the most northerly and weather beaten point on the island of Vågsøy and is accessible by road. When the weather is stormy it is a tremendous experience to stand at a safe distance from the foaming waves studying the frenzied ocean. Kråkenes Lighthouse opens its lighthouse café in the summerseason. Accomodation also available.
SKOGNSNES LIGHTHOUSE
A automatic lighthouse. No road access. One hour`s walk from Halsør in easy hiking terrain. Beautiful view towards Stadhavet. Ytre Nordfjord Turlag, which is affiliated to the Norwegian Mountain touing Association (DNT), has the use of this lighthouse and it offers overnight accommodation and day visits.
HENDANES LIGHTHOUSE
A automatic lighthouse on the west side of the Torskanger inlet. Short walk from the road. Beautiful view towards Stadhavet and Klovningen.
ULVESUND LIGHTHOUSE
Lies at Hjertnes on the mainland just above Raudeberg. Country road to Osmundsvåg. Overnight stay possible. Good parking. Easy accessible by road or by boat. Café, courses, culture. Open daily in summer and every weekend throughout the year.
Nordfjord is a traditional district of Norway. The region is located in the northern part of Sogn & Fjordane. The Nordfjord region covers an area of about 4,295 square kilometres.
The fjord is the sixth longest in Norway stretching 106 kilometres from the island of Husevågøy at the mouth to the village of Loen at the other end. The region encompasses the rough coastline of the Stadlandet peninsula to the Jostedalsbreen, Europe´s largest mainland glacier. The region also includes the Hornindalsvatnet lake, Europe´s deepest lake at 514 metres below sea level. The glacier Briksdalsbreen is particularly scenic. The Stryn area provides year-round alpine skiing, and there are numerous old fishing communities along the fjord going back to pre-Viking times.
REFVIKSANDEN BEACH
Refviksanden Beach with its beautiful silver sand, this 1,5 km long beach is one of Norway´s finest swimming beaches. Refvik is approximately 10 km from Måløy. Municipal campsite with WCs and showers. Pitches for tents, caravans and camper vans.
FISHING
Eidselva river is a good salmon river. There´s also plenty of fish in the Eidsfjord. Nordfjord is a veritable Eldorado for angling in lakes and rivers. If you are looking for good sea fishing, you cannot do any better than outer Nordfjord. Here you can catch a huge cod or the salmon of your dreams, not to mention other delicacies such as wolf fish and monkfish! The fishing in this area is rich and varied, and it is possible to catch most of the different kinds of fish that live along the coast.
Sea-angling trips are available from Bremanger and Selje. You can take a trip on a fishing boat with a local expert, take a boat out yourself or take your fishing rod out to a headland or some rocks. The whole of the Nordfjord coast is rich in fish and there are plenty of opportunities for angling all year round.
There is great variation here between fjord fishing, fishing in among the islands and skerries and deep-sea fishing. You can catch most kinds of fish in this area. The currents and the nutritional content of the seawater make for unusually rich fishing. The most common species of fish are cod, haddock, saithe, pollack and mackerel. A certain amount of deepwater fish such as tusk and ling are also caught in the area. In Kalvåg in autumn and early winter you can go fishing for crabs, either using crab pots or by raking them directly off the rocks.
The municipalities issue a joint fishing permit for inland fishing that covers more than 500 lakes and rivers. Fishing permits are available for salmon and trout in ten or so river systems. Up the fjord arms and valleys you will find large, deep “fjord lakes” offering good inland fishing. These often have good stocks of trout and char.
GOLF
Vågsøy Golfclub is under construction.