Alta Museum

Lonely Planet review

Alta Museum is in Hjemmeluft, at the western end of town. The cliffs around it, a Unesco World Heritage site, are incised with around 5000 late Stone Age carvings, dating from 6000 to 2000 years ago. As the sea level decreased after the last ice age, carvings were made at progressively lower heights. Themes include hunting scenes, fertility symbols, bears, moose, reindeer and crowded boats.

The works have been highlighted with red-ochre paint (thought to have been the original colour) and are connected by 3km of boardwalks that start at the main building. The short loop (1.2km; allow around 45 minutes, including viewing time) is the most visited. You can also graft on a second loop (total distance 2.1km), a pleasant seaside walk that takes in more sites. Inside, the superb award-winning museum features exhibits and displays on Sami culture, Finnmark military history, the Alta hydroelectric project and the Aurora Borealis (northern lights).