We had spent the night near Nordkapp (North cape) at the Knivskjelodden Trail parking area. We left our car there for the day and cycled from there to Nordkapp.
The title of the post doesn’t quite hold true. While Nordkapp is generally known as the northernmost point of mainland Europe, the actual northernmost point is slightly west of Nordkapp at Knivskjellodden. There’s a hiking trail from the parking lot where we spent the night, measuring about 17 kilometers round trip. We skipped this hike this time, but it’s something to do another time.
Entering Nordkapp Without Admission Fees
But why did we decide to cycle to Nordkapp when there’s a large parking area at the destination?
Access to the outdoor area of Nordkapp is free, but if you want to visit the Nordkapp Hall, which houses exhibitions, a cinema, restaurants, and a souvenir shop, there’s an admission fee of about โฌ27 per person. However, if you arrive by bicycle or on foot, admission is free. Since we had our bikes with us, we could visit for free, so why not?
The distance from our parking lot to Nordkapp was about 6 kilometers one way, so it wasn’t bad at all in terms of distance. However, the route is quite hilly, and the weather was quite windy when we were there, which made the journey a bit more challenging. So, it’s advisable to be prepared for these conditions if you decide to cycle or walk. Nevertheless, the beautiful scenery provides strength, and we had the opportunity to admire the landscapes and the reindeer along the way, which we couldn’t appreciate as much from the car compared to cycling.
Upon arriving, we first explored the outdoor area. Here, you’ll find the famous globe monument, and the views are truly majestic, with nearly vertical cliffs rising 300 meters from the sea. Initially, we had to wait a while to enjoy these views because the weather was very foggy. In fact, we could only see about twenty meters ahead, so there were no views of the landscape at first. However, there was a certain charm in standing far from civilization in the misty atmosphere at the northernmost corner of Europe.
We spent some time admiring the scenery in the fog, but then we decided to visit the Nordkapp Hall, hoping that the weather would clear up and reveal the landscape.
Inside Nordkapp Hall
When we arrived at the area on our bikes, we bypassed the ticket office, so we informed the staff that we had arrived by bike, and they gave us stickers to wear on our chests, allowing us to move around the area for free.
Nordkapp Hall features exhibitions and a cinema, with the film showcasing stories of life in the north throughout the seasons. The movie shown in the cinema is really impressive, definitely the highlight, so don’t miss it. Nordkapp Hall also has a restaurant and a souvenir shop where you can find all sorts of souvenirs to take home.
Clearing Skies
The weather outside looked a bit better now, so we went back outside to see the sights. And there it was, the sky began to clear, gradually revealing the cliffs piece by piece! The majestic, 300-meter-high cliffs and the crashing waves of the Arctic Ocean against the rocky shores were truly impressive. We enjoyed these views and explored the area a bit more now that we could see ahead more clearly.
Then it was time to pedal back towards the car. For the next night, we wanted to stay in a hotel because we had worked up a sweat, and we needed a shower ๐
From Nordkapp to Alta
We loaded our bikes onto the bike rack on the car and started driving towards the town of Alta, about 230 kilometers from Nordkapp, where we had booked a hotel. We chose to stay at Canyon Hotel, which was a really nice hotel in the center of Alta. The rooms were modern, clean, and spacious, and the location was really good. The only downside was that the hotel didn’t have its own parking lot, but there was a large parking area at the corner of the hotel, and it was only a short walk from the hotel.
