Laukvik: A fishing village between beach and mountains

Laukvik lies at the northwestern tip of Austvågøya in Lofoten and is an old fishing village. The built-up area lies on a large beach and is surrounded by mountains. It borders a fjord system with islands and skerries and faces the open sea to the west. Here, coast, fjord and mountain scenery come together; at the same time, historic sites tell stories of fishing, trade and ore transport. The contrast between the open sea and the island-and-skerry fjord gives the coastal setting two clearly distinct sides.

Hiking and surfing visits

Thanks to its beautiful location on the outer edge of Lofoten, Laukvik is particularly well suited to hiking. Many people visit Delp, in the vicinity of Laukvik, for surfing. The activities are associated with different places: Laukvik is particularly associated with hiking, while Delp is a destination for surfing in the area. This can help you decide whether to focus your stay more on hikes or also include surfing visits to Delp.

Stangerholmen: Trading post and fish processing

Stangerholmen in Laukvik is a cohesive historic complex of buildings. It includes a trading post dating from the late 19th century; other buildings are associated with fish processing from the 1930s to the 1970s. The merchant’s residence is an example of the Swiss style of the late 19th century. The interior of the residence, dating from the early 20th century, houses the principal work of the Northern Norwegian decorative painter Henning Welford (1852–1921). Stangerholmen thus brings together the trading and residential milieu around the turn of the century with a later phase of fish processing that spanned several decades.

Lasteplassen: Traces of ore transport

Lasteplassen also preserves another side of the village’s history. Here you can find traces of mining at Matmora and the shipment of iron ore from 1907 to 1909. The remains include building ruins, remnants of a railway track and transport wagons, as well as a stone-paved loading area. The difference from Stangerholmen is clear: there, the focus is on the trading post and fish processing; here, it is on mining and ore transport.

Roads and cycling route

The island’s roads offer different directions for getting around. County Road 7638, Midnattsolveien, runs between Vestpollen and Laukvik. County Road 888 leads east from Laukvik to Fiskebøl on the E10 by Hadselfjord, and southeast to Vestpollen on Austnesfjord, also on the E10. The 68 km Fiskebøl–Laukvik–Vestpollen–Svolvær cycling route is considered scenic and runs along the outer side of Austvågøya through an area with little traffic; beautiful sandy beaches and fjord arms alternate along the route. It passes through several places and is not limited to Laukvik. If you are planning a specific trip, it is a good idea to check current road and traffic conditions.

When looking for a holiday apartment, what you want to focus on each day may be the deciding factor: would you choose Laukvik mainly for hiking and its fishing village history, or would you like the multi-destination cycling route to take up a larger part of your plans?

Discover more destinations: Kleppstad, Digermulen, Gimsøysand, Skrova, Storemolla, Brettesnes, Svolvær, Kabelvåg

For the main travel overview: Vågan.