Stamsund is a

fishing village A fishing village is a village, usually located near a fishing ground, with an economy based on catching fish and harvesting seafood. The continents and islands around the world have coastlines totalling around 356,000 kilometres (221,000 ...

Vestvågøy Municipality Vestvågøy is a municipality in Nordland county, Norway. It is part of the traditional district of Lofoten. The administrative centre of the municipality is the town of Leknes. Some of the villages in the municipality include Ballstad, Borg, ...

in Nordland county,

Norway Norway, officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic country in Northern Europe, the mainland territory of which comprises the western and northernmost portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula. The remote Arctic island of Jan Mayen and the ...

. It is located on the southern side of the island of

Vestvågøy Vestvågøy is a municipality in Nordland county, Norway. It is part of the traditional district of Lofoten. The administrative centre of the municipality is the town of Leknes. Some of the villages in the municipality include Ballstad, Borg, ...

in the

Lofoten Lofoten () is an archipelago and a traditional district in the county of Nordland, Norway. Lofoten has distinctive scenery with dramatic mountains and peaks, open sea and sheltered bays, beaches and untouched lands. There are two towns, Svolv� ...

archipelago An archipelago ( ), sometimes called an island group or island chain, is a chain, cluster, or collection of islands, or sometimes a sea containing a small number of scattered islands. Examples of archipelagos include: the Indonesian Arc ...

, along the

Vestfjorden Vestfjorden is a long fjord or oceanic sea in Nordland county, Norway. The name literally means "the west fjord", although it is called a fjord, it could best be described as a firth or an open bight of sea. The "fjord" lies between the Lofo ...

. The village is located about east of the town of

Leknes is a town in Nordland county, Norway. The town is also the administrative centre of the municipality of Vestvågøy (with 10,764 inhabitants, it is the most populous municipality in Lofoten and Vesterålen). Leknes was designated a "town" ( ...

. The village has a population (2018) of 1,092 which gives the village a

population density Population density (in agriculture: Stock (disambiguation), standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geographical ...

of . Historically, the village was the administrative centre of Hol Municipality from 1919 until 1963.

Attractions

Stamsund has a rich cultural life with two free theatre groups, Nordland

puppet theatre Puppetry is a form of theatre or performance that involves the manipulation of puppets – inanimate objects, often resembling some type of human or animal figure, that are animated or manipulated by a human called a puppeteer. Such a performan ...

, and many artists, such as Scott Thoe and Ulf M. Stamsund Church is located in this village and it serves the whole Stamsund region. The

Hurtigruten ''Hurtigruten'' (), formally Kystruten Bergen-Kirkenes ("coastal route Bergen-Kirkenes"), is a Norwegian public coastal route transporting passengers that travel locally, regionally and between the ports of call, and also cargo between ports no ...

Coastal Express service stops twice a day at the Stamsund port, southbound from

Svolvær Svolvær () is the administrative centre of Vågan Municipality in Nordland County, Norway. It is located on the island of Austvågøya in the Lofoten archipelago, along the Vestfjorden. The town has a population (2018) of 4,720 which gives t ...

and northbound from Bodø. Stamsund is a popular

tourist destination A tourist attraction is a place of interest that tourists visit, typically for its inherent or an exhibited natural or cultural value, historical significance, natural or built beauty, offering leisure and amusement. Types Places of natural ...

, with the traditional fishermen's shacks, called

Rorbu Rorbu is a Norwegian traditional type of seasonal house used by fishermen, normally located in a fishing village. The buildings are constructed on land, but with the one end on poles in the water, allowing easy access to vessels. The style and ter ...

er, being especially popular. There used to be a hotel in Stamsund, but as of 2009, it is no longer in service. There are, however, several options for tourists, such a
Ytterviks Rorbuer
There is a ski resort in Stamsund, which is usually open between January and March, although it opens earlier if weather conditions allow it. As Stamsund is surrounded by mountains, hiking is very popular. In the area surrounding Stamsund, there are also several lakes in which one can fish. Sea fishing is also a popular choice, and boats may be hired. The midnight sun during the summer months and the northern light during the winter months attract a lot of tourists.

The Stamsund International Theater Festival

Stamsund pays host to the annua
Stamsund International Theater Festival
where performers and enthusiasts gather every spring to enjoy a week of festivities. Founded in 2001, the festival aims to contribute to the international exchange of performing arts. The festival has grown into a relatively large institution, and attracts visitors from all over the world.

Economy

Stamsund is an important

fishing Fishing is the activity of trying to catch fish. Fish are often caught as wildlife from the natural environment, but may also be caught from stocked bodies of water such as ponds, canals, park wetlands and reservoirs. Fishing techniques inclu ...

area and the largest base for Lofoten trawl fishing. Two of the most important companies in Stamsund are Norway Seafoods and J.M. Johansen A/S. Lofoten trawl fishing is the largest trawling industry in Northern Norway. J.M. Johansen is a traditional company which today works with fillet production.

History

During

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...

, the first successful raid on Nazi-held territory,

Operation Claymore Operation Claymore was a British commando raid on the Norwegian Lofoten Islands during the Second World War. The Lofoten Islands were an important centre for the production of fish oil and glycerine, used in the German war economy. The landing ...

, was conducted here. After a successful operation they returned with some 228 German prisoners, 314 loyal Norwegian volunteers, a number of

Quisling regime The Quisling regime or Quisling government are common names used to refer to the fascist collaborationist government led by Vidkun Quisling in German-occupied Norway during the Second World War. The official name of the regime from 1 February 19 ...

collaborators, and code books and wheels for the Enigma machine. Also, a

telegram Telegraphy is the long-distance transmission of messages where the sender uses symbolic codes, known to the recipient, rather than a physical exchange of an object bearing the message. Thus flag semaphore is a method of telegraphy, whereas ...

was sent to

Adolf Hitler Adolf Hitler (; 20 April 188930 April 1945) was an Austrian-born German politician who was dictator of Nazi Germany, Germany from 1933 until Death of Adolf Hitler, his death in 1945. Adolf Hitler's rise to power, He rose to power as the le ...

describing how ineffective the German forces were. Hitler's response was to send an SS unit to conduct future operations. The mountain above Stamsund still has the bunker complex and viewing port overlooking the village and the ocean to the west.

References

External links

www.stamsund.no - interactive portalwww.stamfest.no - The Stamsund International Theater Festivalwww.galleri2.no
{{authority control Vestvågøy Villages in Nordland Populated places of Arctic Norway