Discover Alsvåg

Culture and architectural history in Alsvåg

Alsvåggården, part of the Øksnes Museum, a department of Museum Nord, is one of the oldest preserved residential buildings in Northern Norway. Its oldest section dates from 1671. Alsvåggården was formerly a lensmannsgård, or sheriff’s farm. The year refers to the oldest part of the building; the term lensmannsgård adds its former function to the building’s history.

Alsvåg Church is a wooden long church. The term “long church” refers to its elongated floor plan, while “wooden” describes the material. Together with Alsvåggården, it provides two distinct architectural points of reference: a historic residence and a church. The age of the house, its former function, and the church’s architectural form can therefore be considered separately when looking at the area’s building history.

Getting around by road

Road Fv. 939 connects Alsvåg westward to the municipal center of Myre and southward to Palmåsen; both places are on Fv. 821. The two directions are useful for getting your bearings: the road leads west to Myre and south to Palmåsen.

Nature and activities in the wider Øksnes destination

The municipality of Øksnes consists of 220 islands, islets, and skerries. The Anda Nature Reserve is in Øksnes municipality in Nordland, at the northern end of Langøya. It is a Ramsar site and is home to one of the largest colonies of puffins in Nordland. Landing on Anda is prohibited from 15 April to 31 July to protect nesting seabirds. Check the current regulations before planning a landing.

The marked Dronningruta trail runs between the historic fishing villages of Nyksund and Stø. The circular route is about 15 km long and takes 5 to 8 hours. It crosses a varied landscape of mountains, shoreline, marsh, beach, and rocky terrain. There is no access to drinking water along the trail; hikers should bring enough drinks and, if possible, a packed lunch.

The Stø Whale & Arctic Wildlife Safari departs from Stø in Vesterålen and looks for whales, puffins, seabirds, seals, and other marine animals. It runs during the summer season from June to August and is subject to weather, sea conditions, and availability; sightings are also dependent on conditions. Check availability for your dates in advance. For the Dronningruta, the key considerations are trail length, duration, and drinking water; for the safari, they are the season, weather, sea conditions, and availability. The landing ban on Anda overlaps with the safari season in June and July.

In Nyksund, visitors can attend concerts and meditative tours, as well as visit art galleries; some venues and events are seasonal or available on request. The seabird and seal safari departs from and returns to Nyksund.

Discover more destinations: Myre, Øksnes, Klo, Stø, Sandset, Sørvågen.

Go to the main travel overview: Øksnes.