Getty Images
The Far North
Norway's northernmost counties of Troms and Finnmark arc across the very top of Europe, where broad horizons share the land with dense forest. Although winter tourism is on the rise, most travellers come in summer to enjoy Tromsø, the region's only town of any size. The museums of this sparky, self-confident place will orient you for the Arctic lands beyond. You'll probably respond to the call of Nordkapp (North Cape), the European mainland's self-declared most northerly point. But to really feel the pull of the north, you need to venture further to explore the sparsely populated plateaus of Inner Finnmark and its wild northeastern coast, the Norwegian heartland of the Sami people. For alternative adventure (say, scudding aboard a snowmobile or behind a team of yapping huskies), plan to return in winter, when soft blue light envelops the snowy lands, outsiders are few and the Northern Lights streak the sky.
Latest Stories from The Far North
Top attractions
These are our favorite local haunts, touristy spots, and hidden gems throughout The Far North.
See
Alta Museum
This superb museum is in Hjemmeluft, at the western end of town. It features exhibits and displays on Sami culture, Finnmark military history, the Alta hydroelectric project and the aurora borealis (northern lights). The cliffs around it, a Unesco World Heritage site, are incised with around 6000 late–Stone Age carvings, dating from 6000 to 2000 years ago, and it's these petroglyphs that will live longest in the memory. As the sea level decreased after the last Ice Age, carvings were made at progressively lower heights. Themes include hunting scenes, fertility symbols, bear, 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. Although the museum remains open in winter, many of the carvings may be under snow and the entrance fee is reduced as a result.
See
Northern Lights Cathedral
Opened in 2013, the daringly designed Northern Lights Cathedral, next to the Scandic Hotel Alta, is one of the architectural icons of the north, with its swirling pyramid structure clad in rippling titanium sheets. The interior is similarly eye-catching, with an utterly modern 4.3m-high bronze Christ by Danish artist Peter Brandes – note how the figure gets lighter as your eyes move up the body. The cathedral is at its best in winter when aglow in floodlights and the aurora borealis is in the sky behind. Stunning. Within the cathedral's walls, there is also the excellent Borealis Alta interactive exhibition, devoted to both the magic and the science of the Northern Lights – it's well worth it.
See
Juhls' Sølvsmie
This wonderful building, all slopes and soft angles, was designed and built by owners Regine and Frank Juhls, who first began working with the Sami over half a century ago. Their acclaimed gallery creates traditional-style and modern silver jewellery and handicrafts. One wing of the gallery has a fine collection of Asian carpets and artefacts, reminders of their work supporting Afghan refugees during that blighted country's Soviet occupation. Staff happily show you around and most items are for sale. Juhls' Silver Gallery sits on a hill above the southern end of the town and is clearly signposted.
See
Steilneset Memorial
This stunning monument, a collaboration between French artist Louis Bourgeois and Swiss architect Peter Zumthor, is dedicated to the 91 people executed for witchcraft and sorcery in 17th-century Vardø. Zumthor's beautiful 125m-long memorial hall has one illuminated window for each of the victims, while Bourgeois' installation is a chair surrounded by five gas flames and seven oval mirrors. The site is carefully chosen – it is believed that many of the executions took place near here.
See
Arctic Cathedral
The 11 triangles of the Arctic Cathedral (1965) suggest glacial crevasses and auroral curtains. The glowing stained-glass window that occupies the east end depicts Christ descending to earth, while the west end is filled by a futuristic organ and icicle-like chandeliers of Czech crystal. Despite its position beside one of Tromsø's main thoroughfares, the serenity inside remains unspoiled. It's on the southern side of the Bruvegen bridge, a few minutes on the bus from Havnegata, or a 1km walk.
See
Fjellheisen
For a fine view of the city and the midnight sun, take the cable car to the top of Mt Storsteinen (421m). There's a terrace and (pricey) restaurant at the top, from where a network of hiking routes radiates. Departures in both directions are on the hour and half hour. Take bus 26 from Havnegata.
See
Royal & Ancient Polar Bear Society
Dedicated to preserving Hammerfest culture, the Royal & Ancient Polar Bear Society (founded in 1963) features exhibits on Arctic hunting and local history and shares premises with the tourist office. For 200kr you can become a life member and get a certificate, ID card, sticker and pin. At times, the link to polar bears here can feel a little tenuous. But if you think of the place in terms of the Norwegian name (Isbjørklubben, simply Polar Bear Club), you're less likely to be disappointed. Membership (there are around 250,000 members worldwide) entitles you to attend the annual general meeting of the society in January. And not everyone can join, it seems. In 1973, one Elvis Presley wrote to the society asking to join, but his application was refused – to become a member, one must be physically present in Hammerfest. If simple membership is not enough and you're part of a group, for 300kr you also receive a schnapps glass and get dubbed with the large bone from a walrus's penis. Honestly. It's well worth the extra for the conversation this unique honour will generate down the pub once you're home. Advance reservations for this ceremony are necessary. One of the exhibits covers Adolf Henrik Lindstrøm, a Hammerfest-born cook who accompanied Roald Amundsen and Fridtjof Nansen (among others) and ended up travelling on more polar expeditions that any other person on earth, great explorers included. The town erected a statue of Lindstrøm in time for the 150th anniversary of his birth in 2016.
See
Hammerfest Kirke
The design of Hammerfest's contemporary church, consecrated in 1961, was inspired by the racks used for drying fish in the salty sea air all across northern Norway. Behind the altar, the glorious stained-glass window positively glows in the summer sun, while the wooden frieze along the organ gallery depicts highlights of the town's history. The chapel in the cemetery across the street is the only building in town to have survived WWII.
See
Stabbursdalen National Park
No roads cross through the 747 sq km of Stabbursdalen National Park, which offers a spectacular glacial canyon and excellent hiking in the world's most northerly pine forest. The park is a haven for elk (moose), wolverine and the Eurasian lynx, although you'll be lucky to spot the last two species. For hikers, there is one mountain hut, Ivarstua, in the park's north; otherwise, you'll need to camp. Two signed trails run across the north – the park's south is rocky, mountainous and hard going. For longer treks, consult the Stabbursnes visitor centre, which carries the relevant walking maps, Statens Kartverk's Stabbursdalen and Laksdal, both at 1:50,000. Less arduously, there are three signed trails, the longest requiring around four hours.