Nyksund, Norway or The Most Interesting Town We've Been In
I booked our B&B in Nyksund, Norway quite simply because there really wasn't anything else around and available where I wanted to stay. So, I cannot take credit for what ended up being an amazing B&B in a beautiful location.
Nothing quite like supply and demand.
Nyksund is a small, coastal fishing village in the Vesterålen islands about 15 - 20 minutes away from the nearest village of Myre. During most of the 19th century, Nyksund experienced a population increase due to the rise of commercial trade and rich cod fisheries nearby. By the mid 1900s, the population had begun to dwindle due to its shallow waters and limited access, resulting in it largely being a ghost town that was slowly slipping into the sea by the 1970's.
In the 1980's, a Berliner named Karl Heinz Nickel "rediscovered" Nyksund and launched a project in conjunction with Berlin University to restore the village. After 30 years of work, I can tell you first hand that their work is not done but is remarkable. Nearly all of the renovation has been done with found materials on site, and it is obviously the work of craftspeople and artisans as the renovation work is not only accurate, but artistic in its implementation. The town feels like a hidden gem, on the cusp of being overrun by eagen tourists but luckily we were able to get in while it's still growing and changing.
If you find yourself in Northern Norway and can map your route to the Vesterålen's you should detour at least one day here - if not to sleep, at least to walk around a bit and photograph. It's interesting from so many different perspectives and truly deserves an in person look see.
Nothing quite like supply and demand.
Nyksund is a small, coastal fishing village in the Vesterålen islands about 15 - 20 minutes away from the nearest village of Myre. During most of the 19th century, Nyksund experienced a population increase due to the rise of commercial trade and rich cod fisheries nearby. By the mid 1900s, the population had begun to dwindle due to its shallow waters and limited access, resulting in it largely being a ghost town that was slowly slipping into the sea by the 1970's.
In the 1980's, a Berliner named Karl Heinz Nickel "rediscovered" Nyksund and launched a project in conjunction with Berlin University to restore the village. After 30 years of work, I can tell you first hand that their work is not done but is remarkable. Nearly all of the renovation has been done with found materials on site, and it is obviously the work of craftspeople and artisans as the renovation work is not only accurate, but artistic in its implementation. The town feels like a hidden gem, on the cusp of being overrun by eagen tourists but luckily we were able to get in while it's still growing and changing.
If you find yourself in Northern Norway and can map your route to the Vesterålen's you should detour at least one day here - if not to sleep, at least to walk around a bit and photograph. It's interesting from so many different perspectives and truly deserves an in person look see.
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