Nyksund

Nyksund was built on a pair of rock islets on the outer coast of Langoya and grew through the nineteenth century into a substantial fishing station, but its harbour was too small and too exposed for the larger boats that came after the war; the school closed, the people left, and by the mid-1970s it was empty, the buildings collapsing into the sea. From the 1980s it was gradually resettled, first through a German-Norwegian youth project and then by artists, hostel keepers and small businesses, and today it has a handful of year-round residents, several places to stay and eat, and a mix of restored buildings and standing ruins. The Dronningruta hiking loop to Sto starts here.

History

People have lived here since before recorded history, but the population stayed small until the late 18th century, when commercial trade made Nyksund a centre for hundreds of fishermen working the rich cod fisheries nearby. Bigger vessels and road transport left its shallow harbour behind, and in the 1970s it became a ghost town; today 30 to 40 people live here in summer and about half a dozen through the winter (Wikipedia, Nyksund).

The main sights

• The restored buildings - houses and quays brought back from ruin.
• The remaining ruins - collapsed structures left as they were.
• The exposed harbour - the small basin that made the village unviable.
• The Dronningruta trailhead - the ridge and coast loop starting from the village.

When to go

June to September, when the guesthouses and cafes open and the Dronningruta is walkable; the village is very quiet in winter with almost nothing open. The road in is exposed and can be closed by storms.

Before you go

The access road is narrow, winding and cut into the shore, unsuitable for large vehicles. Facilities are few and seasonal. The village is small and can be walked in twenty minutes, with the hiking route the main reason to stay.

Nearby

Sto lies at the other end of the Dronningruta; Myre and the Vesteralen roads are inland.

Key facts