Explore Trondheim to the Lofoten islands
One of Lofoten’s most picturesque and beguiling of headland villages, HENNINGSVÆR is a cobweb of cramped and twisting lanes lined with brightly painted wooden houses. These frame a tiny inlet that literally cuts the place in half, forming a sheltered, picture-postcard harbour. The town is well supplied with accommodation, eating establishments and excursion options, and almost inevitably, coach parties are wheeled in and out, despite the narrowness of the two high-arched bridges into the village. For all its hustle and bustle, Henningsvær richly deserves at the very least an overnight stay.
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Cod fishing from Henningsvær
Cod fishing from Henningsvær
For hundreds of years fishermen have gathered in the waters off Lofoten to catch the cod that have migrated here from the Barents Sea to spawn. The fish arrive in late January or early February and the season lasts until April. There are tremendous fluctuations in the number of cod making the journey; although the reasons for this variation are not fully understood, relative water temperatures and, more recently, over-fishing are two key components. Sometimes the cod arrive packed together, at other times they are thinly spread, their distribution dictated by water temperature. The fish prefer a water temperature of about 5°C, which occurs here off Lofoten between the warm and salty bottom current and the colder surface waters: sometimes this band of water is thick, sometimes thin; sometimes it’s close to the shore, sometimes it’s way out to sea, all of which affect the fishing. If you fancy trying your hand at fishing, you can take an organized trip (see Engelskmannsbrygga).
