 Globe at the North Cape | ||
| North Cape | ||
| Fylke | Finnmark | |
|---|---|---|
| height | unknown | |
no value for height on Wikidata:  | ||
| no tourist info on Wikidata: | ||
| location | ||
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The North Cape (norw. North cap) is a cape in the far north of the Norwegian province Finnmark.
background
geography
The steep rock cliffs of the North Cape protrude around 300 m from the Barents Sea. It is commonly referred to as the northernmost point of Europe (71 ° 10'12 "N), the northernmost point of the neighboring headland of the Knivskjellodden However, it is slightly further north at 71 ° 11'08 "N. The North Cape is also on the island Magerøya and not on the mainland, the northernmost point of which is the headland Kinnarodden is that further east on the peninsula North Kinna lies (lat = 71.1346 | long = 27.6588). In addition, Magerøya is not the northernmost European island; further north is e.g. Svalbard. Be that as it may: the slate plateau of the North Cape is a very well developed tourist attraction of the first order.
history
The North Cape got its name in 1553 when three English ships explored a northeast passage to China. The English captain Richard Chancellor imagined the steep cliff Knykanes as part of mainland Europe and gave it the name "North Cape". The Italian priest is considered the first tourist on Norkap Francesco Negriwho researched the living conditions of people in the far north of Europe. Other guests followed: the French prince Louis-Philippe I was King of Sweden at the North Cape in 1795 Oscar II came here in 1873, and the travel agency Thomas Cook organized the first group tour in 1875. With the opening of a ship connection through the Hurtigruten The number of visitors rose sharply as far as Vadsø.
Since 1956 there is a road connection from Honningsvåg to the North Cape, the North Cape Hall was built in 1958 and subsequently expanded several times, and in 1978 the globe was erected, which is now the symbol of the North Cape.
landscape
Magerøya is the name of the island and actually means that it is a barren island. The vegetation on the hilly island is sparse. There are numerous glacial lakes formed by ice, and in places protected from the sun there is still snow even in midsummer. Although the landscape looks robust and rough, the vegetation is quite sensitive to mechanical loads.
Flora and fauna
Only a few plant and animal species can survive in the barren landscape. These mainly include the reindeer that graze on Magerøya in summer and the herds on the mainland in winter (Finnmarksvidda). Attentive visitors can spot some species of birds. If you don't have an eye for it, you can view them as stuffed specimens in the basement of the North Cape Hall.
climate
The North Cape is located at about 71 ° north latitude and thus about 500 km more north than the Arctic Circle, to the North Pole it is only about 2,100 km. Accordingly, it belongs to the cold-temperate climate zone, it is characterized by long winters and short summers, the annual precipitation of around 800 mm falls mainly in the summer months.
In the winter months the sun rises only a little above the horizon, from November 21st to January 21st it is polar night, only at noon is it dusk. It's the time when the northern lights flit across the deep blue sky. In summer, the midnight sun shines from May 14th to July 29th, and on fine summer days the temperature can easily rise to 25 ° C.
getting there
By plane
Very few tourists will use the plane, there is only a small airport Honningsvåg.
By boat
The next port is in Honningsvåg, where the ships leave every day Hurtigruten on, the port is also a popular destination for cruise ships.
In the street
The journey is via Honningsvåg in the south of the island Magerøya, the E 69 ends at the North Cape
By bus
Buses run from Honningsvåg all year round. In the summer months the buses run several times a day, information and tickets at the tourist information. In winter only one bus leaves Honningsvåg at 11:30 a.m. and returns at 2:30 p.m. at the North Cape. The bus ticket costs 490 NOK (approx. € 60) per person
Fees / permits
Entrance fees are due a few kilometers before the North Cape, they are NOK 245 per adult. If you intend to visit the North Cape several times, you can also become a member of "The Royal North Cape Club" in the North Cape Hall for a fee. You then receive a certificate, the name is entered by hand in handwriting, then you have free access for the rest of your life. And you are reminded to live in harmony with nature.
mobility
Tourist Attractions
- The 1 North Cape Hall is the main building on the plateau. To the right of the entrance is a round building with the "Kompasset" restaurant and the "North Cape Coffee Shop"; a wide staircase leads down to the toilets, the post office and the panorama cinema.
- In the panorama cinema, a 20-minute film is shown every half hour; it clearly shows the course of the year at the North Cape.
- In the stairwell, prepared sea birds such as puffins and seagulls are on display.
- A tunnel leads from the stairwell at the panorama cinema to the north. The history of the North Cape is presented in niches and there is a small ecumenical St. John's Chapel and a museum room commemorating the visit of a Thai ruler. At the lower end there is a light cave with colored impressions of the four seasons.
The real attraction is the North Cape, which is best observed from a ship. But you also get a good impression of the high plateau around the North Cape Hall.
- The 2 globe has been the symbol of the North Cape since 1977. A photo on its plateau is a must. However, climbing the globe is prohibited.
- The 3 Oscarsstøtten commemorates the visit of King Oscar II.
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- 4 Children of this world"Barn av jorden" was set up in 1989. It is about several stone disks, created on the occasion of the award of the "Children's of the World" award. There is also a plaque inside the hall for explanation.
- Oh yeah, there's a troll in the hall too. It just belongs to Norway. And many other trolls, big and small, the right one for every taste, are available in the souvenir shop.
activities
- Hike to the headland 1 Kinnarodden, a well-marked route to the northernmost point of Magerøya. It is at sea level and has the disadvantage that you have to climb up to 300 meters on the way back.
shop
- There is a large souvenir shop in the hall, the prices of which have adjusted to the situation in the far north.
kitchen
In the hall, next to the souvenir shop, there is also the "Aurora Borealis Bar", where the obligatory North Cape sparkling wine is served, you can also get snacks with reindeer meat, with king crab and sometimes with whale meat. One can also ignore this offer. There is also the Kompasset restaurant and a coffee shop.
accommodation
At the North Cape there is only parking space for mobile homes, but there are numerous overnight accommodations in the community North cap, please refer Honningsvåg.
security
The road from Honningsvåg to the North Cape is winding, but well developed. It is not particularly wide and the edge strips are not passable. It is therefore not a particularly good idea to stop along the way to photograph grazing reindeer. The following local drivers sometimes react quite violently. In winter you can't go up or down without studded tires.
The plateau itself is natural and therefore very stony, not only people with walking disabilities should look at the path every now and then. The edge of the high plateau is secured with a railing, only a few meters further it goes 300 m downhill. In winter, special care is required due to the slipperiness.
When hiking, for example to the headland Kinnarodden, you should definitely stay on the path for the sake of nature, it can also happen that in deeper places you suddenly get intensive contact with boggy places.
literature
Web links
- Visit Nordkapp Tourism website of the municipality of Nordkapp
