Nordkapp Things to Do

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An artificial bird-rock
that is another attraction for the tourists inside the Nordkapp-Hallen, just in case that the weather is not good enough to enjoy this very special place at the edge of Europe.
You will hardly ever be able to get as close to a birdrock in reality without beeing attacked by the birds, so this is a good chance for most tourists to get an idea what is going on on such a rock.

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In 1873 the king of Sweden and Norway, Oscar II travelled to the Nordkapp and inside of the Northkapp-Hallen you will see some scenes of this travel shown by small puppets of the king and other noble travellers, while hiking through the landscape to the Nordkapp.
There was no street and not even a good path to this very end of the european continent, so they had a tent set up at the Northcape, so the king could sip some champagne there.

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The Northcape-globe was built in 1978 at Europe´s northernmost rock with the position at 71 10`21” latitude and 21 47`40” longitude. Nobody cares a lot nowadays that this is not really the right place of the northernmost spot in Europe, that you will find just a few km from here, but at a place where you cant go by car and where you will also not find any place to get a drink or buy a postcard...
The northernmost spot is the one in my last 2 photos, that I took from the Nordkapp.

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Nordkapphallen / the North Cape Hall is a large building that offers shelter in nasty weather and a great view from lots of places, restaurants and observationhalls, there is the postoffice, a selfservice restaurant, souvenirshops and even some museums, a church, a thai temple etc.
Nordkapphallen is open all year long, but the opening-times vary a bit during the wintertime.

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King Oscar II, king of Sweden and Norway
traveled to the Northcape in 1873 and that was the start of the Northcape-tourism, when lots of travellers from all parts of the world were intending to go there as well.
The king was travelling with a large retinue and they set up a tent there where the king could drink champage. This obelisk in my photo was built there in 1873 in order to memorize the visit of King Oscar II.
Many more celerities followed, among them King Chulalongkorn from Siam (Thailand), who visited the Nordkapp in 1907

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The Nordkapp is a great place
to enjoy the Midnight-Sun!
Most tourists prefer to come to the northcape / Nordkap during the summertime, in order to see the so-called "Midnight-Sun" ! In the Arctic summertime the sun is shining almost all day long and for about 2 months you will even see the sunlight to never totally disappear and that is the time of the Midnight-Sun. The time of the Midnightsun varies of course and the further north you get the more days that time will last. Get on a large hill or directely to the Northcape and watch the sun going down between 11.00pm and midnight and you will see that before touching the ocean the sun will start raising again.
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You will NEVER see the real midnightsun at midnight, when getting there
by a Hurtigrutenship, because the Northbound ship is docked in Honnigsvag:
for 3,5 hours from 11.45am till 03.15pm
and Southbound you will get there in the early morning

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Off to the right of the Nordkapphallen is a series of sculptures designed by children from around the world. They came here and dreamed of peace, and created these sculptures dedicated to Peace on Earth. It all makes you want to light up a lava lamp and break into a chorus of "One Tin Soldier."

You know, if we could get Israelis and Palestinians up here, maybe they would be so moved by this monument that they'd stop fighting each other. In fact, if we could get Red Sox and Yankees fans here... well, I suppose I should face reality and understand that SOME things are just impossible.

DISCLAIMER: I don't own a lava lamp. Nor do I sing "One Tin Soldier" out loud (though I think I do have a copy of "Billy Jack" on VHS around here somewhere...)

Also in the Nordkapphallen is a display describing the perilous convoys to Murmansk to keep the Soviets re-supplied during World War II. Allied ships had to navigate natural hazards (such as the North Cape) as well as German submarines. The exhibit is worth taking a few minutes to read.