Western Finnmark
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…
Must-see attractions in The Far North
Western Finnmark
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…
The Far North
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…
The Far North
This stunning monument, a collaboration between French artist Louis Bourgeois and Swiss architect Peter Zumthor, is dedicated to the 91 people executed…
The Far North
Along one of the prettiest stretches of the E75 (a designated National Scenic Route; see www.nasjonaleturistveger.no), the lovely white church of Nesseby…
Tromsø
The 11 triangles of the Arctic Cathedral (1965) suggest glacial crevasses and auroral curtains. The glowing stained-glass window that occupies the east…
Tromsø
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…
Royal & Ancient Polar Bear Society
Western Finnmark
Dedicated to preserving Hammerfest culture, the Royal & Ancient Polar Bear Society (founded in 1963) features exhibits on Arctic hunting and local history…
Western Finnmark
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…
The Far North
Although technically in Troms county, Reisa National Park (803 sq km) is equally accessible by road from Kautokeino. For hikers, the 50km route through…
Western Finnmark
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…
The Far North
Hard up against the Swedish and Finnish borders, Øvre Dividal National Park is a remote, 750-sq-km wilderness area rich in woodland, high-country views…
Stabbursnes Naturhus og Museum
Western Finnmark
The Stabbursnes Naturhus og Museum serves both the Stabbursdalen National Park and Stabbursnes Nature Reserve. It sells field guides, maps and fishing…
The Far North
Sami culture is big business here, and this impressive theme park includes a wistful, hi-tech multimedia introduction to the Sami in the 'Magic Theatre',…
Western Finnmark
The Stabbursnes Nature Reserve extends over the wetlands and mudflats at the estuary of the Stabburselva. Birdwatchers come to observe the many species of…
The Far North
This oil-rig-shaped airship mast on Vadsø island was built in the mid-1920s as an anchor and launch site for airborne expeditions to the polar regions…
Tromsø
Near the southern end of Tromsøya, this museum has well-presented and documented displays on traditional and modern Sami life, ecclesiastical art and…
Tromsø
This Arctic-themed attraction provides a multimedia introduction to northern Norway and Svalbard. Kick things off by watching the two panoramic films:…
The Far North
This large, open-air zoo is 23km south of Setermoen and 3.3km east of the E6. It features wildlife of the boreal taiga (marshy forest) in spacious…
Nordkapp
Presiding over a scene of considerable natural beauty is this visitor centre, a vast bunker of a place, topped by a giant, intrusive golf ball. Within you…
Tromsø
Fittingly for a town that was the launch pad for many pioneering expeditions to the North Pole, Tromsø's Polar Museum is an old-fashioned romp through…
The Far North
Outside, this little museum has a fully fledged traditional Sami settlement, complete with an early home, temporary dwellings, and outbuildings such as…
The Far North
At Mortensnes, on the E75, about 15km east of Varangerbotn, you can stroll towards the shore amid traces of early Sami culture. At the western end, past…
The Far North
Protecting most of the interior of the Varanger Peninsula, this wild and windswept national park was shaped before the last Ice Age and is one of Norway's…
The Far North
Exhibits at the Sami National Museum, also called the Sami Collection, include displays of colourful, traditional Sami clothing, tools and artefacts, and…
The Far North
The Sami Parliament was established in 1989 and meets four times annually. In 2000 it moved into a glorious new building, encased in mellow Siberian wood,…
The Far North
The star-shaped Vardøhus Fortress – yes, of course, it's the world's most northerly – was constructed in 1737 by King Christian VI. For a fortress, it's…
Western Finnmark
Hammerfest's Reconstruction Museum is a great little museum, with particularly thoughtful and sensitive panels and captions (each section has a synopsis…
The Far North
It's worth a stop at the Strand branch of the Sør-Varanger Museum, which preserves Norway's oldest public boarding school and illustrates the region's…
Western Finnmark
For panoramic views over the town, coast and mountains (there's a free pair of binoculars for you to sweep the bay), climb Salen Hill (86m), topped by the…
The Far North
Drop down the steep stairs of Andersgrotta into this cave that once served as an air-raid shelter and bunker as wave upon wave of Russian bombers sought…
The Far North
In Varangerbotn, close to where the E6 meets the E75 17km east of Tana Bru, this is a fun, informative and hi-tech display about Sami life and culture,…
Senja
Dedicated to the works of respected Tromsø artist and sculptor Knut Fjørtoft, this fine little gallery showcases his works combining printing with…
The Far North
This may not be so much of a treat for the children if you've been driving in Eastern Finnmark and have stopped to relate to communing roadside reindeer…
Western Finnmark
The Altaelva hydroelectric project has had very little effect on the most scenic stretch of river, which slides through 400m-deep Sautso, northern Europe…
Tromsø
The Tromsø branch of this national contemporary art foundation makes the most of its late-19th-century premises and promotes rotating exhibitions of…
Western Finnmark
Call by the Gallery East of the Sun, which features the sinuous shapes, bright canvases and intriguing collages of German artist Eva Schmutterer.
Tromsø
Dating from 1838, Perspektivet houses a permanent photo exhibition illustrating Tromsø's history and mounts quality temporary displays too.
Tromsø
Pass by the world's most northerly glass-blowing workshop to see the young team puffing their cheeks and perhaps to pick up an item or two.
The Far North
As so often in small Finnmark communities like Vadsø, the church is the most architecturally interesting structure. After the devastation wrought by…
