Winter in Reine, Norway. Being situated about 250 km north of the polar circle, in the middle of the winter the sun does not rise above the horizon for about two months. On the other hand, during summer the sun does not set from the end of May to the end of July.

Sakrisøy island with snow covered mountains in the background, Norway. Most of the fishermen's cabins on the Lofoten islands have traditionally been painted red because paint made of bull's blood was cheap. The tiny island of Sakrisøy was however somewhat wealthier, which was marked by the use of yellow paint. This is how it has been for more than a century.

Fishing trawlers along the pier, Norway. Between january and april millions of arctic cod fish migrate from the Barents Sea to the waters around the Lofoten islands for spawning. Since the beginning of the 12th century, this has lead to one of the world's biggest seasonal fisheries taking place in Lofoten.

Hamnøy harbor during winter, Norway. The peak in the background of Hamnøy harbor is Olstinden (675 m). It was climbed for the first time via its southwest face in 1904 by the British mountain climber William Cecil Slingsby. Slingsby is often refered to as the father of Norwegian mountaineering as he was one of the first to actively pursue mountain climbing in Norway.

Cod drying racks, Norway. Stockfish is made by drying unsalted fish naturally in the wind and sun on wooden racks. It is the world's oldest known preservation method and the dried fish has a storage life of several years. The most common fish used for stockfish production in cod, but also other types of fish can be used.

Winter in Lofoten, Norway. Although only 369 m high, the imposing mountain Festhæltinden rises sharply behind the fishing village of Hamnøy.

Fishing boats at Hamnøy harbor, Norway. The tiny island of Hamnøya in Lofoten is home to about 20 people. Previously, it was connected to the larger fishing village of Reine by a ferry service, but nowadays it is connected by a bridge.

Rainbow over the harborfront of Å i Lofoten, Norway. The old fishing village of Å is one of the best preserved in Norway, and all its wooden buildings are protected by law.

Sunset over Tind i Lofoten, Norway. The Lofoten islands are located north of the Arctic Circle, at a latitude of 68 degrees. At this latitude the sun does not set from the end of May to the middle of July, which means that during that period you can experience the midnight sun. However, during winter the sun doesn't rise at all above the horizon from the beginning of December until the beginning of January.

Fishing trawler in Reine, Norway. In the fishing village of Reine, a natural bay offers excellent protection from the elements.

Stockfish production, Norway. Today, stockfish is extremely popular especially in Italy, Portugal, Spain and West Africa. Due to the stable conditions, Norwegian stockfish from Lofoten cod is regarded as the best in the world.

Pigeons nesting, Norway.

Rorbu cabins in Hamnøy, Norway. Traditional 'rorbu' cabins are found all along the coast of northern Norway. Originally built as accommodation for fishermen, today many have been transformed into comfortable accommodation for tourists.

Boathouses along the Oslofjord, Norway. The Oslofjord penetrates the southern coast of Norway for about 100 km. Its forested shoreline is dotted with many islands, numerous towns and ports.

The snow-clad moutains of Reinefjord, Norway. Considering the location north of the Arctic Circle, winter temperatures in Lofoten is very mild. In fact, relative to the latitude, it is the largest positive temperature anomaly in the world. This is due to the warm Gulf Stream that flows north along the Norwegian coast.

Wooden barrels for salting fish and cod roe, Norway. Wooden barrels have traditionally been used for salting of fish and cod roe. Salted cod roe paste is packaged in a tube and it is commonly used on sandwiches in Scandinavia, especially combined with sliced hardboiled eggs.

Fishing trawler in Lofoten, Norway. The area off Lofoten is believed to hold significant amounts of oil and natural gas, estimated to a total value of 60 billion Euro. Norway's powerful oil and gas industry is keen to drill for oil off Lofoten, but the issue is highly controversial due to environmental concerns.

Seabirds flocking behind a fishing vessel, Norway. Seabirds are often seen flocking behind fishing vessels in the hope of catching some of the fishery waste.

Unloading cod in Nusfjord, Norway. The Norwegian fishing village of Nusfjord on the Lofoten islands is on the UNESCO world heritage list. Most of the buildings are from the 19th century and were built by Hans Grøn Dahl who arrived in 1836. Still today it is one of his descendents that owns 50 out of 60 buildings in Nusfjord.

Majestic landscape from Reine, Norway. Reine is just one of the many idyllic fishing villages found on the Lofoten islands, along the northern coast of Norway.

Old cod liver oil factory of Henningsvær, Norway. For centuries, cod liver oil together with stockfish was one of Norway's most valuable commodities. In this building, which has been demolished in the meanwhile, cod livers were boiled and turned into oil. It was used to fuel lamps all over Europe, for making paint and soap and much more.

Breaking dawn at the harborfront of Å, Norway. At the very end of the European highway E10 is the small traditional fishing village of "Å", squeezed between jagged mountain peaks and the ocean.

Fishing trawler in Siglufjörður, Iceland. During the first half of the 20th century the northernmost town in Iceland was known as the world capital of the herring fisheries. Since then herring stocks have declined, but fishing still remains the main economic activity for the 1300 inhabitants.

Henningsvær harbour, Norway. Henningsvær consists of a group of isles, and it is only since 1981 that bridges connect the village to the rest of Lofoten. In the middle of the 19th century Henningsvær became the most important fishing village in Lofoten. Today, it counts about 500 inhabitants.

Trail of autumn leaves along the Oslofjord, Norway.

Reinevågen bay on Moskenes island, Norway. Situated above the arctic circle, the Lofoten islands in northern Norway offer a stunning scenery with steep mountains rising up from the ocean, magnificient fjords and idyllic fishing villages.

Unloading fishing vessels, Norway. Thanks to its long coastline and many fjords, Norway is one of the world's top fishing nations. In fact, only China exports more fish than Norway. Most of the export goes to Denmark, Russia, France and Japan.