Rorbuer in Svolvær

In Svolvær a rorbu is a harbour cabin inside a working town, not a cabin on its own. Lofoten Rorbuer at Marinepollen, Anker Brygge on the islet of Lamholmen, Rorbuanlegget Svolvær Havn near the harbour mouth, and Svinøya Rorbuer on Svinøya, the bridged island that shelters the harbour from the south-east, all sit in Svolvær harbour. Offersøy Feriesenter is at Offersøy on Hinnøya, about 121 km by road and outside the Lofoten islands.

The harbour rorbuer

Lofoten Rorbuer, Anker Brygge and Svinøya Rorbuer are converted from fish-trade buildings. Lofoten Rorbuer works from an 1828 pier building taken down on Svinøya in 1937 and rebuilt at Marinepollen the year after; Anker Brygge is built around a former fish factory that now holds a restaurant and bar; Svinøya Rorbuer sets cabins, suites, historic houses and a manor house between a fish landing station, quays and drying racks. Each listing shows the facilities a source records.

Getting there

Svolvær is on the E10 and is the transport centre for eastern Lofoten. Svolvær Airport, Helle, is about 5 km east and Leknes Airport about 68 km west. Hurtigruten and Havila call in the town centre, an express boat runs to Bodø, and bus routes 300, 741, 743 and 724 serve the town. Shops, restaurants and the tourist office are all in the centre.

Who it suits

People who want a rorbu but also want to arrive by plane or boat, eat out without driving, and take a Trollfjord or sea eagle trip from the same quay. Store norske leksikon notes considerable tourist traffic in the town. For a quieter village with rorbuer on the water, Kabelvåg is 5.5 km along the E10 and Henningsvær about 24 km.