Svolvaer
Description
Svolvær is the administrative centre of Vågan Municipality (9,200 inhabitants) in Nordland County, Norway. It is located on the island of Austvågøya in the Lofoten archipelago.
The 2.33-square-kilometre (580-acre) town has a population (2013) of 4,487. The population density is 1,926 inhabitants per square kilometre (4,990/sq mi).
History
The first town formation known in North Norway, Vågar, was situated around the narrow, natural harbor near Kabelvåg, just west of Svolvær. Vågar is mentioned in the book Heimskringla, and might have been established as early as the year 800 AD.
Northern Atlantic Cod fisheries, particularly during winter months, have remained one of the most important economical foundations for the town. Other industries which have proved to be valuable resources for Vågan are fish farming (salmon), Secora and Lofotkraft.
Town status
Svolvær's historical significance as an important fishing village allowed the town to be granted town status on 1 July 1918 when the new town of Svolvær was separated from the municipality of Vågan to become its own municipality. Initially, the new municipality had 2,429 residents.
On 1 January 1964, Svolvær municipality was merged with the municipalities of Gimsøy and Vågan to form the new, larger municipality of Vågan as it is known today. Prior to the merger, Svolvær had 3,952 residents. Due to this merger, Svolvær lost its status as a "town".
Following new legislation, Svolvær was again able to declare itself a "town" in 1996.
Name
The place is first mentioned in 1567 as "Suoluer", though there is some evidence of sparse settlement, likely overflowing from nearby established settlements predating the aforementioned reference. The Old Norse form of the name is assumed to be Svǫlver. The first element is probably derived from svalr which means 'cool' or 'chilly', and the last element is ver which means 'fishing village'.
Geography
Svolvær is located in the Lofoten archipelago on the southern coast of the island of Austvågøya, facing the open sea of the Vestfjorden to the south, and with mountains immediately to the north. The most famous mountain, Svolværgeita, had its first recorded climb in 1910.
Transportation
Most of Svolvær is located on the main island of Austvågøya, but some parts of the town are built on small surrounding islands connected by bridges, including the Svinøy Bridge. There is a regional airport near the town, Svolvær Airport, Helle, and Svolvær is a port of call for Hurtigruten. There is a ferry connection from Svolvær to Skutvik (in Hamarøy) as well as an express boat that connects to the city of Bodø. The Lofast road (European route E10) was officially opened on 1 December 2007, giving Svolvær access to the mainland and Harstad/Narvik Airport, Evenes. There are now scheduled bus connections to Evenes (3 hr) and Narvik (4 hr 15 min). There is also a boat connection to the nearby scenic island of Skrova where there is a nice view in all directions from the hill.
Museums
Museums include the Lofoten War Museum.
