Øksnes Vestbygd
Øksnes Vestbygd , also colloquially simply Vestbygda , is the name of a group of islands in the northwest of the second largest Vesterålen island Langøya in the Norwegian Fylke Nordland . This so-called "West Bay" in German is part of the Øksnes municipality .
The archipelago includes the islands:
- Dyrøya (6.5 km²)
- Tindsøya (4.7 km²)
- Nærøya (4.7 km²)
- Børøya (1.0 km²)
- Langøya ("Lille" Langøya) (0.8 km²)
- Sunderøya (0.5 km²)
For centuries, fishing has been the lifeline of this tranquil island world and everything stayed the same until the Second World War. Until then, these islands with their many fishing villages were the center of the Øksnes municipality. The main town was the parish village Øksnes on Skogsøya . Over the next 30 years, with the advent of the automobile and the expansion of the road network, the islands became increasingly depopulated. A new community center was also set up at Myre , on the "mainland" Langøya, which is now called Øksnes. Only on Skogsøya and Dyrøya there are still a few inhabited sites.
None of these islands are connected to the “mainland” by a bridge or tunnel. A speedboat ferry now operates between Myre and Skjellfjord, with the fixed ports of call at Tunstad and Barkestad. The other localities are called upon if necessary.
Øksnes Vestbygd is an Eldorado for canoeists, sailors and other nature lovers in summer. Thousands of them get lost in the idyllic island world, with their old and partly deserted fishing villages and the striking mountain formations, some of which have white sandy beaches in the bays. The west bay also has a very prominent “fan” - Norway's wandering Queen Sonja is and has often been to visit here.
“The first time I was on a Vesterålen tour, I heard people talking about a certain Vestbygda. I thought it was just a small town. But now that I've been there often, one is always amazed at the rich island world with its small villages. "
Coordinates: 68 ° 49 ' N , 14 ° 47' E
