The North
Although encompassing only three Fylker, Nordland, Troms and Finnmark, this vast and wild region extends for more than 1200km (750 miles) northwards from Nord-trøndelag across the Arctic Circle to the Nordkapp (North Cape).
Less than 500,000 people inhabit the region, around a tenth of whom are of the Sami (Lapp) ethnic group. Their ‘capital’ is at Karasjok in Finnmark.
Mo-i-Rana is about 80km (50 miles) south of the Arctic Circle, where there is a visitor centre (Polarsirkelsenteret) by the main E6 road. Further north are the coastal cities of Bodø, Tromsø and Hammerfest, while Alta (with its nearby UNESCO-listed prehistoric cave carvings), and Kautokeino (traditionally Norway’s coldest town), lie inland. Kirkenes, on the Russian border, offers the Borderland Museum and a gallery devoted to the work of John Savios, a Sami artist.
The North Cape is a major attraction: people come to observe the summer Midnight Sun. The North Cape Hall, built into the side of a mountain, and with panoramic views out to sea, is the main visitor centre here.
TROMSØ: The largest centre in northern Norway, with a population of nearly 50,000, Tromsø spectacularly straddles Tromsøy Sound. It boasts the world’s most northerly brewery, and even a professional football team. The Tromsø Museum, 4km (2.5 miles) from the city centre, features archaeological and historical displays, while the City Museum concentrates on development of the settlement. The 43m (140ft) high Tromsø Bridge across the Sound affords good views of the surroundings.
BODØ: The Norwegian National Aviation Centre is a prime attraction here, as is a climb for the views from Rønvikfjell Mountain, which rises 3km (1.9 miles) outside the city centre. The world’s most powerful maelstrom, Saltstraumen, and a multimedia visitor centre dedicated to the phenomenon, are 33km (21 miles) east of Bodø.
MO-I-RANA: Northern Norway’s third largest, and most southerly, town of any size, is a popular stopping off point for visitors keen to explore the coastline, the mountains and nearby glaciers. It also offers the Nordland Museum of Nature.
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