Bodø: Kjerringøy Trading Post

A visit to northern Norway`s best preserved trading post is a journey back in time. Here you can feel the past, with “Jektefart” (the ships that transported fish to Bergen) and fish trading, and the daily life in northern Norway coastal communities in the 19th century.

Kjerringøy Trading Post is a unique example of coastal heritage set in magnificent scenery. It consists of 15 old buildings retaining many of their original contents. It is one of the country’s most important collections of buildings from the nineteenth century.

The slideshow “Anna Elisabeth of Kjerringøy” gives a good insight and provides an excellent introduction to the visit. The guided tour in the main building gives an insight in the wealth and daily life of The Upper Class. Most visits end in the Old Shoppe and  you may enjoy refreshments in the Café or in the garden. Occasionally various crafts are demonstrated in the buildings.

You will also gain an insight into the daily lives of the fishermen and smallholders on the coast. The golden age of the trading post was at the end of the nineteenth century when the Merchant enjoyed profitable business in the fish trade, coastal shipping, exports and imports. In time Kjerringøy grew to become the wealthiest trading centre in North Norway.

Travelling to Kjerringøy, we get close to the Sjunkhatten National Park, an area of outstanding beauty. The National Park is mainly intended for children and young people. It consists of a large, continuous mountain area surrounded by fjords and coastal landscapes. The area is varied with sharp peaks, deep valleys, rounded mountains and wetland areas.