Hammerfest

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Introducing Hammerfest

Because of its strategic location and excellent harbour, Hammerfest has long been an important way station for shipping, fishing and Arctic hunting. In its heyday, ladies wore the finest Paris fashions and in 1890 Europe’s first electric street lighting was installed. Nowadays it proudly claims to be the world’s northernmost town (other Norwegian communities, while further north, are, Hammerfest vigorously argues, too small to qualify as towns!).

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Neither man nor nature have been kind to the town: it was decimated in a gale in 1856, burned severely in 1890, then burned again by the Nazis in 1944. Its parish church has gone up in flames five times over the centuries. All the same God may at last be smiling on the town in a way that is having a huge impact. The world’s longest undersea pipeline runs for 143km from the huge Snøhvit natural gas fields in the Barents Sea to the small island of Melkøya out in the bay. With estimated reserves of 193 billion (yes, billion) cu metres, the pumps, which came on tap in 2007, are expected to pound for at least 25 years.

If you’re arriving on the Hurtigruten coastal ferry, you’ll have only a couple of hours to pace around, pick up an Arctic souvenir and scoff some fresh shrimp at the harbour. For most visitors that will suffice.

Last updated: Feb 17, 2009

Thorn Tree forum discussion

Recent posts

  1. Bjoern avatar
    RE: Chances to see the Northern Lights in late Dec 12 / Early Jan 2013?

    by Bjoern 13 May 2012

    To the highjacker #8: You can see the moonrise and moonset in N.Norway Jan 2012 here (this is Hammerfest as exact location): http://www.tim…
  2. iviehoff avatar
    RE: Getting to Nordkapp

    by iviehoff 10 April 2012

    What exactly were you quoted for - connecting flights to Hammerfest and then a bus? Connecting flights will often be expensive, it will…
  3. amtrakker avatar
    Hurtigruten tips and costs

    by amtrakker 04 January 2012

    *Hurtigruten tips* Buy the endless coffee and tea mug - cost 215NOK but after 10 cups, pays for itself. But write your cabin number on…

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