The archipelago at the far end of the great sea was the first Norwegian cultural landscape to achieve such a status. World Heritage status was given to a landscape of islands along an extremely rugged coastline. But why did it happen?

Unesco's World Heritage Committee writes in its justification: "Vegaøyan shows how generations of fishermen and farmers over the past 1,500 years have maintained a sustainable way of life in a harsh area near the Arctic Circle, based on the now unique tradition of eiderdown farming. The status is also a tribute to women's contribution to the down process."

In other words, the reason for Vegaøyan's place on the prestigious list is the unique cultural landscape in the area, which is the result of the interaction between man and nature over a long period of time. Particular emphasis has been placed on the unique eider and pigeon tradition. While the man was fishing, the women looked after the eider ducks that were incubating in the nests and houses the families out on Vegaøyan had made for them.

during the spring. The women also cleaned the duna, which then became a unique and expensive export item from Norway to Europe.

In other words, the world heritage is the traces of the islanders' life and work over many hundreds of years. It's all the buildings that tell the story of the life of the fisherman's family. It is a cultural landscape shaped by centuries of grazing and mowing. The World Heritage Site is the story of the eider duck, which is still kept as livestock so that the bird keepers can harvest soft eiderdown and make the world's best bedding.

Our legacy to the world's future generations is also the wild nature, the rich bird life and the biodiversity. Parts of the main island of Vega are covered by World Heritage status. The remains of Norway's oldest house are probably located at one of the many Stone Age settlements at the foot of the mountains and show the long lines of history.