| Norway is one of the world's most maritime nations. The country is long and narrow, with drowned valleys called fjords that bring the sea far inland in most regions. With such a lengthy and rocky shore, it's not surprising that Norway has a large number of lighthouses. This page lists lighthouses of the Sunnfjord and Nordfjord districts (known collectively as Fjordane) in the western county of Sogn og Fjordane. Located north of Bergen and south of Trondheim, Sogn og Fjordane has no large population centers. It is a county of steep mountains and deep fjords, with some of the most spectacular scenery Norway has to offer. Florø, with a population of about 8500, is the largest coastal town in the region. Although it has always been considered a separate realm, Norway has only been independent since 1905; it was ruled by the Danish king until 1814 and then by the Swedish king until the Norwegian parliament arranged a peaceful separation of the two kingdoms. In Norway a lighthouse is simply called a fyr (fire). A smaller tower is often called a lykt (light). Aids to navigation are maintained by the Kystverket (Coast Directorate), an agency of the Fiskeri og Kystdepartementet (Fisheries and Coast Department). ARLHS numbers are from the ARLHS World List of Lights. NF numbers are from the Norsk Fyrliste. Admiralty numbers are from volume L of the Admiralty List of Lights & Fog Signals. U.S. NGA List numbers are from Publication 115.
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Sunnfjord Lighthouses
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![]() Ytterøyane Fyr, Flora, 2005 Kystverket photo |
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![]() Kvanhovden Fyr, Flora Norwegian Culture Ministry photo |
Nordfjord Lighthouses
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![]() Ulvesund (Hjertneset) Fyr, Vågsøy, September 2011 contributed photo copyright Michael Boucher; used by permission |
Information available on lost lighthouses:
Notable faux lighthouses:
Adjoining pages: North: Ålesund Area | South: Sognefjord Area
Return to the Lighthouse Directory index | Ratings key
Posted June 19, 2006. Checked and revised June 12, 2012. Lighthouses: 45. Site copyright 2012 Russ Rowlett and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.