Wharf apartment in Sørvågen - Lofoten

Sørvågen, a fishing village in the Lofoten archipelago. Here you can take a dip in the ocean, a hike in the mountains, enjoy amazing local food at restaurants, all within walking distance. Or if you want you can simply sit and enjoy the view, it's all up to you! The wharf was originally used for fishing, storing and preparing gear, later my grandfather built an apartment on the upper floor, and it is this that you can now rent as a starting point for your adventure in Lofoten! The space The location is fantastic, at the end of a one-way road down what is called "Stoltenberg headland", here it is quiet and peaceful with a short distance to shops and restaurants (5-10 minutes walk), and the foot of the mountain is 15 minutes away, then you have a bunch of different hiking routes to choose from! The wharf which contains the apartment itself stands partly on stilts out into the sea, the Stoltenberg headland points to the south-west, so from here you have a view of the mountain Støvla and the rest of the "Lofoten wall" beyond, when the weather is nice you can see the islands of Mosken, Værøy and Røst far out into the sea. The apartment is approximately 80-90m2, it is extremely spacious in the main room where there is a high ceiling with an open living room-kitchen solution. The apartment is refurbished a bit every year, so parts of it show signs of use and age, but you still have everything you need, a good sofa group where you can rest your legs after a long day, a kitchen with everything you need for cooking , a dining table with room for eight people and plenty of floor space! Because of the high ceiling height in the open kitchen-living room area it can be a bit chilly on colder days, there are blankets by the sofa group, and other than this you might find that you need to put on some warm clothes, especially if you are used to warmer climates. The main bedroom has recently been painted and got a new electrical system, here there is room for two people in a double bed, and there is also an old crib in case there is a child that needs a safe place to sleep. The annexe has recently been painted and got a new electrical system, here there is room for two people. There is two single beds, which can also be placed next to each other so it becomes a double bed. In the loft has recently been painted, there are two sleeping alcoves each with a single bed, one bed can be moved if you want a double bed solution. In the summer in good weather, it quickly gets hot in the loft, so it is recommended to ventilate with the windows up there! The bathroom is of an older character but has a shower cubicle and washing machine if there is a need to wash some clothes. Outside, there is a large patio with a big table and chairs, as well as a bench made from old rods that have previously been used to hang stockfish on. From the patio, there are steps up to the mound, where it is absolutely lovely to sit and look out over the sea. There is also a staircase down from the patio to the gravelled parking space. Furthermore, guests will have access to the floating jetty if they want to take a dip in the sea, fish or catch crabs, but please be considerate if there are boats at the floating jetty or that there are other people there, the floating jetty itself is a joint property between those who own the different properties on the Stoltenberg headland so no one has an exclusive right to use it. Be aware that depending on the weather and season the gangway to the floating jetty might not have been set out. Guest access As a guest, you have access to the entire apartment, which is located on the 2nd floor of the wharf, and you can freely walk around the mound above where there is stairs leading up. Parking is in the gravelled area between the property on which the wharf is located, and the neighboring property where the big open graveled are for turning cars around is. You can also use the floating jetty located on the end of the headland, the floating jetty is joint property between those who own properties on the "Stoltenberg headland", everyone has the right to use it, but must show consideration for each other. Other things to note From the apartment, there are many things you can do within walking distance, you can leave the car and still have enough things to do to fill a whole week with activities! - There are two food shops on Sørvågen, a Matkroken shop which is just under 10 minutes' walk from the apartment and a Joker shop just under 15 minutes away. There is also a "interior design/souvenir" shop called "butikken på kaia" which is just under 15 minutes' walk away, here they have both souvenirs and knitting yarn, ropes and bolts, pillows and glasses, in short a little bit of everything. - There are three different restaurants in Sørvågen, Havet restaurant is a 7-minute walk from the apartment and Maren Anna, which also turns into a lively pub as soon as the food service ends in the evening, is a 10-minute walk away. Furthermore, Holmen restaurant is just over 10 minutes' walk away. In summer there is also a cafe called "Trygdekassen" which is open, it is 8 minutes' walk away and the owner here also paints pictures which are on display in the cafe and can be bought! - "Sørvågen Radio", which is a telecommunications museum, is just under 15 minutes' walk from the apartment, here you can learn more about why the first wireless Morse signals in Northern Europe went from a telegraph station in Sørvågen and where they were sent. - If the weather is nice, it is an easy walk out to "Å", which is where the E10 ends, here there is a bakery, restaurant and "Norwegian fishing village" museum where you can get to know the hard and picturesque life in a fishing village in the 1800's. The walk out to Å takes 40 minutes, but you walk along the coast with a lot of great views, so the walk itself is a treat. - Of the easier walks on Sørvågen that are suitable for those with small children, or who don't want to let loose on the mountain tops, the trip out to the mollo and up the radio tower is recommended, then you get a nice overview of Sørvågen and the surrounding area, both the mollo and the radio tower are 15 minutes' walk from the apartment. From the radio tower, it is also possible to walk in the landscape on the outside and around via "Glåpen" lighthouse and return to the end of Besselvågveien. If you have children, I would especially recommend a trip to "Besselvågen" itself, which is a shallow stony beach. Go there during the low tide, bring rainboots or bathing sandals, wander around the shore and find nice shells and stones, pop up some mussels and put them in the water and you will soon see hermit crabs and small crabs arguing about the unexpected bounty you provided. From experience the children tend to get bored before us adults. The walk out to Besselvågen takes 15 minutes from the apartment. A walk around Sørvågvatnet is also recommended, it takes just under 30 minutes to walk from the apartment to the other end of the water, there is a nicely arranged trail around the entire lake, and at the innermost end of the water, there is also a nice little beach, Sørvågvatnet is quite shallow and heats up quickly, so it's nice to swim here. - From the apartment it is 15 minutes to walk to the foot of the mountain, and from here there are many different mountain peaks you can go to. Tindstinden, Kollfjellet, Gylttinden, Munken, Hermandalstinden, Vestertinden and Støvla. If you take the walk out to Å, you can also go to Andstabben, which is the mountain above Å. - If you like freshwater fishing, just let loose in the waters inland on the mountain. Sørvågvatnet, Tindsvatnet, Stuvdalsvatnet, Trolldalsvatnet, Moskenesvatnet, Tridalsvatnet, Fjerdalsvatnet, Tennesvatnet and Krokvatnet are scattered in the mountains, and if you take the walk out to Å, you also have Ågvatnet. - If you want to fish at sea, we unfortunately do not have a boat to lend, but I can put you in touch with people who do tourist fishing and guided trips at sea. - If you come by car, even more opportunities open up. Reine is 12 minutes away by car, here you can walk Reinebringen, take a trip to the visitor center for "Lofotodden National Park". Of the things I really recommend further inland in Lofoten, it is a 35-minute drive to "Smeden in Sund", where there is a small museum, and where you can see the blacksmith at work, and possibly buy some of what he makes. It is about an hour's drive to "Glasshytta Vikten", where you can see glassblowing, and possibly buy glass or ceramic products. The bedrock in Lofoten is ancient, and through the whole of Lofoten runs a vein of white quartz, the glassblowers use this quartz in the glass they blow, which gives the products a distinctive character. At Borg, 1.5 hours' drive from the apartment, there is the "Lofotr Viking Museum", which is an experience for both young and old, properly elaborated and highly recommended.