Finnmark

Finnmark is Norway's largest and most sparsely populated county, a land of tundra, fjords, and Arctic Ocean coastline. A trip to Finnmark takes you to the North Cape, to Stone Age rock carvings, to the heartland of Sami culture, and to the Russian border.

Things to See in Finnmark

The North Cape on the island of Magerøya juts into the Arctic Ocean with a 307-meter-high (1,007-foot) slate cliff and is considered the northernmost point in Europe that can be reached by car; in summer, the midnight sun shines here. Hammerfest, one of the northernmost towns in the world, is home to the Royal and Ancient Polar Bear Society and a large liquefied natural gas plant; a section of the Struve Geodetic Arc, a UNESCO World Heritage surveying monument, stands at the harbor. In Alta, thousands of rock carvings up to 7,000 years old depict hunting scenes, reindeer, and boats; they are also a World Heritage site. The Northern Lights Cathedral in Alta is a modern building in a spiral shape. Kirkenes, near the Russian border, is the end point of the Hurtigruten and is known for king crab safaris and a snow hotel in winter. In Honningsvåg, the main town on Magerøya, Hurtigruten and cruise ships dock, and in summer thousands of reindeer graze on the island.

Sami Culture and Nature

Karasjok and Kautokeino on the Finnmarksvidda are centers of Sami life: Karasjok is home to the Sami Parliament, the Sámediggi, while Kautokeino celebrates Easter with reindeer races, weddings, and concerts. In winter, the vast Vidda plateau can only be crossed by snowmobile or dogsled. Vadsø and Vardø on the Varanger Peninsula offer bird cliffs, fishing villages, and, in Vardø, the Steilneset Memorial to the victims of the witch trials. The Varangerfjord is a destination for birdwatchers, with white-tailed eagles, king eiders in winter, and bird cliffs on Hornøya.

Food, Getting There, and Best Time to Visit

King crab, cod, reindeer, and cloudberries are typical, as is bidos, a Sami reindeer stew. Alta, Kirkenes, Hammerfest, and other towns have airports, and the Hurtigruten connects the coastal communities. The best time to visit for the midnight sun is June through August; for the northern lights and dogsledding, it's February through March. In March, the Finnmarksløpet, one of the longest sled dog races in Europe, runs from Alta across the Vidda. Because of the long distances and the weather, you should allow extra time in winter.