Reine on the Lofoten Islands

North of the Arctic Circle in Norway, jagged peaks and rocks rise from the sea like teeth, forming the fantastic Lofoten archipelago. Alongside this dramatic landscape of rugged cliffs and the powerful tidal currents of the Norwegian Sea, the colourful fishermen’s huts, known as ‘rorbuer’, and the A-frame drying racks are further landmarks of these unique islands off the Norwegian coast. This is also the source of a culinary speciality, stockfish, which became popular in Southern Europe early on due to its high protein content. Every spring, the settlements fill with thousands of fishermen awaiting the migration of the Arctic cod. After being caught, the fish are preserved in the dry winter cold. Hung on the racks alongside bundles of fish heads, they create a bizarre sight well into the summer.

All images from the ‘Weltbilder’ edition