Wikipedia
Helgøya (or sometimes Helgøy) may refer to several places in Norway:
- Helgøy, a former municipality in Troms county
- Helgøy Church, a church in Karlsøy municipality, Troms county
- Helgøya, Hedmark, a large island in Ringsaker municipality, Hedmark county
- Helgøya Church, a church in Ringsaker municipality, Hedmark county
- Helgøy (Rogaland), an island in Finnøy municipality, Rogaland county
- Helgøya (Sogn og Fjordane), an island in Flora municipality, Sogn og Fjordane county
- Helgøya (Troms), an island in Karlsøy municipality, Troms county
- Helgøya (Vest-Agder), an island in Søgne municipality, Vest-Agder county
Helgøya is an island and former fishing village in the municipality in Karlsøy in Troms county, Norway. It is surrounded by a number of islands: Vannøya to the northeast; Karlsøya and Reinøya to the southeast; Ringvassøya to the south; and Nordkvaløya to the west.
Historically, the island was an active hub for the parish and municipality of Helgøy. It was a large fishing village and the home of the historic Helgøy Church. The church has been located on Helgøya since the 13th century, but has not been regularly used for some time. No one has permanently lived on Helgøya since 1999 when the post office was closed and regular ferry service was ended. The island can only be reached when services are celebrated in the church and ferry rides are organized. The island of Helgøya is now a more or less abandoned village of picturesque wooden houses with a historic church that is used on special occasions. The houses are sometimes still used, but only as vacation homes.