North Cape, Norway

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Midnight sun at the North Cape

Midnight sun and clouds at the North Cape

North Cape (foreground), Knivskjellodden (background)

North Cape is a cape on the island of Magerøya in northern Norway, in the community of Nordkapp. Its 307 m high, steep cliff is often referred to as the northernmost point of Europe, located at 71°10′21″N, 25°47′40″E. However, the neighbouring point Knivskjellodden is actually some 1,500 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).

Map of North Cape, Knivskjellodden and Kinnarodden

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 Norway in 1873 and Thailand's King Chulalongkorn in 1907. Today, the North Cape is a major tourist attraction with an extensive (and expensive) tourist centre that houses a number of exhibits on the Cape's history.

In 1943, the battle of North Cape was fought in the Arctic Ocean off this cape.