Lyngen

The municipality is situated on the Lyngen Peninsula. This is a very scenic and mountainous area, with the highest peaks in the county of Troms. The highest peak is Jiekkevárri, reaching 1833 metres. The Lyngen Alps are presently being discovered by off-piste skiers from around the world.

The municipal centre is Lyngseidet, a pretty settlement on an isthmus that almost cuts the peninsula in the middle. Other villages include Furuflaten, which has various industries, and Svensby. Nord-Lenangen faces the open sea, and is largely a fishing village. The municipality has its own shipping company, operating the car ferries west to Breivikeidet in Tromsø and east to Olderdalen in Kåfjord meeting the E6.

The Lyngen church dates from 1731 but was moved to its present location at Lyngseidet in 1740. Other interesting buildings include the large wooden school Solhov, which was built in 1924 to strengthen the Norwegian influence in this area which was largely populated by the Sami and Kven people.

[edit] Coat-of-arms

The coat-of-arms is from modern times (1987). It shows a horse (of the special subspecies lyngshest).

[edit] Politics

Birger Hellan is the current town counsellor of Lyngen (May 2006). He was born in the city of Trondheim, but moved to Lyngen in 2001. He has recently expressed his concern for the Lyngen economy in a local newspaper, Harstad Tidende.

[edit] External links

Municipalities of Troms
Balsfjord \| Bardu \| Berg \| Bjarkøy \| Dyrøy \| Gratangen \| Harstad \| Ibestad \| Karlsøy \| Kvæfjord \| Kvænangen \| Kåfjord \| Lavangen \| Lenvik \| Lyngen \| Målselv \| Nordreisa \| Salangen \| Skjervøy \| Skånland \| Storfjord \| Sørreisa \| Torsken \| Tranøy \| Tromsø