Å Welcome!
Welcome to my world! Everyday I will look up a location on the map and attempt to introduce the place from several brief perspectives.
Å (pronounced AW) is the first place listed on the Columbia Gazetteer of the World. Its name in Nordic means ‘stream’ or ‘little river’.
This fishing village is found in northern Norway, within the county of Nordland and under the municipality of Moskenes of which the village Reine is its administrative center.
Moskenes is one of the most scenic municipalities in Norway with its picturesque fishing villages and dramatic jagged peaks rising over fjords.
FYI – Norway is made up of 19 counties and 430 municipalities each with its very own coat of arms. How cool is that?
Geographically, Å is located on the island Moskenesøya which is one of the five main islands of the Lofoten archiopelago.
On Google map, the village is situated right at the end of a highway labeled as Å-I-Lofoten in order to distinguish it from another Norwegian village of the same name.
The Lofoten islands have been inhabited since at least 1120 AD when King Øystein built a church and lodgings called ‘rorbu’ for the fishermen.
Even though it is located in the Arctic Circle, these northern islands experience a temperate climate thanks to the warm North Atlantic Drift current.
During the months of January to April, cod shoals migrate from the Barents Sea to these warmer waters to spawn, making the cod fisheries a very prolific industry.
Mountain hiking and biking are the primary attraction in the region and from Å, you can attempt the 8 hours Stokkvikka hike.
A visit to the local museums is a good way to understand the region’s history, economic dependence on the cod fishing industry and efforts to conserve its natural and environmental resources.
To top off the eco-tourism experience, private fishing lodges by the docks can be rented for the night’s stay.
The village of Å can be reached via a bus connection from Moskenes. This village itself is accessible by ferry from Bodø. (Honestly these names are greek to me!!)
Did you ever know that there is actually a place called Å in the world? Well I guess this is the beginning of an exciting adventure to finding out more about the earth we call home.
To find out more about the Lofoten islands, visit http://www.lofoten-info.no/