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To put
the record straight, the North
Cape, a magnificent sheer granite
cliff face towering above the
island of Magerøya in northern
Norway, high above the Arctic
Circle, is not, as many people
consider it to be, the most northerly
point in mainland Europe. However,
viewing the midnight sun on Norway's
North Cape is an unforgettable
experience, the sun sinks majestically
toward the horizon but then stops,
hanging in the sky; a giant red
ball over a pristine, golden sea.
Then it begins to rise again.[3] |
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North Cape (Norwegian:
Nordkapp) is a cape on the island
of Magerøya in northern Norway,
in the municipality of Nordkapp. Its
307 m high, steep cliff is often referred
to as the northernmost point of Europe,.However,
the neighbouring point Knivskjellodden
is actually 1,457 metres further north.
Moreover, both of these points are
situated on an island, which means
the northernmost point of mainland
Europe is in fact Cape Nordkinn (Kinnarodden),
about 20 km from the village of Mehamn.
The North Cape is the
point where the Norwegian Sea, part
of the Atlantic Ocean, meets the Barents
Sea, part of the Arctic Ocean.
The North Cape was named
by English explorer Richard Chancellor
in 1553 when he passed the cape in
the search for a Northeast passage.
From then on, it was occasionally
visited by daring explorers who climbed
the steep cliff face to the plateau;
famous visitors include King Oscar
II of Sweden and Norway in 1873 and
Thailand's King Chulalongkorn in 1907.
A road was opened to the North Cape
in 1956. Today, the North Cape is
a major tourist attraction. It can
only be accessed by entry to the Nordkapphallen,
an extensive commercial tourist centre
that houses a number of exhibits on
the Cape's history. The price of visiting
the North Cape area is 215 NOK per
person (2009).
There is also the possibility
of becoming a member of the Royal
North Cape Club (RNCC) The Royal North
Cape Club was formed in 1984, and
membership restricted to people who
have visited the North Cape. The idea
of the Club is to create corps of
ambassadors who will promote the North
Cape as a tourist destination and
attraction, while maintaining and
protecting the unique nature of the
place. Club members receive a lifetime's
free entrance to the North Cape. The
RNCC has its own club Room beside
the Grotta Bar. The midnight sun can
be seen from 14th of May to the 31st
of July. The sun reached its lowest
point at 00.14 - 00.24.
The North Cape is reached
by road through the North Cape Tunnel.
Regular buses run from the nearby
town of Honningsvåg to the North
Cape, and coaches meet the many cruise
ships which call at Honningsvåg.
The nearest airport is Honningsvåg
Airport, Valan (IATA code: HVG). The
Norwegian airline Widerøe services
the airport with routes to Tromsø.
From Tromsø Airport there are
connecting flights to destinations
such as Oslo, Bergen, Trondheim and
London-Stansted.
In 1943, the Battle
of North Cape was fought in the Arctic
Ocean off this cape.
The EuroVelo bicycle
route EV1 starts at North Cape and
heads to Sagres, Portugal - a 8,196
km distance by land and sea.[4]
I have filmed it this
summer in the North Cape.I hope you
enjoy it.
