Alta

Billed as the City of the Northern Lights, with the UNESCO-listed Rock Art of Alta, plus the Northern Lights Cathedral, an ice hotel and husky sledding as winter classics.

Alta lies at the southern end of the Altafjord in Finnmark, Norway's northernmost region. With about 20,000 residents, it is the largest town in Finnmark and calls itself the City of the Northern Lights. It sits beneath the auroral oval at 70°N, and its relatively dry, clear inland climate gives a high chance of seeing the aurora; in 1899 the world's first northern lights observatory was built on nearby Haldde mountain. There are two best seasons: September–March is northern lights season, with February–March bringing longer days and deep snow, ideal for husky sledding, snowmobiling and staying in the ice hotel, and in March the Finnmarksløpet, Europe's longest sled dog race, takes place; from late May to mid-July the midnight sun lets you see the World Heritage rock art, ride a traditional longboat on the Alta River and hike the Sautso canyon. Sightseeing falls into three areas: the Northern Lights Cathedral and the old church in the town centre; the rock art museum, Kåfjord Church and the Tirpitz Museum in the western outskirts; and the ice hotel, husky farms and canyon in the Alta River valley to the south. Alta Airport has flights to Oslo and Tromsø and is about 4 km from the centre; sights are spread out, so renting a car is recommended, and in winter you need winter tyres and should watch for reindeer crossing the road. Plan on 3–4 days; the aurora depends heavily on the weather, so a few extra nights are a safer bet. Winter temperatures often drop to −15 to −25°C, so bring plenty of cold-weather gear; few old buildings survive because of the German scorched-earth retreat of 1944.

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