Hellevik: Nilsbua, Chapel and Sandy Beach

Hellevik combines cultural history with local food and the chance to swim at a sandy beach. Nilsbua offers a special insight into the village’s history: the old house tells the story of its past uses and is now a general store, café and museum. There is also Hellevik Chapel, a farm shop selling baked goods and local products, and the beach as a destination in its own right during your stay.

Chapel and Nilsbua

Hellevik Chapel was built in 1978 and has a freestanding bell tower. It is one of Fjaler’s two prayer-house chapels. For travellers interested in the religious and architectural history of a place, it offers a tangible point of interest. The separate bell tower is as much a part of the overall appearance as the chapel itself.

Nilsbua was carefully restored by a local friends’ association. Its interior and movable furnishings have been preserved. The house also has a varied history of everyday use: Nilsbua once housed a steamship expedition, a general store, a shoemaker’s workshop, accommodation and a rental apartment. These uses reflect different aspects of life and work; together, they give the place a rich historical character.

Nilsbua and its associated quay form a historic quay and coastal-farming environment that has seen few modern interventions. The house is therefore not a standalone attraction, but part of a long-established setting by the quay. Visitors with a particular interest in local history will find a second, distinct point of interest here alongside the chapel. Nilsbua is also a general store, café and museum; the café is open seasonally and serves traditional food.

Local food and farm life

Leonards Forlaavelse runs a farm shop selling baked goods and local products. A large cheese counter adds a distinctive touch to its selection. For anyone who enjoys discovering local food while travelling, the farm shop can be part of the culinary experience of a stay in Hellevik. Its combination of baked goods, local products and cheese sets it apart from a visit to a café alone.

The farm also has a barn with a communal room and kitchen. Leonards Forlaavelse can arrange breakfast deliveries, lunch baskets and packed lunches. The options range from breakfast to a meal for later in the day; you can take them into account when planning your meals, depending on what suits your trip. On the shore of the Dalsfjord, the farm has a garden plot, a greenhouse and an herb garden. These features add a horticultural connection to the farm shop.

More reasons to visit

Boatbuilding is also part of Hellevik’s local past: in 1936, Leiv Bakkebø and his father Jens founded a boatyard in Aurevågen in Hellevik. The sandy beach offers a different way to enjoy the area: visitors can swim there. Alongside the historical attractions, visitors can choose between different interests, including local food, gardening and swimming.

If you are looking for a holiday apartment in Hellevik, you can start by considering which of these themes you would like to shape your stay: local history at Nilsbua and the chapel, local products and farm life, or swimming at the sandy beach. This can help you clarify your travel plans without reducing the different offerings to a single focus for your trip.

More pages about local areas

More pages about local areas: Flekke, Fjaler, Guddal, Espedal, Dale i Sunnfjord, Grytøyra and Hellevik I Fjaler.

Back to the broader travel overview: Fjaler.