[ Photo Blog #52 ]
Nordkapp (English: North Cape) is in Finnmark County of Norway. It was long claimed as the northernmost point of the continent of Europe. In fact it is the furthest north that one can drive in Europe but, by less than a mile, it is not quite the most northerly point. The administrative centre of the area is in the town of Honningsvag, where the local population is approximately 3,500. Nordkapp is a splendid spot, weather permitting, from which to see the midnight sun. It is normal for about 200,000 tourists to visit there annually during the two to three months of summer, the main tourist attraction being the splendid views from the North Cape itself. The North Cape first became famous when the English explorer Richard Chancellor sailed round it in 1553 while attempting to find a sea route through the North-east Passage. Except for the first photograph, the photographs are from my own visit there in 2002.
North Cape itself
Approaching Honningsvag from the sea
Honningsvag – town and harbour
Traditional reindeer hide tent – set up for the tourists
Reindeer and boy in traditional costume
Reindeer
View of the summit of Nordkapp
The summit of the cape has a number of sculptures and statues.
Pointing towards the North Pole
Signpost giving the Cape’s coordinates
View from the Cape to the west
View north towards Svalbard and the North Pole
Roland's Ragbag 