Happy vibes in Henningsvær

“I love being here, because I think that this place can actually make people become better humans.”

Malin Bye

Barista at Trevarefabrikken

In the 1980s, Henningsvær was a fishing village in full decline. Since then, it has been transformed into one of the most creative and vibrant places in Northern Norway.

“I was on holiday here with some friends when we stumbled across an old, run down lumber yard that was for sale.”

Mats Alfsen

Founder of Trevarefabrikken

Mats Alfsen and his co-founders turned the former industrial building into a unique place in the small hamlet of Henningsvær in Lofoten. Today, it's home to a hotel, café, restaurant, and cultural centre.

It's a place where you can enjoy good vibes with the beat of a DJ when the sun is out…

… and where you can enjoy delicious, homemade cinnamon buns and pizzas.

Stay in cosy, thoughtfully decorated rooms, where you can feel the past.

In recent years, many old, abandoned houses and industrial buildings in the fishing village of Henningsvær in Lofoten have been transformed into some of the most unique venues, galleries, eateries and meeting places in Northern Norway.

"I was visiting Henningsvær with some friends from Bergen for a climbing holiday in 2014, and we were very lucky with the weather. Though we had travelled around the world, we found this to be one of the most beautiful places of all! So, when a local told us about the old, run down factory that was for sale, we just jumped on the crazy idea, collected all our savings, and asked our families for help to buy it," says Mats Alfsen.

What they the friends didn't account for, was the millions of NOK, and thousands of working hours, it would take to put it the building into shape. Often working in thermo suits, since the temperatures in the old building often didn't exceed 8 degrees Celsius.

"A great deal of the work has been done as a dugnad, as volunteer work in the Norwegian spirit of helping each other out, which is a very generous collective mindset that is still very present in the local community of Henningsvær up until this day, " says Alfsen.

Preserving the tradition

Established in the 1940s, Trevarefabrikken in Lofoten has formerly housed a lumber yard and a cod liver oil factory. Since the friends purchased the property, the building has slowly been transformed into a place with a vibrant cultural scene, local food and drinks, ocean sauna, and cosy, rustic rooms that reflect the building's past.

"They got the factory for a good price, but I am very happy about it. They developed it and have taken care of it very well. They inspired a lot of young people to come and live here," former owner and Henningsvær local Alf Per Johansen tells us over a cup of freshly brewed coffee.

The latter is very important in an area that for many years was in steep decline. As the population was decreasing at a fast pace, the younger generations preferred to move to more centralised areas, fishing declined, and work outside the fishing industry was scarce.

Caviar and modern art

A few stockfish racks further down the road from Trevarefabrikken, art collecting couple Rolf and Vencke Hoff paved the street and transformed the village's former Kaviar factory into a unique world class contemporary art centre several years earlier. It showcases pieces from the couple's extensive collection, as well at temporary art shows featuring work by stars in the international and Norwegian art scenes, including names like Ai Weiwei, Marina Abramovic, Cindy Sherman, and Bjarne Melgaard, to name a few.

"I bought it in 2006, just to save the building, and we worked very hard to transform it into what it is today," says Vencke Hoff.

The building won the Northern Norwegian Architecture Award in 2020.

You can also see some of Norway's coolest street art in the building and outside in the village - in some of the strangest places - made by two of the most renowned street artists in Norway, Dolk and Pøbel, with whom Hoff has cooperated.

Take the gallery round

She has also carefully restored another old house which houses a permanent exhibition of the works of author and art photographer Rune Johansen, from Northern Norway.

For an introduction to famous painters from Lofoten and the North, and other Norwegian painters, check out the comprehensive exhibition at Galleri Lofoten.

A new beginning

In many ways, the Trevarefabrikken and Kaviarfabrikken stories are a microcosm of the history of the fishing village itself.

Stretching over a handful of small islands, Henningsvær, went from being a mostly sleepy and very remote place to becoming one of the most vibrant and buzzing villages in the region, thanks to a broad mix of adventurous people, artists, art collectors, artisans, chefs and climbers that found a haven here, transforming the whole community, the old fish oil refineries, fisherman's cabins and wharfs, into a very unique and lively place, filled with cosy eateries, galleries and small shops.

The traditional picturesque, multicoloured buildings and vibrant coastal culture in the harbour are today listed as a Norwegian Kulturminne, a cultural heritage site.

Beating the crowds

The only challenge is that the place has become a bit too popular for its size, especially during summer. It's therefore highly recommended to visit outside the busy summer months, when there's plenty of space, and to stay for a while, so that you also can become one of the many people transformed by this place.

"It's much nicer to come here off-season. We love tourists and we love to talk to people. The visitors who are really interested in us bring so much inspiration to us as well. We also see that the visitors that are coming now are more interested in high quality products and art and design, not just souvenirs," says ceramist Cecilie Haaland.

She was actually one of the first artisans to settle in the village, transforming an old building on the historic fisherman's wharf, Engelskmannsbrygga, into a beautiful handicraft shop with an open view of the additional glass blowing facility.

Woollen wonders

Browse her lovely pottery before heading over to Haddock for a new hat, or visit the many other local shops that are dotted around the cosy village.

At By Milla, you can buy the beautiful, hand knitted Henningsværgenser or Feskargenser made by local Lone Pedersen. Or purchase the pattern and the yarn and knit it yourself!

"Woollen sweaters and the unique sjyvotter, felted sea gloves, have kept the fishermen in the area warm for a thousand years," says Pedersen.

It you want something truly unique, stop by Lofoten Wool shop. They produce yarn from sheep reared within Lofoten and Northern Norway. You can purchase both yarn and the most wonderful sweaters, mittens and hats.

Tasty Henningsvær

There are also plenty of wonderful eateries around town, from the world famous freshly baked buns at Lysstøperiet café and tasty bacalao at cosy Klatrecafeen to fine dining and the catch of the day at places like Henningsvær Bryggehotell and Fiskekrogen, to name a few.

In winter, you can experience the arrival of the world-famous skrei, the migratory Atlantic cod, that come to the Lofoten region for spawning, marking the start of one of the most significant seasonal fisheries in the world.

Seafood is obviously the main thing here, but for meat lovers, lamb and reindeer are dishes you must try. Lofoten Lamb (Lofotlam) and stockfish from Lofoten are both globally renowned and have gained European protected geographic indication status (PGI), on a par with Champagne and Parma Ham.

Transformative experiences

But be careful, this place is addictive! You might come to think that another kind of life is possible and fall in love with the locals and the adventurous transplants from all over the world, all of whom share a common desire to explore an alternative lifestyle.

"I came here to celebrate Pride in 2022, and to visit my sister who worked here. I fell completely in love with the place, and the people who live here," says Malin Bye from Tjøme in the south of the country who works as a barista at Trevarefabrikken when we meet her.

She also attended the ski and surfing program at the Lofoten Folk High School in the neighbouring village of Kabelvåg for a year.

"The nature here is so extreme, the mountains that tower over the ocean… there's a such a strong presence here, making the simple act of being so incredibly pleasant," says Bye.