Brønnøysund

Brønnøysund is situated on a narrow peninsula on the mainland, surrounded by islands and water. Here, you're actually at the halfway point along the western coast of Norway. The small coastal town of 5,000 inhabitants is centered on the narrow but strategically situated harbor, that caters to all trade and fishing. It is a vibrant and pretty little town with an attractive visitors' marina. Spend some time to stroll around the streets – perhaps a walk along Havnegata, where you can enjoy looking at the small boats and bustling life of the archipelago. Sample the street life and go into one of the pubs, or treat yourself to a delicious meal at one of the restaurants.

Found in the centre of town, Brønnøy Church is a stone church in the Neo-Gothic style dating back to 1870. Parts of the choir and entrance walls were built in medieval times. The church's oldest artefact is a pre-Reformation wooden crucifix. You will find it above the new side-altar. Torghatten, a mountain on the nearby island Torget, is famous for its characteristic hole which goes right thought the mountain. Stay on deck to see the hole from the sea, as is natural for seafarers (who in the past were the only ones visiting the place).

Just outside of Brønnøysund we sail past the UNESCO listed Vega Islands. They consist of over 6500 islands, reefs and skerries that received their UNESCO status from the rare harmony between the islanders and eider ducks; fishermen and farmers have been involved in eiderdown harvesting for over 1,500 years. The eider ducks breed in houses specially built for them and can be found alongside lighthouses, fishing villages, and astonishing landscapes.

History

Stone Age settlements have been uncovered in the limestone caves at Sportsplassen. During the Viking era Torgar, at the foot of the mountain Torghatten was a nationally powerful chieftain seat and an important commercial center along the coast. Duke Skule and his men wiped out the original inhabitants in an outright massacre in the Norwegian civil wars that raged around 1240, in the high medieval era of Norway. The name of the town comes from the Old Norse Brunney or brunnur, meaning a well – the seafarers of the past knew they could find freshwater here.