| High | ||
 | ||
Coat of arms and flag   | ||
| State | Norway | |
|---|---|---|
| Region | Finnmark | |
| Surface | 3849 km² | |
| Inhabitants | 19.822 (2014 estimate) | |
| Name inhabitants | Altaværing | |
| Prefix tel | 47 | |
| Time zone | UTC 1 | |
Position
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| Tourism site | ||
| Institutional website | ||
High is a city, capital of the homonymous municipality, located in the Finnmark County, in Norway.
To know
Geographical notes
The center of Alta is located at the end of 1 Altafjorden and at the mouth of the river 2 Altaelva flowing in the eastern area. It is a very large municipality, which also includes the picturesque villages of Kåfjord, Komagfjord, Kvenvik, Langfjordbotn, Leirbotn, Rafsbotn, Talvik and Tverrelvdalen.
The island of 3 Stjernøya it is instead famous as a mining center while on the island 4 Seiland there is a national nature reserve.
In the municipality of Alta there are also the Langfjorden, Jiepmaluokta, Kåfjorden and Lille Kufjorden branches of the larger Altafjorden and also numerous lakes including Iešjávri, Juovvajávri, Kovvatnet and Stuorajávri.
Numerous spruce forests are found in the southern part of Alta, but there are also many birch and pine forests.
The economic resources come from fishing, from extractive material such as slate, fish farms and agriculture given the great fertility of the soil.
When to go
Situated in an excellent position and thanks to the Gulf Stream, Alta enjoys relatively favorable climatic conditions, with little rainfall, pleasant winters and hot summers.
Background
On the land of the ancient prehistoric people, in 1838 the village of Alten-Talvig was founded which in 1863 was divided into two municipalities Talvik and Alta, reunited again in 1964.
During the Second World War, Altafjorden became the base of the German battleship Tirpitz, and Alta was destroyed by fire and bombing. But also this city, like many others, was promptly rebuilt and over the years it has developed by incorporating three neighboring villages.
The first, Bossekop, was the center for exchanges and trade between the Sami and Kvæn populations, an ethnic group of Finnish origin, and is today a district with the characteristic style of an ancient town.The other village is Elvebakken located to the east. it includes both the airport and the port. The last center called Alta Sentrum was recently built, with monotonous buildings with homogeneous architecture and a square closed to traffic but with the progressive development of the area, shopping centers have also appeared.
Alta is the largest and most important city in Finnmark. As a cultural center it has a university and a research institute for which Alta is known "City of the Northern Lights", name due to the study of the astronomical phenomenon allowed by the often clear sky.
It is also the most important center for trade, trade in general and industry.
Alta had the status of a city in the year 2000 having exceeded ten thousand inhabitants.
How to orient yourself
Alta (Norway): full screen map.Alta develops for about 15 km along the coast and has the district of 5 Bossekop to the west, that of 6 Sentrum in the central area and that of 7 Elvebakken at East.
How to get
Its central port, the nearby E6 motorway and the 93 Expressway make Alta the gateway to Finnmark from both Tromsø and Finland
By plane
Alta owns a 8 airport, telephone number 47 78449555, which is located in the district of Elvebakken and about 4 km from Sentrum.The airline SAS flies direct from Oslo and Tromsø while the Norwegian connects Oslo in about two hours. centers such as Tromsø, Hammerfest, Vadsø, Lakselv, Kirkenes, Berlevåg and Båtsfjord.
By car
Alta can be reached with the national tourist road E6 or with Route 93
The city of Alta is favored by the central location of its port, which it has various connections with Hammerfest and a steady increase in cruise traffic.
By bus
An excellent public network connects the 9 Bus Terminal of Alta Sentrum with the major centers. The path for Tromsø takes about 7 hours and costs NOK 494 while reaching Honningsvåg costs 405 NOK with a duration of about 4 hours. For more information and price updates on lines and timetables, consult FFR
How to get around
By public transport
There is a local bus service that goes from one end of the city to the other with departures every hour without excluding the airport from the journey, fewer trips on Saturdays and absent on Sundays.
