Sortland Municipality, municipality in Nordland, Norway
Sortland Municipality is a municipality in the Vesterålen region in northern Norway and includes several small villages with the town of Sortland as its main center. The area spans several islands such as Langøya and Hinnøya, connected by bridges, and features mountains, forests, fjords, and a long coastline.
Sortland was founded in 1841 and was originally part of the larger municipality of Hadsel before developing into an independent municipality. Over time, smaller areas were integrated, such as in the 1960s, and the first church was built on the old farm Svortuland.
The name Sortland comes from an old farm called Svortuland and may refer to dark soil or local bird species. The town's houses are painted in various shades of blue, a tradition that has defined its appearance since around 2000 and reflects the community's identity.
The town has good infrastructure with roads, buses, an airport, and a port, making travel easy. You can reach the islands within an hour's drive and use the local steamer, which stops at different ports twice daily.
The place is called 'The Blue City by the Sound,' a project from around 2000 where local artists and young people painted the town in shades of blue. The blue walls also carry poems and thoughts from residents, giving the place a special cultural mark.
The community of curious travelers
AroundUs brings together thousands of curated places, local tips, and hidden gems, enriched daily by 60,000 contributors worldwide.
