Gravdal, Nordland

Gravdal
Village

View of the village
Gravdal

Location in Nordland

Coordinates: 68°07′05″N 13°33′12″E / 68.11806°N 13.55333°E / 68.11806; 13.55333Coordinates: 68°07′05″N 13°33′12″E / 68.11806°N 13.55333°E / 68.11806; 13.55333
Country Norway
Region Northern Norway
County Nordland
District Lofoten
Municipality Vestvågøy
Area[1]
 • Total 1.25 km2 (0.48 sq mi)
Elevation[2] 13 m (43 ft)
Population (2013)[1]
 • Total 1,587
 • Density 1,270/km2 (3,300/sq mi)
Time zone CET (UTC+01:00)
 • Summer (DST) CEST (UTC+02:00)
Post Code 8372 Gravdal

Gravdal is a village in the municipality of Vestvågøy in Nordland county, Norway. It is located on the island of Vestvågøya in the central part of the Lofoten archipelago, north of the Arctic Circle. The village is situated along the shore of the Buksnes fjord, approximately 72 kilometres (45 mi) west of the town of Svolvær and 63 kilometres (39 mi) east of Å in Moskenes. The 1.25-square-kilometre (310-acre) village has a population (2013) of 1,587. The population density is 1,270 inhabitants per square kilometre (3,300/sq mi).[1] Of the more famous people that have visited Gravdal, His Royal Highness King Haakon VII visited once in the 1950s.

Attractions

Nordland Hospital and the Nordland School of Fisheries are located in Gravdal and have been major economic centers of Gravdal for a very long time, along with the Gravdal port.[3] The more than 100-year-old Buksnes Church, which was built in 1905 in dragestil style, is the main tourist attraction that Gravdal has to offer, and consequently is visited by thousands of tourists every year. Gravdal provides access to a small beach, the ocean, mountains, some football fields, a basketball court and a gymnasium with a handball court.

Village

Gravdal, although increasingly populous, has gone from being a small trade center on the island, once encompassing four different grocery stores, a postal office, bank, fashion boutique, furniture shop, flower shop, architect's office, hotel, cinema, and restaurants, to becoming mostly a residential village. Today, only one grocery store remains, since Gravdal's neighboring town Leknes has become the municipality's center for administration and trade.

However, Gravdal still has a kindergarten, primary school, bowling alley, kiosk of the Narvesen-chain, an RV-dealership, hair salon, tanning salon, and a night club called Titanic Dancing (which by legend once hosted legendary actor Al Pacino, who was shooting scenes for a movie (Revolution 1776) on the Lofoten Islands).

Media gallery

References

  1. 1 2 3 Statistisk sentralbyrå (1 January 2013). "Urban settlements. Population and area, by municipality.".
  2. ↑ "Gravdal" (in Norwegian). yr.no. Retrieved 2012-06-25.
  3. ↑ Store norske leksikon. "Gravdal" (in Norwegian). Retrieved 2012-06-25.
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