Nyksund is the essence of Norway's wild northern coast, an abandoned village reborn and a beautiful spot thrown in. Visiting here is to participate in a heart-warming story of renewal and is one of the main reasons to come to Vesterålen.
Nyksund's Story
The population of the small fishing village of Nyksund was already dwindling when, in the 1960s, the bakery and post office, the heart of any community, closed down. Then, after a storm wrought havoc in 1975, nearly everyone else left. Finally, in 1975, the last inhabitant, blacksmith Olav Larsen, packed his bags. The village fell silent. Sheep and vandals moved in.
For many rural communities across Europe, that's where the story ends. But for Nyksund, it was only the beginning of a remarkable story of renewal. Slowly over the decades life has been breathed back into this charming, remote settlement, reborn as an artists' colony. The crumbling old structures and commercial buildings have been faithfully restored, and nowadays modern Nyksund boasts a summer population of around 40, and some half-dozen hardy souls endure throughout the harsh winters.
One of those is Ssemjon Gerlitz, the German owner of Holmvik Brygge, who has lived year-round in Nyksund for a decade and more. Over the years, he and his team of helpers have gleaned, picked and scavenged what could be salvaged from Nyksund's crumbling buildings and incorporated them into the higgledy-piggledy guesthouse, where every room has its own personality.
Two things in particular keep him here, at road's end. He speaks of the lure of silence, nothing but the rhythm of wind and waves for most of the year and of his sense of communion with long-gone fisherfolk ('Every rusty nail I pull out was hammered in by someone who lived and worked here').
4Sleeping
oHolmvik BryggeGUESTHOUSE$$
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GOOGLE MAP
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%958 63 866, 76 13 47 96; www.nyksund.com; s/d with shared bathroom 850/910kr, r/apt with private bathroom 990/1150kr)
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This cosy, hugely welcoming guesthouse and cafe in itself justifies the detour to Nyksund. You can either cater for yourself or eat at its Holmvik Stua, where the food's locally sourced and the fish smoked on the premises. Rooms are warm and cosy, constructed from local wooden materials, while apartments have a little more space but the same charm.
ExpedisjonenB&B$$
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GOOGLE MAP
; %481 18 068; www.ekspedisjonen.wordpress.com; s/d with shared bathroom 790/1190kr, with private bathroom 990/1450kr)
Predominantly a restaurant and coffee bar, Expedisjonen has a handful of prim wooden rooms that suit Nyksund's eclectic style perfectly. It's an inviting place with white-wood walls, splashes of colour and fine views from some rooms. Some rooms have shared bathrooms, others private. It also has some other rooms elsewhere in the village.
8Getting There & Away
The route to Nyksund is along a narrow (and rather pretty) ribbon of road that hugs the shoreline (the last 10km of which is unpaved). Alternatively, walk the Queen's Route, a fine trek over the headland from Nyksund to Stø (three hours return).
There is no public transport to Nyksund.
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