Fedje is an island municipality in the county of Hordaland, Norway.
Fedje was separated from Austrheim January 1, 1947.
The main island of Fedje is surrounded by about 125 smaller islands and rocks mostly north of the main island, and the name Fedje applies both to the main island, and to all the islands and rocks as a whole. Fedje is an island, covering a total area of about 7.4 square kilometres. Counting the main island and the smaller islands, the area is about 9.4 square kilometres. It has a population of approximately 660 people. Fedje has two whaling ships, and is famous for its fisheries.
The Norse form of the name was Feðjar. The meaning of the name is unknown.
The best known smaller island is called Holmengrå. Holmengrå has a 16-metre tall lighthouse. In the southern part of Fedje which is called Stormark, there is a lighthouse called Hellisøy fyr, maybe the most famous feature of Fedje. Hellisøy fyr was built in 1855, and is 32.3 metres tall, painted red and white.
The population of the island community is decreasing due to the high percentage of people over 60 years (25 percent as of January 1, 2003), and because many people decide to move from the island, many because of the lack of work.
Most of the people live on the lagoon-like northern part of the island, in the vicinity of the grocery shop, the church and the ferry. Fedje is inhabited by many fishermen and whalers, who represent the most important industries on the island.
There is an important traffic-station on Fedje. The station surveils the coastal sea-traffic. The island is supplied with power, telephone and internet cables from an underwater pipe connected to the mainland. A ferry, crossing 20 times a day, connects Fedje to the mainland. The voyage lasts for about 30 minutes. Fedje is about a 1 hour 40 minute drive (including a 30-minute ferry voyage) from the city of Bergen.
Graphic sourced with thanks from Visitnordhordland.no
Visit Hellisoy lighthouse keeper's house in FedjeREAD MORE