The historic Sjøgata area in Mosjøen

Sjøgata, in the centre of Mosjøen, is in an area where history is still alive today. The old, 19th century buildings are well preserved, forming a colourful backdrop to the little town's vibrant urban life. A stroll around this area will reveal architectural gems and beautifully preserved buildings.

Sjøgata is also a vibrant, living district with shops, cafés, accommodation, galleries, art exhibitions, a museum and much more. Many of the houses in the street belong to ordinary locals who are used to tourists walking through their gardens or peeping in their windows.

Kulturverkstedet
In this distinctive multi-purpose building in Sjøgata, you can have a coffee, eat traditional food from Vefsn and admire work by well-known artists from Northern Norway. Every Friday throughout the year there are lunchtime concerts in Galleriet by professional and amateur local musicians. Don't miss a visit to the antiquarian bookshop in the 'back yard' of Kulturverkstedet.
The Sjøgata area represented by Kulturverkstedet has been awarded the St. Olav’s Rose, the Norwegian Heritage Foundation’s mark of quality.

Jacobsenbrygga
Helgeland Museum has its own wharf on Sjøgata and offers a range of exciting exhibitions all year round. The permanent exhibition on the history of the town shows the fascinating story of the colourful life in Sjøgata and in Mosjøen — the oldest town in Helgeland. The museum also puts on a changing range of themed exhibitions, concerts and other events.

Galleri Stokland
Don`t miss a visit to Galleri (gallery) Stokland, a charming house filled with colourful artworks, knitwear and textiles, silver jewellery, leather, and beautiful paintings.

Stay in historic surroundings
The self-catering holiday apartments in Sjøgata are named after previous residents, and include “Gabrielsengården”, “Ola Oktoberbrygga” and “Aabakkengården”. Here you can enjoy your morning coffee at the kitchen window — just as they did in the 19th century. The houses are full of old-world charm and are decorated and furnished in the style of the period, but have all the modern conveniences to ensure guests a comfortable stay. They may all be furnished differently, but each house has good beds, plus a kitchen, living room and bathroom.

The venerable Fru Haugans Hotel is situated by the Vefsna river at the southern end of Sjøgata, and is surrounded by a large, beautiful garden. The hotel also has a visitors' mooring. Dating back just over 220 years, Fru Haugans is the oldest hotel in Northern Norway and has been run by women for several generations. Now restored and modernised, the hotel has nevertheless retained much of its period style and intimate atmosphere.

Festspill (music and Art Festival) Helgeland
Every year for 8 days in July, Sjøgata is taken over by Festspill Helgeland. Then the street is transformed into an 800-metre (half mile) long art gallery. Shops, boathouses, banks, hotels and restaurants all get involved and put on wonderful exhibitions of paintings, sculptures, sketches and photographs by artists of all kinds — famous and unknown, local and international. And there is music everywhere in the street. The festivals are always rounded off with an enormous town party, when Sjøgata becomes one big party site hosting some 4500 partygoers who gather to dance and enjoy the atmosphere late into the Saturday night. Music of all genres can be heard from the restaurants and cafés, with tunes to suit the most varied of tastes.

Proud of the Sjøgata area
The local people are proud of Sjøgata and are happy to show visitors around. We recommend a stroll through this old 19th century area and admire the traditional timber building techniques and tools, decorative details and use of colour. Visit the little shops and craft workshops along the street and be sure to do as the locals of Mosjøen do: Pop down to the café for a coffee — especially in the morning! Hear the buzz of talk and laughter over the tinkling of coffee cups as the world’s innumerable problems are “solved”. Café culture has a long history in Mosjøen, and Sjøgata in particular was known for its large number of coffee stalls and cafés. Even today, you can drink coffee in 5 different cafes and restaurants just in this area.