By taxi
If you wish to travel by taxi, the telephone number is 47 78435353. A journey of about 4 km from the airport to the Sentrum costs about 120 NOK.
By car
There are various companies to rent a car or bus, but the most convenient way is with Rent-a-wreck telephone number 47 78433945
By helicopter
It is also possible to use the helicopter for any type of request including sightseeing and passenger transport for hunting and fishing on the Finnmark plateau. Perform the service there Heli Service AS.
What see
- 1 Northern Lights Cathedral (Nordlyskatedralen), Markedsgata, 30, ☎ 47 78444270, @[email protected]. The cathedral built on plans by two architectural firms was consecrated in 2013. According to the architects, the church was supposed to represent the Northern Lights. Certainly not an easy task, to create the typical light of dawn with concrete and titanium. Detractors have compared the cathedral to cans with a chimney. The interior decorated and furnished by a Danish artist is very special. There is also a cultural center dedicated to the Northern Lights.
- 2 High Kirke, Bossekop. Wooden church, built in 1858 in neo-Gothic style, with a longitudinal plan. It is open 5 hours a day during the summer.
- 3 Elvebakken Kirke, ☎ 47 78444270. Church built in 1964, with a longitudinal plan and which can accommodate more than three hundred people. The church is open only during the hours of worship.
- 4 Museum and Rock Engravings (Verdensarvsenter For Bergkunst), Altaveien, 19, ☎ 47 41756330, @[email protected].
95 NOK. 
8:17 - 8:20. The Museum won the award for the best museum inEurope in 1993 and has been located since 1991 next to one of the largest archaeological rock areas in northern Europe, a UNESCO heritage site. Before that date it was in the city center but the discovery of the graffiti made it necessary to move the museum to include it, at least in part, in the museum area. It hosts numerous exhibitions on local cultural themes, relics of civilization Komsa, of prehistory and of the Second World War. From the museum bar you can enjoy the view of the Alta fjord and there is a nice souvenir shop including metal alloy reproductions of ancient artifacts. There is also an outdoor play area dedicated to children. The engravings, about eight thousand, represent hunting and fishing scenes; the oldest date back to a period that oscillates between 6500 and 2500 years ago and are divided into four archaeological sites. The first finds were discovered in Jiepmaluokta in 1972 a few kilometers from the city and many others were discovered in 1973 in Hjemmeluft, where the entire coastal area has been declared a World Heritage Site. Note how the graffiti descend towards the bottom of the cliffs as the ice diminished at the end of the Glaciation. The finds have been highlighted with red ocher and are connected to each other by a 3 km long pedestrian walkway built in 1980 and with various paths. In the surroundings of Alta rock carvings continue to be discovered but the site that can be visited by tourists is only that of the museum and the nearby town of Hjemmeluft. - 5 Alta Canyon (Sautso Alta). It is the largest canyon in northern Europe, 12 km long and about 400 meters deep, at the bottom of which flows the Altaelva river that dug it coming from the plateau of the Finnmark and flowing into the Alta fjord. It can be accessed on foot: the excursion lasts about an hour and can be reached by following the signs from the RV 93 road, but the best way to visit the canyon is undoubtedly the boat from which you can also see the various layers of sediments prehistoric events relating to the Cambrian period of the steep canyon walls. The most interesting stretch is the one that goes from the confluence with the Joatkajohka river under the hydroelectric dam and the Gabo for about seven kilometers.
- 6 Arch of Struve, Lille Reipas. For Arco di Struve, a Unesco cultural heritage since 2005, we mean a chain of triangulations created for the study and geodetic research of the meridian and the consequent measurement of the terrestrial globe. This study began in 1816 with a conference that brought together scientists from three countries such as Russia, the Sweden and Norway and ended in 1852. The chain was devised and used by the astronomer Friedrich Georg Wilhelm Struve. The 258 triangulations started from Hammerfest, Fuglenes locality, and continued southwards crossing a dozen countries ending in Black Sea. Each triangulation is variously marked (with cippus, plaque, pile of stones, etc.) in the 265 main fixed points, of which 34 belong to the Unesco heritage. Of these 34 points, 4 are in Norway and are located one in Hammerfest, the other in Alta and two in the territory of Kautokeino.
