The World Heritage Centre is on the island of Gardsøya, a short drive from the main village. The exhibitions document the history of the Vega islanders and their centuries-old tradition of protecting nesting eider ducks in exchange for harvesting their down. This human-bird relationship is what earned Vega its UNESCO status.
The centre explains how the women of the outer islands built small shelters to attract the ducks, kept them safe through the nesting season, and then carefully collected the down after the ducklings had left. It is a tradition that goes back at least to the 9th century.
The centre explains how the women of the outer islands built small shelters to attract the ducks, kept them safe through the nesting season, and then carefully collected the down after the ducklings had left. It is a tradition that goes back at least to the 9th century.