North Cape (Norway)

North Cape
Nordkapp

Midnight sun at the North Cape
Location Finnmark, Norway
Coordinates 71°10′21″N 25°47′04″E / 71.17250°N 25.78444°E / 71.17250; 25.78444Coordinates: 71°10′21″N 25°47′04″E / 71.17250°N 25.78444°E / 71.17250; 25.78444
Offshore water bodies Barents Sea
Elevation 307 m (1,007 ft)

North Cape (Norwegian: Nordkapp; Northern Sami: Davvenjárga) is a cape on the northern coast of the island of Magerøya in Northern Norway. The cape is in Nordkapp Municipality in Finnmark county, Norway. The European route E69 highway has its northern terminus at North Cape, since it is a popular tourist attraction. The cape includes a 307-metre-high cliff (1,007 ft) with a large flat plateau on top where visitors can stand and watch the midnight sun or the views of the Barents Sea to the north. A new visitor centre was built in 1988 on the plateau with panoramic views, a café, restaurant, post office, souvenir shop, and a so-called super video cinema.[1]

Geography

North Cape with Knivskjellodden in the background

The steep cliff of North Cape is located at 71°10′21″N 25°47′04″E / 71.17250°N 25.78444°E / 71.17250; 25.78444, about 2,102.3 km (1,306.3 mi) from the North Pole. Nordkapp is often wrongly referred as the northernmost point of Europe. However, the neighbouring Knivskjellodden Cape, actually extends 1,450 m (4,760 ft) further north. Furthermore, both of these points are situated on an island, albeit one connected by road to the mainland. The northernmost point of mainland Europe is located at Cape Nordkinn (Kinnarodden) which lies about 5.7 km (3.5 mi) further south and about 70 km (43 mi) to the east. That point is located near the village of Mehamn on the Nordkinn Peninsula. The northernmost point of Europe including islands is hundreds of kilometres further north, either in Russia's Franz Josef Land or Norway's Svalbard archipelago, depending on whether Franz Josef Land is considered to be in Europe or in Asia.

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 midnight sun can be seen from 14 May to 31 July. The sun reaches its lowest point between 00:14 and 00:24 during those days.

In the neighbourhood of the North Cape
Midnight sun and clouds at the North Cape
Stereoscopic anaglyph picture of the North Cape

Transport

The North Cape is reached by European route E69 highway through the North Cape Tunnel, an undersea tunnel connecting the island of Magerøya to the mainland. The EuroVelo bicycle route EV1 runs from North Cape to Sagres, Portugal—a 8,196-kilometre (5,093 mi) distance by land and sea.

Regular buses run from the nearby town of Honningsvåg to the North Cape (36 km (22 mi)), and coaches meet the many cruise ships that call at the port of Honningsvåg. The nearest airport is Honningsvåg Airport, Valan (IATA code: HVG).

Winter

It is also possible to visit North Cape during winter, but the last stretch of road is only open for convoy driving at fixed hours. The road through Norway to North Cape is kept open during winter and is accessible to regular vehicles with some specific winter precautions being required to deal with the hard snow and wind conditions that may occur in winter. Before this, E69 was the only winter-closed E road in Europe.

History

North Cape in 1837, from school book

The North Cape was named by the Englishman Steven Borough, captain of the Edward Bonaventure, which sailed past in 1553 in search of the Northeast Passage.[1]

World War II

In 1943, the Battle of North Cape was fought in the Arctic Ocean off this cape, where the Kriegsmarine battleship Scharnhorst was eventually sunk by gunfire from the HMS Duke of York and torpedoes from Norwegian Navy destroyer HNoMS Stord, and other ships of the British Navy.

Admission fee controversy

Norway's government demanded in 2011 that the admission fee to the plateau be reduced. At the time, an adult ticket cost between 160 and 235 kr.[2] The fee has not been lowered, instead slightly increased.[3] Often there is fog (since the plateau is above the common cloud base), which obscures the beautiful view. There is no discount for this situation, but the full price ticket is valid for multiple entry for 48 hours.

Sport and leisure

The 2009 Trans Europe Foot Race started in Bari, Italy and finished at North Cape. The total distance was 4,485 kilometres.

The first stage of the 2014 Arctic Race of Norway was held on North Cape on 14 August 2014. The bicycle race started in Hammerfest, finishing on North Cape and was won by Norwegian, Lars Petter Nordhaug for LottoNL–Jumbo in a time of 4 hours 51 minutes 3 seconds.[4]

The record of cycling from the northern to the southern end of Norway, North Cape to Lindesnes, is 4 days, 22 hours and 18 minutes, performed by a group of five men from Rye in Oslo, in July 2003.[5]

References

  1. 1 2 Store norske leksikon. "Nordkapp fjell" (in Norwegian). Retrieved 2013-02-13.
  2. ↑ "Krangel om 235 kroner". e24 (in Norwegian). Oslo. September 11, 2011. Retrieved 2012-10-26.
  3. ↑ Opening hours and Prices
  4. ↑ "Hammerfest/Nordkapp". Arctic Race of Norway. Amaury Sport Organisation. Retrieved 24 August 2014.
  5. ↑ Ny sykkelrekord
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