Honouring Heritage At ST?TT - Top of Helgeland

Located on the Helgeland coast of Norway lies the St?tt Old Trading Post, offering endless charm, warmth, and hospitality all while honouring the rich and storied history of the island.

Around 1750, ownership of the island passed to the Brodkorbs, a family that eventually came to own large parts of Helgeland. St?tt, meaning “islands by the towering mountain,” provided a safe haven for ships sailing the coast, and merchant activity began to flourish. At the end of the 1700s, St?tt was given royal license to operate a full-fledged trading post.

For countless generations, fishermen who came in traditional Nordland boats, St?tt was an ideal place to seek shelter from storms. Here they awaited good weather so they could cross the open waters of the notorious Vestfjord.

St?tt had its own bakery, and a trading post well stocked with fishing gear and other necessities. The trading post, strategically situated along the coastal shipping lane, was often teeming with activity. In its heyday, St?tt was a cultural hub and an important meeting place for people from throughout the region.

Today, St?tt Old Trading Post is owned and operated by the fourth and fifth generations of proprietors. St?tt now offers a unique experience to travellers who come from every corner of the world.

“My voyage, from B?rum near Oslo to the island of St?tt near the Arctic Circle, was the start of an adventure.” Says Eva Ann Andersen, the founder and general manager of St?tt Brygge. “It was a dream that I had carried since childhood: to return to the island where I grew up. The challenge that lay ahead was to develop St?tt into an exceptional travel destination.”

Andersen recently renamed her increasingly popular travel destination to ST?TT – Top of Helgeland. With support from Innovation Norway, the Cultural Heritage Fund, Nordland County Cultural Heritage, and the Municipality of Mel?y, many of the old buildings of the old trading post have been beautifully restored and upgraded.

In 2012, St?tt Brygge was established, as well as a restaurant in the old store. By 2015, accommodation was ready in Stabburet, the old storehouse, and Rorbua, both simple quarters for the fishermen who fished the waters near St?tt. Accommodation was also offered in the refurbished old bakery, Bakeriet, in 2018. Then, 2020 saw the establishment of St?tt Kolonial, the grocery store on the quay, and St?tt Lokalsamfunnsutvikling, a company dedicated to facilitating development of the island community

During a stay at St?tt, guests can now sleep in the beautifully restored buildings of the old trading post. The charming and elegant details, along the island’s authentic coastal culture create the ambience of a bygone era. St?tt take pride in offering personal hospitality, along with a unique range of activities and adventures, luxurious and cosy accommodation, and memorable dining experiences that highlight the very best locally sourced ingredients.

The building houses the restaurant once served as the Old Store until 1959. Today, the chef takes pride ??in preparing memorable dishes from the freshest fish from the Vestfjord. The restaurant’s culinary inspiration draws on the history of St?tt Old Trading Post. For centuries, the merchants on the island invited guests to dine on cod and halibut, and fish soup, all served in generous portions. And so, the restaurant honours this tradition with dishes that satisfy and inspire.

As a guest at Restaurant Gammelbutikken, visitors will be regaled with the stories behind the fish caught, other ingredients used, about the recipes, the old objects on display and the very building itself.

St?tt Kolonial, the grocery store also functions as a social venue, a place where the locals, those who have holiday homes on St?tt, and tourists all meet. With its wide range of services for everyone, St?tt Kolonial is the hub of the local community. This grocery store is vital to the island’s community of only 25 year-round residents as it provides a place to enjoy a great cup of coffee, and to exchange stories with others.

It is firm belief of ST?TT – Top of Helgeland that sustainable development is crucial for ensuring future growth of the tourism sector. They wish to contribute to profitable development in the industry; while also ensuring they operate within a framework that safeguards environmental and societal values.

Ever since people first settled the island of St?tt, people’s livelihoods have been dependent on working in harmony with nature. The same holds true for the hospitality and the experiences that are offered travellers. Today these core attitudes of heritage and sustainability still guide all their decisions. In recent times, St?tt have had an uncompromising focus on respecting and emphasising the local community’s heritage, and preserving the island’s distinctive features, traditions and authentic coastal culture.

Their thinking has a long-term perspective, recognizing that the island’s beautiful surroundings and natural resources are scarcity factors, and in many respects not renewable. Because of this, St?tt are striving to preserve and protect the island’s nature reserve and its diversity of flora, bird species and other fauna. They also ensure that the adventures and activities that they offer must be on nature’s own terms.

Alongside the resident’s association, ST?TT – Top of Helgeland also participate in the annual beach clean-up efforts, as the island works together towards the preservation of the intrinsic beauty for which St?tt is renowned. This desire to protect and preserve is exactly why the island has been faithfully and carefully restoring the St?tt Old Trading Post, one building at a time.

ST?TT – Top of Helgeland aim to make positive contribution to our island community in terms of economic activity, jobs, communications and transportation services, striving to empower the St?tt community, imbuing it with increased energy and optimism. The island as a connected whole work in harmony to ensure that residents, people who come to stay in their holiday homes here, as well as tourists, are all able to enjoy the plentiful charms St?tt.

It is the hope of the island that the restored St?tt Old Trading Post can become an important space for?? islanders and visitors alike, and for this area, along with ST?TT – Top of Helgeland to become an important engine that contributes to a positive development for the community as a whole.

“We have a great team at ST?TT – Top of Helgeland, with energetic and creative employees.” says Eva Andersen. “I am deeply impressed by the commitment they have shown these years, and how they have risen to our many challenges. I am immensely proud of that.”

At its core, ST?TT – Top of Helgeland hopes not only to restore its rich and storied heritage, but also illuminate and transform it through the warmth of hospitality.

Written by Katie Wilson, EP Business in Hospitality