1. Experience the northern lights and the midnight sun
Hammerfest is the perfect city to visit if you want to experience the northern lights or the midnight sun! From 16 May to 29 July you can experience the midnight sun, and it is light all day. In autumn it gradually gets darker and darker - from September the first northern lights can appear in the sky. From November 22 to January 20 is the time of darkness, which means that the sun never peeks up from the horizon. There is, however, some daylight in the morning and often a very beautiful and colorful light at dusk. Have you heard of the "blue hour"? The blue light is very special here in winter. In Hammerfest there are many great places with incredible views where you can experience both the northern lights and the midnight sun, for example at Salen.
2. Top tours near the city
Hammerfest is north of the tree line, and has an open and beautiful landscape. It offers many great summit hikes, where you don't necessarily have to go that high to be able to enjoy a fantastic view. Hammerfest city's most popular summit tours are Tyven and Storfjellet. In the picture above you are looking down from Storfjellet, and in the horizon you can see the mast on Tyven-fjellet. These tours are highly recommended - especially if you want a fantastic view of the midnight sun in summer. Both sites have an open day trip cabin, which has won awards for its very special architecture and design. Both Storfjellet and Tyven have a dirt road all the way up to the top, but the shortest way to Tyven is up Tyventrappa. Remember to have a camera or to have enough power on your phone!
In the middle of winter, these roads are cut and it is not recommended to go on these trips without the right equipment.
Directions for all top tours in the region can be found at ut.no
3. The Renaissance Museum
The museum stands as a monument to the fact that people can recover from destruction after war, and shows the attachment people have to their homeland. The exhibition shows history from the Second World War, the evacuation and the rebuilding of Finnmark. In addition to the history, they have reconstructed the architecture from the reconstruction and how people lived in caves during the war. This exhibition really gives you a sense of what it was like here during the war. Whether you're interested in war history or not, this really is something you don't want to miss while you're in Hammerfest!
Address: Kirkegata 21, 9600 Hammerfest
| Telefon: + 47 78 40 29 40
| E-post: post@gjenreisningsmuseet.no
Nettside: http://www.kystmuseene.no/the-museum-of-reconstruction.107297.en.html
4. The polar bear club
The Polar Bear Club was founded in 1963 and is an exclusive club for those who have visited the world's northernmost city - Hammerfest. Only physical visitors can become members - which means that Elvis Presley himself has been refused membership. The club has an exhibition that shows the history of arctic hunting and wildlife, as well as polar expeditions. It is free to visit.
Address: Hamnegata 3, 9600 Hammerfest
| Telefon: +47 784 12 185
| E-post: post@visithammerfest.no
Nettside: https://www.isbjornklubben.no/
5. Nightlife
Hammerfest has a vibrant nightlife with 6 outdoor spaces right in the center of the city. At weekends, the places are filled with locals and visitors, and you can feel the good atmosphere the city has to offer. All the pitches are within walking distance of each other - you will find them in the center and along the quayside promenade. Here you will find something for every taste. Everything from a brown pub with live music to an 18-year-old nightclub. We have, among other things, a live stage, a bowling alley and a cocktail bar with Northern Norway's only spirits sommelier.
6. Experience the local culture
Experience Hammerfest's local offers! Hammerfest has many local cafes, exciting restaurants, niche shops, bowling - and a cinema located at the Arctic Culture Centre. Everything is centrally located in Hammerfest! To get the pulse of what is happening in Hammerfest, it is recommended to go to a café on Saturdays, have a cup of coffee and a piece of cake and listen to the chatter and buzz of friends and families who meet to talk about what is going on in the local community.
7. Salen lookout point
The Salen mountain has a fantastic view of Hammerfest. From here you can see the whole city center and the birds, and in winter an illuminated Arctic cultural centre. This is an incredibly great place to experience both the northern lights and the midnight sun. The space is equipped with binoculars and information boards about the city. Exciting access on foot up the Zigzag road that starts in the center of Hammerfest, or you can drive up via Idrettsveien and Turistveien. Several hiking trails also start from Salen, including the Gammelveien which goes over the mountain to Rypefjord, where you can then take off towards Tyven.
8. Check out the beach life in Forsøl
Forsøl is a charming little settlement approx. 15 minutes by car from Hammerfest. The area has two sandy beaches, Ytre-Forsøl and Kirkegårdsbukta. Ytre Forsøl (pictured) is an oasis that is slightly hidden behind a small cliff, but within a short walking distance from the road. Kirkegårdsbukta is even easier to access, and it is arranged to get there with a wheelchair or pram. Around both beaches, archaeologists have found traces of house foundations and objects from the Early Stone Age, the Iron Age and the Middle Ages - and there are information boards that refer to these finds at both beaches. In winter, it is popular to hunt for the northern lights along Forsølveien, as there is little light pollution here.
9. Strap on your skis
Strap on your skis! Regardless of whether you prefer to run downhill or go uphill on skis, Hammerfest town has good options. On Prærien there is Hammerfest Alpine, with a ski lift, a steep downhill slope, and the possibility of sledding or jumping. Close by, you will find the illuminated track, a great training track for skate skiing. If, on the other hand, you like to go on a ski trip in beautiful surroundings, with a specific destination - there are many good alternatives from Forsølveien on Prærien and into the mountain towards Rødekorshytta (open), Glimmervannshytta (open), Montenegrohytta (open) or Svartfjellet, where you can also find an open cabin. Spring and winter, when the sun is back, is by far the best time of year to embark on such a trip. In the summer, these destinations can still be reached on foot.
10. The meridian support
The meridian support is the northernmost point on the survey of the planet. Surveying was carried out in the period 1816 to 1852 under the leadership of Friedrich Georg Wilhelm Struve. The support was set up in 1854 and is on the UNESCO World Heritage List. The meridian support stands on the birds in Hammerfest, at Industrigata 5.
