Porsangerfjorden is a 123 kilometre long waterway between the Porsanger Peninsula and Mageroya that empties into the Barents Sea. From the Finnish border we follow its shoreline toward Honningsvag passing tundra and scattered islands.
Honningsvag the northernmost city on mainland Norway sits on Mageroya and has long been a hub for fishing and travel to the North Cape. Beyond it the road climbs to Nordkapp a 307 metre high plateau considered one of the northernmost points in Europe accessible by car. During summer between mid May and late July the midnight sun traces a golden arc across the horizon.
Further along the island lies Skarsvag a tiny settlement that claims to be the worlds northernmost fishing village and about sixty residents make their living from the Barents Sea. West of here the old fishing station of Gjesvaer is known from the Viking Age and is now famous for bird cliffs and tours to seabird colonies. Around the corner the sheltered harbour of Kamoyvaer is home to a small community with Sami Kven and Norwegian heritage and an art gallery called East of the Sun.
In late spring and early summer Sami herders guide reindeer from the Finnmarksvidda plateau to summer pastures on Mageroya. Leaving the island we drive south through Finnmark where glaciers drop into fjords in places like Lyngenfjord and Kvanangen and islands such as Senja and Kvaloya rise steeply from the sea. Near the Lyngenfjord the ruins of the German built Spakenes coastal fort stand on a hill overlooking the water.
Our journey ends in Tromso the Arctic city that enjoys twenty four hour daylight in midsummer. Its centre blends historic wooden houses with modern architecture and attractions like the Arctic Cathedral museums and botanical gardens celebrate the culture and nature of the far north.
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Honningsvag the northernmost city on mainland Norway sits on Mageroya and has long been a hub for fishing and travel to the North Cape. Beyond it the road climbs to Nordkapp a 307 metre high plateau considered one of the northernmost points in Europe accessible by car. During summer between mid May and late July the midnight sun traces a golden arc across the horizon.
Further along the island lies Skarsvag a tiny settlement that claims to be the worlds northernmost fishing village and about sixty residents make their living from the Barents Sea. West of here the old fishing station of Gjesvaer is known from the Viking Age and is now famous for bird cliffs and tours to seabird colonies. Around the corner the sheltered harbour of Kamoyvaer is home to a small community with Sami Kven and Norwegian heritage and an art gallery called East of the Sun.
In late spring and early summer Sami herders guide reindeer from the Finnmarksvidda plateau to summer pastures on Mageroya. Leaving the island we drive south through Finnmark where glaciers drop into fjords in places like Lyngenfjord and Kvanangen and islands such as Senja and Kvaloya rise steeply from the sea. Near the Lyngenfjord the ruins of the German built Spakenes coastal fort stand on a hill overlooking the water.
Our journey ends in Tromso the Arctic city that enjoys twenty four hour daylight in midsummer. Its centre blends historic wooden houses with modern architecture and attractions like the Arctic Cathedral museums and botanical gardens celebrate the culture and nature of the far north.