- 7 Dam (Altadamm), Sautso. The creation of this dam with the hydroelectric power plant created numerous controversies in the 1970s, controversy due to the fact that the salmon laid their eggs in the river. But there appears to have been no damage to the famous salmon fishing. The company that manages the dam, in collaboration with the municipality, has built an information office dug into the rock above the dam which is more than 100 meters high. From the panoramic room there is a beautiful view of the Virdnejávri lake formed by the dam on the river. It is not possible to visit the dam without a guide where there is also a screening room. It is possible to extend the excursion by walking to the canyon, a beautiful walk of about 7 kilometers.
- 8 Altaelva. The river is very popular with the local population both for fishing and as a recreational area. Altaelva is the most renowned in the world for salmon fishing which is regulated and reserved in preference to Norwegians. The whole river area offers a wonderful natural spectacle with the possibility of lighting bonfires and grilling along the banks. The most popular sections are Holmen is He smiled.
- 9 Kåfjord. Kåfjord is located 18 km from Alta and in 1850 it was the most inhabited area of Finnmark, due to its copper mines which allowed the historical and social development of the area. It is home to Sami reindeer herding summer camps which also sell fine handcrafted souvenirs. The banks are full of fish.
- 10 Tirpitz Museum (Tirpitz Museum), Kåfjord, ☎ 47 92092370, @[email protected]. NOK 70/30. 10 - 17 from 1/6 to 15/8. War museum dedicated to the Second World War and the German battleship Tirpitz. It was anchored in the hidden Kåfjord fjord but was later torpedoed. The museum collects numerous testimonies including objects and photos.
- 11 Kåfjord Church (Kåfjord Kirke) (Take the E6 eastwards for about 20 km from Alta). Open in summer. Built on a hill overlooking the E6, it is a church with a longitudinal plan with several naves, in English neo-Gothic style and is one of the first churches with windows in the same style. Built to allow the cult of the population linked to the activity of copper mines, it is the only one left of the ancient churches of Alta.
95 NOK. 
8:17 - 8:20. The Museum won the award for the best museum in- 12 Talvik Church (Talvik Kirke) (About 40 km west of Alta). It can be visited only in summer. It was the first church built in Årøya in the 17th century and is located in the center of the village.
Events and parties
What to do
- 1 Aurora Borealis Observatory (Halddetoppen), Kåfjord (Trail of 18 km), ☎ 47 99100022, @[email protected]. From Kåfjord the trail leads up to the top of Mount Haldde at about 900m where you can enjoy a splendid view over the entire Alta fjord. On the top of the mountain the first observatory of the Northern Lights was built in 1899 but it was closed in 1927. The excursion lasts about 3 hours and requires good physical shape for the steep path. The observatory has been recently restored and it is possible to stay overnight even if the beds are not many.
- [link not working]Copper mines (Kobberverket), Kåfjord (From the E6 car park). The copper mines represent an important site, rich in evidence of the first great industry of Finnmark. Along the path there are numerous explanatory signs of economic and social activity. The trail is just over 1km long but the last 300m can be invaded by high tide water. Since numerous birds nest along the path, you must be very careful not to frighten them, especially during the hatching period. Unfortunately, for safety reasons the mines are closed but in the Alta museum there is a large section dedicated to mines.
- 2 Bubbelen River, Langfjordbotn (From the E6 sign for Bogneldalen). "Bubbelen" is called a river that originates in the upper valley, Bognelvdalen, of the Bognelva river in Langfjordbotn. The source of this river is enchanting and was already a popular tourist destination in the 18th century.
Shopping
How to have fun
Where to eat
Where stay
Safety
How to keep in touch
Around
Useful information
If you are interested in fishing on the Altaelva River, keep in mind that the High Laksefiskeri Interesseselskap telephone 4778434535 holds the fishing rights, in particular on salmon, sea trout and char. All fishing is regulated as well as the allocation of fishing places.
Other projects
Wikipedia contains an entry concerning Alta (Norway)
Commons contains images or other files on Alta (Norway)
