Fosnavåg is the main town in Herøy municipality, sitting on the island of Bergsøya. At first glance it looks like any small Norwegian coastal town, but there is a surprising amount going on here.
The town has a large natural harbour, and this made it a centre for fishing and offshore shipping. In 2002, Fosnavåg was granted official town status, which is more significant than it sounds, because it means shipping companies can register the town as their home port. And several do. The most prominent is the Havila group, founded by local fisherman Per Sævik, who started working on fishing boats at the age of 12 and bought his first boat at 16. He built his company into one of Norway's major offshore shipping operations. Today Havila Kystruten, a branch of the group, operates four modern hybrid-powered ships on the classic Bergen to Kirkenes coastal route alongside Hurtigruten. These are the newest and most environmentally friendly ships on that route, running on a combination of liquefied natural gas and battery power.
The wealth generated by fishing and shipping means Fosnavåg has amenities you would not expect in a remote coastal town. There is a concert hall in the same building as the Thon Hotel, and the Sunnmørsbadet water park is apparently good enough that people from Ålesund drive here to use it. There is even a fashion label based here, Ko:ko Norway.
Fosnavåg also had a starring role in the film Børning 2, Norway's answer to the Fast & Furious franchise. Not bad for a town most people have never heard of.
The town has a large natural harbour, and this made it a centre for fishing and offshore shipping. In 2002, Fosnavåg was granted official town status, which is more significant than it sounds, because it means shipping companies can register the town as their home port. And several do. The most prominent is the Havila group, founded by local fisherman Per Sævik, who started working on fishing boats at the age of 12 and bought his first boat at 16. He built his company into one of Norway's major offshore shipping operations. Today Havila Kystruten, a branch of the group, operates four modern hybrid-powered ships on the classic Bergen to Kirkenes coastal route alongside Hurtigruten. These are the newest and most environmentally friendly ships on that route, running on a combination of liquefied natural gas and battery power.
The wealth generated by fishing and shipping means Fosnavåg has amenities you would not expect in a remote coastal town. There is a concert hall in the same building as the Thon Hotel, and the Sunnmørsbadet water park is apparently good enough that people from Ålesund drive here to use it. There is even a fashion label based here, Ko:ko Norway.
Fosnavåg also had a starring role in the film Børning 2, Norway's answer to the Fast & Furious franchise. Not bad for a town most people have never heard of.