Vik sits on the south shore of the Sognefjord, a small agricultural town of about 2,500 people that has been quietly important for longer than most places in Norway. The Hopperstad stave church, built around 1130, is just up the road. Hove stone church, from 1170, is in the village centre. That two medieval churches survived here says something about Vik's stability. People have been farming this land since before the Vikings.
Vik is the only place in Norway that still produces Gamalost, a traditional cheese with roots in the Viking Age. It is a strong, sharp, brown cheese that most Norwegians claim to respect but few actually eat. The factory in Vik keeps the tradition alive, though production is a fraction of what it was a century ago.
In November 1972, Vik found itself at the edge of a Cold War drama. Five people at Vangsnes, across the fjord, spotted a periscope heading deeper into the Sognefjord. The Norwegian Navy responded with frigates, planes, and British helicopter support. For 16 days they hunted what was presumed to be a Soviet submarine through the fjord. Depth charges were dropped near Aurlandsfjorden and again near Solund. The submarine, believed to be a Soviet Whiskey-class boat, eventually slipped out of Norwegian waters on November 25th. Military documents declassified in 2009 confirmed the contact. The deepest, longest fjord in western Norway turned out to be an excellent place to hide a submarine.
Vik is the only place in Norway that still produces Gamalost, a traditional cheese with roots in the Viking Age. It is a strong, sharp, brown cheese that most Norwegians claim to respect but few actually eat. The factory in Vik keeps the tradition alive, though production is a fraction of what it was a century ago.
In November 1972, Vik found itself at the edge of a Cold War drama. Five people at Vangsnes, across the fjord, spotted a periscope heading deeper into the Sognefjord. The Norwegian Navy responded with frigates, planes, and British helicopter support. For 16 days they hunted what was presumed to be a Soviet submarine through the fjord. Depth charges were dropped near Aurlandsfjorden and again near Solund. The submarine, believed to be a Soviet Whiskey-class boat, eventually slipped out of Norwegian waters on November 25th. Military documents declassified in 2009 confirmed the contact. The deepest, longest fjord in western Norway turned out to be an excellent place to hide a submarine.