Rorbu Cabin

Well above the Arctic Circle, the Lofoten Islands of Norway spend the winter covered in snow and cloaked in darkness.  From early December to early January, the sun does not rise…at all.  Perhaps it is due to these dark and dreary conditions that the islands’ wooden huts, known as rurbuer (rorbu in the singular form) are so brightly painted.

These predecessors of these small cabins were commissioned by King Øystein in 1120 as housing for seasonal fishermen, who would descend upon Lofoten during the winter months, when cod arrives in droves to spawn in the arctic waters.  The cabins were originally built on poles, partly out in the sea.  Many of these tiny homes have been refurbished to modern standards and are now rented to those seeking utter darkness or rustic Scandinavian charm.

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