Leknes

Leknes () is a town in Vestvågøy Municipality in Nordland county, Norway. The town is also the administrative centre of Vestvågøy Municipality (with 11,619 inhabitants, it is the most populous municipality in Lofoten and Vesterålen). Leknes was designated a "town" (Norwegian: by) in 2002. The 2.7-square-kilometre (670-acre) town has a population (2023) of 3,763 and a population density of 1,394 inhabitants per square kilometre (3,610/sq mi). The town is situated in the geographical middle of the Lofoten archipelago on the island of Vestvågøya. It is approximately 68 kilometres (42 mi) west of the town of Svolvær and 65 kilometres (40 mi) east of the village of Å in Moskenes Municipality. Leknes is one of the few towns in Lofoten that does not depend on fisheries and does not have its town centre by the sea. Because of this, and because of its rapid growth in recent years, it does not have the same traditional wooden architecture as most fishing villages in Lofoten. However, the natural surroundings are among the most stunning in Norway, with mountains, peaks, cliffs, and white sandy beaches. The town's harbour Leknes Havn is one of Norway's most important and visited harbours for cruise ships. The old school in the Fygle neighborhood has been converted into a museum. Hol Church is located on the eastern edge of the town. Leknes and the neighboring villages of Fygle and Gravdal have grown together over the years through conurbation. One branch of the Nordland Hospital is located in Gravdal, which is located about 4 kilometres (2.5 mi) southwest of the centre of Leknes. In Leknes, the sun (midnight sun) is above the horizon from May 26 to July 17, and in the winter, the sun does not rise in Leknes from December 9 to January 4.