Måløy
Måløy is a town in the municipality of Kinn in Vestland county, Norway. Måløy is located on the southeastern side of the island of Vågsøy, about 3 kilometres northeast of the village of Holvika and about 6 kilometres south of the village of Raudeberg. The Måløy Bridge connects the town centre to the area of Deknepollen on the mainland. Sør-Vågsøy Church is located in Måløy. Måløy is one of the most important fishing ports in Norway. In 1997, Måløy was granted town status by the municipality.
History
Måløy was founded as a trading centre on the small island of Moldøen, or Måløya, on the Ulvesundet strait between Vågsøy island and the mainland. As trade flourished, the town gradually moved to the larger island of Vågsøy, while keeping the name of the smaller island. This is the cause of some confusion, although the smaller island is today often known as "Lisje-Måløyna" (literally smaller Måløy) or "Øyna" (literally the island). During World War II, it was used as a German coastal fortress, which led to the eradication of all settlements on the island to make room for the fortress, and as a result of Operation Archery in December 1941.
Måløy was the administrative centre of the old municipality of Sør-Vågsøy which existed from 1910 until 1964, and it was then made the administrative centre of the new Vågsøy municipality which was created in 1964. In 2020, Vågsøy was merged with Flora Municipality to form the new Kinn Municipality. At that time, Måløy lost its administrative centre status.
Townscape
The town square in Måløy has a monument remembering the citizens of Sør-Vågsøy and Davik municipalities who died in World War II. Another monument, located elsewhere in the town, is a memorial to Martin Linge, the only Norwegian who died during Operation Archery. Few streets in Måløy are named; most, especially the ones on the hillside, are only numbered.