Island life at Beckerwyc House
A ferry ride out from Bergen, on the Norwegian west coast, you will find the tiny village Bekkjarvik on an island in the Austevoll archipelago. Beyond Bekkjarvik, there is nothing but the North Sea until you hit the Scottish Shetland islands on the most Northern tip of the United Kingdom. And beyond that, there is nothing but sea all the way to Greenland and North America.
Bekkjarvik has been a haven for resting and resupplying ahead of long, often perilous, journeys, since the days of the sailing ships. For hundreds of years, it has been a place to fill up with fresh water from wild running streams, purchase casks and barrels and enjoy the hospitality of the guest house on the harbour.
The harbour is still very much a working harbour. It is authentically bustling, not for show, but because the island’s economy is still inextricably linked to the sea. Fisheries is still its largest industry, coopers have been replaced by aquaculture, and you will see all kinds of vessels coming into and leaving the docks. Sustainability is not an afterthought here; people’s livelihoods and the future of the community depend on the wellbeing of the ocean.
From the harbour you will soon spot the unusually shaped building that houses the boutique hotel Beckerwyc House itself on the two first floors, and the MiraBelle restaurant on the third.
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For such a remote place, it is still very accessible. Once you make it to Bekkjarvik, you will find it easy to roam the island. There are hikes made accessible by stone stairs and paths that will guide you to the most stunning views, quite easily. The gravel paths of the rose garden, with its abundance of rhododendron that thrive in the temperate and wet climate of the Norwegian west coast, are comfortable. Along the coastline, there is a promenade. Walking along, you may come across a bench exactly at the right time, placed there for taking rest or enjoying the views, for allowing your eyes to reach out to where the earth curves or closing them to listen to the clucking of the waves meeting the wharf.
The Guest House by the harbour has welcomed guests for three hundred years. It has been hosted by the Johannesen family since the 1980s. The family – the matriarch Asta, her three children and a granddaughter – are the current custodians, but the family’s history and family members that have long passed, still influence the traditions that remain a part of life on the island and the Bekkjarvik hospitality. Its latest and most ambitious expression yet is the Beckerwyc House and MiraBelle restaurant.
When you meet the locals, you will discover that there is a typical island temperament in people here. It is a temperament that you can recognise, whether you’re in Hawaii, Tasmania, Mauritius or indeed Bekkjarvik, which is a combination of resourcefulness and camaraderie. Every visitor is greeted like they have made an effort to be there, because they really have. You are made to feel welcome, and you are.
For such a remote place, it is still very accessible. Once you make it to Bekkjarvik, you will find it easy to roam the island. There are hikes made accessible by stone stairs and paths that will guide you to the most stunning views, quite easily. The gravel paths of the rose garden, with its abundance of rhododendron that thrive in the temperate and wet climate of the Norwegian west coast, are comfortable. Along the coastline, there is a promenade. Walking along, you may come across a bench exactly at the right time, placed there for taking rest or enjoying the views, for allowing your eyes to reach out to where the earth curves or closing them to listen to the clucking of the waves meeting the wharf.
From the harbour you will soon spot the unusually shaped building that houses the boutique hotel Beckerwyc House itself on the two first floors, and the MiraBelle restaurant on the third. The building was created to be iconic. The family challenged the architect Ajas Mellbye to create something that had never been seen before, and nevertheless make sure it was linked in every way to the life and traditions of the island.
The result is a building that sits like a gigantic boulder between the traditional white painted wooden houses, looking half like it just naturally emerged from the surrounding environment, and half like an alien structure from the future. The bottom part of the structure is driftwood-like in appearance, and it supports a bulging organic looking façade of shimmering fish shell tiles that run all the way to the top, interrupted by tiny, diamond shaped windows, scattered seemingly at random across the uppermost floor. Once inside, you will see that there is absolutely nothing random about it.
Inside, it is in fact, the uncompromising attention to detail that is the most striking. In general, the interiors are elegant and understated, created by or sourced from local artisans. The quality of craft as well as materials are clearly communicated through a simplicity that makes it impossible to hide any flaw. To complement these interiors, the first-floor rooms feature a fabric wall covering that subtly brings your imagination to a silky underwater scene. Together with the sand-coloured carpets, the feeling is one of softness and stillness. The silky wall in the second-floor rooms are just as soft, but invites us to imagine the horizon, where sea meets sky.
The carpets, made from recycled fishing nets, with their slight variations in colour, are used throughout the hotel to create paths and zones for different moods and activities. The carefully curated art is selected from a local gallery that specializes in contemporary west coast artists. If you fall in love with a particular piece, it will be possible to bring it home with you.
Breakfast, prepared by the MiraBelle kitchen, is served in your room. Weather allowing, you can open the door to the patio and enjoy it outside – or just open the blinds and enjoy the food and the views from inside. In addition to the bread still warm from the oven, the perfectly cooked eggs, the pastry, local hams, cheeses and preserves you might expect, there will also be small culinary surprises. For example, a pickled herring tangerine salad designed to delight with its colours, textures and flavours, but also connect the Bekkjarvik heritage to the universal vibe of island living.
