Port of Alta, Norway
ABOUT
Situated at the head of Alta Fjord, Alta is often referred to as the `City of the Northern Lights’ and is approximately 400 km north of the Arctic Circle. The rock carvings at Alta, located near the Jiepmaluokta bay, dating from c. 4200 BC to 500 BC, are on the UNESCO list of World Heritage Sites.
Population is just over 21,000
Currency is the Krone
THINGS TO DO
It’s not just the Northern Lights that draw people to Alta, there is more to this area.
Other attractions include the prehistoric rock carvings at the Alta Museum, hiking, fishing, the unique Sorrisniva Igloo Hotel and the beautiful Northern Lights Cathedral. The Cathedral is situated in the centre of Alta, was built in 2013 and holds up to 350 people.
Combine that with the more traditional winter sports and activities including Husky sled rides, Reindeer sleigh rides etc and this makes for a bustling and popular place to visit.
OUR FAVOURITE THINGS TO DO
Visiting Alta towards the end of March, we saw loads of snow. Alta is finishing point for the Finnmark Race, the longest dog sled race in Europe. Some passengers were lucky enough to see teams crossing the finishing line, we made do with walking across it ourselves!
We found ourselves strolling through the town past the Northern Lights Cathedral. It was closed to the public at that time due to services being held, a shame because there is a museum beneath the Cathedral which we have been told is worth a visit.
Wending our way through the snow covered streets we happened on a park where there were a number of ice sculptures (including a workable slide large enough for adults!) and then on to a local bar – where we encountered some of the more eccentric locals.
A lovely day – we would happily go back again to explore more.
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