Kabelvaag

Kabelvaag is the oldest settlement in Lofoten, founded as a fishing station in the twelfth century when King Oystein built rorbuer to shelter the fishermen who came each winter for the cod, and it was the administrative centre of the islands before Svolvaer overtook it. The old square with its wooden buildings survives, along with the Lofoten Museum on the site of the original station and the Lofoten Aquarium nearby. Just outside stands Vagan church of 1898, a wooden building seating around twelve hundred, built at that size because the seasonal fishing population swelled the district enormously each winter; it is the largest wooden church north of Trondheim and is known locally as the Lofoten cathedral.

What you actually see

• Vagan church - a wooden church seating twelve hundred, built for the fishing season.
• The old square - timber buildings around the historic town centre.
• The Lofoten Museum - on the site of the original medieval fishing station.
• The aquarium - regional marine life including cod and sea otters.

When to go

May to September, when the museums and aquarium keep full hours; February to May shows the fishing season and the drying racks. Winter is quiet with limited opening.

Honest expectations

The town is small and quickly seen, and much of Lofoten's activity has moved to Svolvaer and Henningsvaer. Museums keep seasonal hours. The church opens irregularly outside service times.

Nearby

Svolvaer is five kilometres away; Henningsvaer and the Lofoten crags lie south.