Just outside Haugesund on Norway’s west coast lies the island community of Røvær. In 2005, the island opened its own hotel, and since then it has become an active meeting place for both visitors and locals. Continue reading to learn more about this small island with only 80 inhabitants – and a hotel.
Røvær History
We meet Ingrid Misje at the Hitrahuset Museum, which is furnished as it was around the 1900s. She tells about the Røvær accident in 1899, when 30 local lives were lost as a funeral procession returned to Røvær after a burial on the mainland. It is said that the Røvær accident continues to affect residents today. Schoolchildren on the island have helped bring the accident to life in a separate museum room dedicated to it.
The charming hotel with a restaurant and conference facilities, serving homemade food and offering a genuine maritime atmosphere, is probably one of the main reasons Røvær is such a vibrant island community today, just 25 minutes by speedboat from Haugesund.
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Related: Island Hopping on the West Coast of Norway
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We spoke with Ingunn Rasmussen, one of the hotel’s enthusiasts. In 2003, she and her sister Helga participated in a local development project on the island with the local tourist association. It began as a camp-school project to address the challenges of reaching the island from Haugesund and the limited accommodation options. However, Ingunn believed there was enough business in Haugesund to support job creation and activity on the island by building a hotel.
She and her sister, along with a friend, Vigdis Harr, received permission from their father to start a hotel project on a plot of land he owned. In 2005, the two-story Røvær Havhotell, with nine rooms, was inaugurated at a cost of eight million kroner. In 2013, the hotel was expanded with a new floor and six additional rooms.
The opening of a hotel on Røvær has increased interest in visiting the island and made it easier to reach by ferry from Haugesund. Private individuals, not least the business community, have discovered that Røvær has much to offer. Many local companies in the Haugesund area host conferences and meetings at the hotel in the fall, winter, and spring, while the summer is mostly for private overnight guests.
The Christmas parties at Røvær Havhotell have become popular, and Ingunn says they have their own “Christmas table guarantee”: “No one leaves the party to go into town here.” The last ferry from Røvær to Haugesund departs at 9:00 p.m.
“We don’t need to market our hotel much,” she says. “Our guests are happy and tell others about it. We now have regular customers from across the district, many from Bergen and Stavanger.”
“Aren’t you a little proud?” we ask.
“Mother and father, she a retired teacher and he a retired fisherman, contributed a lot. I feel we have created something that has been needed. At Røvær, you find peace while being close to the city. It’s a feeling that has to be experienced.”
We agree. So does a couple from Germany. Nils from Berlin tells us that he and a friend were sailing into Røvær ten years ago. He wanted to revisit the island by sailboat with his wife this year, but for various reasons they had to arrive by speedboat instead. He remembers being impressed by the sudden discovery of the island aboard a sailing vessel in the middle of the sea, the complicated sailing route, and the island’s small size. He also remembers the hiking and climbing there. The highest point, with a fantastic view, is Bråvarden at 460 meters above sea level.
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Related: The Islands Off Bergen Norway
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Røvær Sjøhus
Guests on a day trip to Røvær can bring their own food, eat at the hotel, or visit Røvær Sjøhus, a café open on Saturdays and Sundays from April through the end of September. During parts of the summer, it is open daily. Røvær’s famous komler and other small dishes are served there.
Røvær Aquaculture Center
At the Aquaculture Center, visitors can learn more about Norway, a maritime nation, and how it has become a world-leading producer of salmon. You can also join a RIB trip out to the salmon pens.
The small island of Røvær offers more than many imagine. The few people who live there are very proud of their island, as reflected in their obvious hospitality.
A Small Island With Only 80 Inhabitants – and a Hotel, written by Tor Kjolberg
All images © Tor Kjolberg/Daily Scandinavian.