Turism has indeed been a big part of daily life under the glacier for both Fonndalen and Svartisen farm. In the early years, the farm buildings were used for this operation, but over time, that changed. In 1985, all operations were moved to the newly built Breestua.

To find the background for the construction, we don't need to go further back than the year before. In 1984, there was a big stir in the area when the SS "Norway" announced that they would be visiting. When the ship was completed in 1962, it gained attention. At 315 meters, it was the longest passenger ship the world had ever seen, a record that stood until 2003 when it was surpassed by the British passenger ship RMS Queen Mary 2.

 

The visit in August 1984 unsurprisingly led to a lot of positive PR. Olav Gåsvær, a local politician, visited and suggested building a pavilion where people could seek shelter if the weather was bad.

This initiated the construction of Breestua. They began in December 1984, and after a steadfast effort, Breestua was ready for use by July 1985.

 

The location was determined after much contact with the tourism industry. Alf Erik Hansen, marketing manager for Diplomat Hotel, and Børre Gjeldstad, marketing manager for SAS hotel, had frequent visits to the area. The chosen location was where they used to gather groups before and after glacier visits.

Svartisen farm was responsible for operating Breestua. However, it gradually proved to be overly challenging to combine it with the daily operation of the farm. The tourism is known to be most busy in the summer, which is also one of the busiest periods on a farm. In 2003, two of the farm's daughters took over the operation. They brought in some investors and started the business. Unfortunately, things didn't go quite as they had envisioned, so just two years later, they withdrew, and the investors were left with the operation. In other words, Svartisen farm operated Breestua for 20 years.

 

The investors ran the facility until the local goverment stepped in and purchased the companies in 2011. The reason behind this was to ensure access for the local population and to open up for more local commercial players. This was because the local government in Meløy considers Engabreen as a beacon for the local tourism industry.

I would have liked to provide you with some practical information about opening hours and such, but since they can change a bit from year to year, so instead I include a link to their website. You can find it in the text.

Svartisen.no

 

 

 

 

Subject text: Helge Seim

Screenplay: Helge Seim

Voice: Marit Emilie Meidelsen Øvrebø

Editing: Helge seim

Music and Soundeffect: freesound.org

 

Source:

-Steinar Johansen intervjue 2.11.23