26 Best Sights in Northern Norway, Norway

This ribbonlike church, more formally referred to as the Alta Kirke, embraces modern design while still being a majestic place of worship. There is a small museum at the site along with a café selling coffee and freshly made waffles.

Hammerfest was completely demolished by the Germans during World War II, and the Museum of Reconstruction documents how the city was painstakingly rebuilt. The museum is a place of pride for Norwegians, who flock here from all across the country. The two floors of exhibits let you compare the historic city from 1943 with the one you see today.

Founded by two business leaders whose goal was to share the town's history as a center of hunting and commerce, the Royal and Ancient Polar Bear Society depicts the skill and daring required to hunt polar bears, seals, lynx, puffins, and wolves. Admission to the exhibition is free, and you can become a member during your visit. Members get a document signed by the mayor and a sought-after silver-and-enamel polar bear pin.

Tromsø's signature structure was designed by Jan Inge Hovig to evoke the shape of a Sámi tent as well as the iciness of a glacier. Opened in 1965, it represents northern Norwegian nature, culture, and faith. Also called the Arctic Cathedral (although not a cathedral at all, but rather a parish church), the building is globally recognized for its interesting structure and how different it is from the Tromsø Cathedral, a wooden church in the center of the city.

The immense stained-glass window depicts the Second Coming. The cathedral itself seats around 600 people. The glass mosaic on the eastern side was created by Victor Sparre, a Norwegian painter, in 1972. In 2005, the church received an organ from Grönlunds Orgelbyggeri.

There are midnight sun concerts in summer, starting at 11:30 pm.

Easily reachable from the road that runs along the coast, this scenic overlook offers the best views of the rugged and dramatic peaks that locals call the Devil's Teeth. It's accessible to everyone, with a boardwalk that accommodates strollers and wheelchairs. Nearby is a small beach where you can explore tidal pools and watch waves crash over the rocks. It can get crowded in summer but is worth a stop for the small picnic area and public toilets.

The largest canyon in northern Europe, this open expanse is abundant in natural beauty. The area is perfect for hiking, cruising along the river, or taking a scenic drive. If you're lucky, you'll see plenty of reindeer frolicking around the canyon.

On the outskirts of the city, the Alta Museum has an amazing location overlooking a fjord. Perhaps more impressive than the scenery are the ancient rock carvings created between 3,000 and 7,000 years ago by the Sámi tribes to depict the everyday life of the people who lived here and worked on the land. The museum itself has both indoor and outdoor exhibits about the Sámi people.

Open to the public in 1970 and expanded in 2004, this national park protects a wide swath of coastline in northern Norway. Thanks to preservation efforts, moose and other animals have returned to the area. You will find plenty of seabirds along the rocky coast, along with seals in the fjords and otters in the rivers. Transportation options are limited, so rent a car and then explore on foot. Bring a good pair of walking shoes.

To get a sense of Tromsø's immensity and solitude, take this cable car from the mainland, just across the bridge and behind the cathedral, up to the island's mountains. Storsteinen (Big Rock), rising 1,386 feet above sea level, has a great city view. In summer, a restaurant is open at the top of the lift.

Although it covers the county of Finnmark's history since the Stone Age, this museum primarily focuses on World War II, when the German army burned the community to the ground as part of a scorched-earth policy. Through photographs, videos, and sound effects, the museum recounts the residents' struggle to rebuild their lives. The interesting exhibit includes dwellings that were built inside caves after the town was evacuated.

One of the must-visit sights in Kirkenes, this museum details the extensive history and often-complicated relationship between Norway, Russia, and Finland. The showpiece here is an Ilyushin IL2M3M, a Soviet-era aircraft that made an emergency landing into a nearby lake in 1944. During World War II, the town was occupied by Nazi Germany and relentlessly bombed by Russia, and the local air raid warning went off more than 1,000 times. This was the first Norwegian town to be liberated in 1944.

Burned down by the Germans in World War II, this house of worship was on the massive list of buildings that were reconstructed in 1961. Designed by Oslo architect Hans Magnus, the striking modern structure is the most popular attraction in the city.

Tucked away into the plateau, North Cape Hall is housed in a cave and includes exhibits tracing the history of the cape, from Richard Chancellor, an Englishman who sailed around it in 1553, to Oscar II, king of Norway and Sweden, who climbed to the top of the plateau in 1873. Celebrate your pilgrimage to 71° North at one of the cafés. The hefty admission charge covers both the exhibits and entrance to the plateau itself. If you arrive on foot or by bike, admission is free.

This museum documents the history of the Arctic fishing industry and the history of tourism at North Cape. You can learn about the development of society and culture in this region.

Housed in a striking modern building by the harbor, the adventure center Polaria examines life in and around the polar and Barents regions. Explore the exhibits on polar travel and Arctic research, then check out two panoramic films, Svalbard—Arctic Wilderness and Northern Lights in Arctic Norway. The aquarium has sea mammals, including bearded seals.

Inside a customs warehouse from 1830, Polarmuseet documents the history of the polar regions. There are exhibitions on famous Norwegian polar explorers like Fridtjof Nansen and Roald Amundsen as well as the history of seal hunting and surviving in this often hostile climate. Part of the University of Tromsø, the museum opened in 1978, on the 50th anniversary of Amundsen leaving Tromsø for the last time, in search of his missing explorer colleague Umberto Nobile.

Dating from 1872, northern Norway's oldest scientific institution is dedicated to the nature and culture of the region. Learn about the northern lights, wildlife, fossils and dinosaurs, minerals and rocks, and church art from 1300 to 1800. Outdoors you can visit a Sámi gamme (turf hut), and a replica of a Viking longhouse. The pretty Arctic-Alpine botanical garden is the northernmost in the world, at roughly the same latitude as Alaska's north coast.