Photo: Liline sur Flickr·CC BY 2.0· Wikimedia Commons
Islands / Fredrikstad / Engelsvikøya
An island by the fishing harbour Engelsviken in the old Onsøy district, in western Fredrikstad. Engelsviken is an old fishing community with shrimp trawlers, a visitor harbour and the eating places Engelsviken Brygge and Engelsviken Matbar.
We are in western Fredrikstad, in the old Onsøy district. Engelsvikøya lies right up against the fishing harbour at Engelsviken. Look for the shrimp trawlers at the quay, the visitor harbour, and the two eating places just above the wharf. This is a working fishing harbour.
car via Engelsviken (Onsøy) / private boat.
No scheduled boat comes here. You will have to find the nearest public quay yourself, and the rest is your own boat or a kayak. Check the wind and wave forecast before you set out; the open stretches in the outer fjord turn unpleasant in a fresh breeze.
Engelsviken grew up as a fishing community along the skerry coast of Onsøy. The name probably comes from the man's name Ingjald and *vik*, a bay. Coastal fishing here goes a long way back, with shrimp trawling as the main trade. A fish landing station, a slipway and services grew up around the harbour. According to Statistics Norway the settlement was merged with neighbouring Lervik in 2003, and had around 1,000 permanent residents at the time.
Engelsviken is still an active fishing harbour with shrimp trawlers landing their catch. Around the harbour there is a visitor marina with a slipway, a fish shop, a grocery shop in season, a hairdresser and a campsite. Two eating places draw visitors, Engelsviken Brygge and Engelsviken Matbar, both known for seafood straight off the boats. In summer the population multiplies with cabin owners and campers. Engelsvikøya itself is part of this harbour setting.
The place is reached by car via Engelsviken in Onsøy, or by private boat into the visitor harbour. The harbour has quays, a slipway and visitor berths. There is no known general protection regulation for the island. No scheduled ferry is known to call here; check locally before planning around a crossing.
The shrimp trawlers at the quay are working boats. The shrimp you can buy at the fish shop may have been landed the same morning.
Engelsviken is one of the few places along this stretch of coast where the fishing industry still operates, alongside the visitor harbour and the restaurants.
In winter the harbour is quiet and empty of people. In summer it is among the busiest small-boat harbours in western Fredrikstad.
Oslo Sea Experience passes Engelsvikøya on its private fjord trips from Tjuvholmen.
The Norwegian version notes which facts were taken from each source: Engelsvikøya på norsk.