ALTA NORWAY

Alta Norway is home to the world’s first northern lights observatory, nicknaming it “Town of the Northern Lights”. 

 

Located more than 233 miles north of the Arctic Circle in the area known as Norwegian Lapland, Alta is home to the Finnmarksvidda plateau and the Sautso, known as Northern Europe’s Grand Canyon. 

 

Recently population has peaked to 20,000 and the steady rise is reflected in a growing number of restaurants, shops and attractions.  

 

When walking around the center of Alta, you might notice that the buildings looks quite new and identical with their metal cladding. There are few traditional wooden cabins and there’s a reason for this: Alta was almost entirely destroyed in World War II. 

 

Alta has had a difficult past but it’s future is very bright with more and more people calling it home and more and more people wishing to visiting in hopes of experiencing much of the adventure and magic associated with the Arctic such as the Northern Lights. 

 

The Norwegian Star dropped anchor off the port of Alta on Thursday June 15, 2023 at 7am.  This would be a tender port with the days forecast set for 45 degrees and rain. 

 

I had only two objectives for my day – The Northern Lights Cathedral and the Alta Rock Museum. 

 

To get myself to the Alta Rock Museum I told bus #140 from the STORBAKKEN bus stop. A senior 24-hour pass was 30NOK or $2.98USD as of this writing.  I paid the driver using my credit card. 

 

 

Bus #140 arrived at downtown Alta where I transferred to bus #141 to TALVIK.  Since I enjoy riding a local bus I opted to go past the Rock Museum and go to TALVIK, the end of the road.  The trip took 30 minutes and scenery was beautiful, including 6 tunnels and 1 bridge.   

 

  

I remained on bus #141 as we headed back to the city center but this time I got off at the ALTA MUSEUM bus stop

 

 

ALTA MUSEUM 

 

In 1960 rock carvings and paintings thought to be several thousand years old left by hunters and fishermen were discovered by a local farmer.

 

The first stone was known as Pippisteinen (the ‘Pippi-stone’) which has since lead to over 6000 carvings being registered in the Alta area, the largest in Europe. 

Pippi-stone at Alta Rock Museum

 

The artwork feels like you are reading a storybook of the local people’s lives in prehistoric times and provides evidence that Alta must have been one of the largest settlements in Arctic Norway.

There are thousands of fascinating archaeological remains which detail images of animals and scenes of a hunters life. 

Carvings are covered with snow in winter so be sure and visit during the summer. 

 

 

 

 

Well groomed walkways

 

 

Next it was back to the ALTA MUSEUM bus stop.  It was late afternoon and the lines for bus #140 were extensive, about 100 waiting, so be sure you allow yourself plenty of time to return to the city. In fact, some folks just decided to walk back to town after looking at the bus line.  I finally boarded bus #140 back to the city center.  

 

The ride back to city center only took about 10 minutes.  From here I walked to the Northern Lights Cathedral. 

 

 NORTHERN LIGHTS CATHEDRAL

Alta Church, also known as the Northern Lights Cathedral, was just recently built in 2013 but has since become an iconic landmark for the city of Alta. 

 

The striking contemporary appearance was designed by the Danish architectural firm Schmidt Hammer Lassen Architects who are responsible for many other notable buildings such as the Black Diamond Library in Copenhagen. 

 

 

 

 Another day was quickly coming to a close.  Time for a short break before heading back to the ship.  I spotted a Peppe’s Pizza within a block of the Northern Lights Cathedral and where there is pizza – there is beer!  A local beer here will set you back 99NOK or $9.83USD as of this writing.   

 

Just enough time to head back and catch the 5pm tender - the last tender of the day.  My steps for today registered 7,672 for 3.2 miles.