Take part in centuries-old fishing traditions After decades as a professional fisherman and spending his days at sea in the fishrich Lofoten Islands, Harald Nilsen decided to open his world up to visitors from around the globe. Together with his father he bought Hemmingodden, where they combined traditional longline fishing and tourism. Today his children have taken over Hemmingodden Lofoten Fishing Lodge, continuing the tradition by offering tourists a nice place to rest their heads after a long day in the mountains or at sea chasing big fish, in addition to secret fishing and beauty spots known only to the locals. By Helene Toftner | Photos: Hemmingodden Lofoten Fishing Lodge
The Lofoten Islands, located above the Arctic Circle and known for the dramatic mountains shooting straight up from the sea, is one of the best fishing spots along the Norwegian coast and regularly feature on people’s bucket list of places to visit. Hemmingodden Lofoten Fishing Lodge is one of the favoured places on the islands, offering guests a piece of authentic fishing history along with 60 | Issue 92 | September 2016
comfortable fisherman’s cabins. “Many of our guests are eager anglers, coming back year after year,” says managing director Trond-Ketil Nilsen. He is one of Harald’s children, who all run the fishing lodge together. The fishing lodge is situated in the charming fishing village of Ballstad, which to this day is the second-biggest
fishing village in Lofoten. However, while being a vibrant place with restaurants, cafés and supermarkets within easy reach, the word ‘big’ in this context is a far cry from the sizeable places its international visitors come from. “The things our guests appreciate most about Hemmingodden are its peacefulness and stunning scenery. All of our cabins have beautiful views and a deck where guests can relax with the sea as their garden,” Nilsen says.
Join the iconic Lofoten cod fisheries While offering a good bed to sleep in and a modern self-catered kitchen where guests can prepare the catch of the day, in a comfortable, cosy cabin with excellent Wi-Fi, Hemmingodden Lofoten Fishing Lodge also has a growing fleet