Autumnal cultural heritage walk along the Queen's Route -

19 September 2024

School class with sandy beach and mountains in the background

On 17 September, the entire 6th grade at Myre School took part in a cultural heritage walk from Stø to Skipssand. This means that everyone who were 5th graders last year and 6th graders this year in Øksnes municipality, have participated in this educational programme from Øksnes museum and Bø museum!

Skipssand is a short walk from the parking lot at Stø. Image: Cropped from ©norgeskart.no, Kartverket.

Julie Sæther, archaeologist at Bø Museum, showed us how we can recognize old constructions such as burial mounds and settlements in the landscape. These are traces in nature that you may not notice otherwise, unless you know what to look for.

It can be tricky to notice cultural landmarks in the landscape. Luckily there are handy signs along the Queen’s Route. Photo: Øksnes museum.

This autumn, the weather was not on our side, and it was challenging – but despite wind, rain showers and mud, students and teachers were eager, and asked many interesting questions about the people who used to live here – what did they build houses of? What language did they speak? And how did they get the materials?

There are cultural heritage landmarks right above the beach. These are protected by law, and especially prone to erosion. It’s not allowed to walk or camp here. Photo: Øksnes museum.

Skipssanden is part of the Queen’s Route, a hiking trail that goes all the way from Stø to Nyksund in Øksnes. Skipssand is today a hiking destination, but until around the 1300’s – when the Black Death ravaged Europe – the place was inhabited, all the way back to the Stone Age. These cultural landmarks are today in danger of disappearing, partly due to erosion, which means that the landscape is eroded by weather, wind, and human activity. If you are going to walk the route, you must be aware of where there are cultural monuments and avoid stepping on these – and you must be dressed for the weather!