Sandnessjøen – gateway to the Helgeland Coast

Perfectly located between mountains and islands.

The Seven Sisters mountain range might be Sandessjøen's primary claim to fame. You will have great views to this beautiful parade of peaks from deck as we approach the town. The UNESCO Vega Islands are also close at hand. Sandnessjøen could not wish for a more perfect location. To the west, the Dønnamannen Mountain, 2,814 feet (858 m) above sea level, towers above the islands. To the east, the modern design of the elegant Helgeland Bridge impresses visitors. Today, the municipality has 7,500 inhabitants and a variety of industries and occupations such as fishing, agriculture, industry, trade and administration. Bustling ferry traffic has made the place a hive of activity.

In the center of Sandnessjøen, Perleporten runs a local yarn shop. You will also find many other shops in town, as well as excellent cafés and restaurants. Located 12 miles (20km) south of Sandnessjøen, inside the Petter Dass Museum, Margrethe's Café serves locally produced food from the Helgeland region.

The Petter Dass Museum consists of several buildings from the 18th and 19th centuries. It also boasts the spectacular museum building opened in 2007, designed by famous architects ‘Snøhetta’. Among its displays are exhibitions focusing on the parson poet Petter Dass. Alstahaug church was built in the 12th and 13th centuries using locally quarried soapstone. The church is Romanesque in style, and is one of seven medieval churches that have been preserved in Northern Norway. The church and the Petter Dass Museum are both housed in the courtyard at Alstahaugtunet.