Three Days Exploring Northernmost Europe: From Nordkapp to Kirkenes

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This post encompasses my three days covering northernmost Europe onboard Hurtigruten vessel MS Kong Harald. As far north as you can go in continental Europe.

We make port in Honningsvåg and from there we will be exploring northernmost Europe eastwards until arriving in Kirkenes. Upon where my journey north ends and we begin the southbound journey back to Bergen.

This map shows the two points of Honningsvåg and Kirkenes. This is where the three days at the midpoint of the voyage are spent in northernmost Europe.

Entering Northernmost Europe

Wednesday

I can quite happily stay in bed this morning. I may be a little hungover…

Having essentially consumed a bottle of wine last night I’m pretty happy I don’t feel worse to be honest!

Regardless of how I’m feeling, due to the schedule today I have to choose between breakfast and lunch.

And at 9:00 eggs on toast followed by granola and yogurt is much more appealing. Lunch service starts at 10:30 today and the thought of eating fish and potatoes doesn’t really appeal!

So up to the dining room I go and manage to eat a decent breakfast.

Nordkapp: Northernmost Europe

We cross a point of interest at 10:00 and I go outside to watch as we go by.

What is interesting about this point you may ask?

Well I ask myself the same thing and honestly I can’t remember! If I look it up on the daily schedule I could probably tell you, but if I didn’t find it memorable being there you probably care even less.

The scenery is pretty though. If somewhat same-ish… Snow does that.

Heading to The North Cape: The tip of Northernmost Europe

The North Cape or Nordkapp as it is known in Norway, is the very top of mainland Europe. So we really are exploring northernmost Europe now!

“Here I stand at Nordkapp, the extreme of Finnmark, at the very end of the world,” said Franscesco Negri in the winter of 1664.
Over 300 years later, Nordkapp has become a major destination. The mighty plateau rises 307 meters above the Arctic Ocean, and marks the end point of the European mainland.

https://visitnordkapp.net/en/nordkapp

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 steep cliff of the North Cape is located at 71°10′21″N 25°47′04″E, and is often inaccurately referred to as the northernmost point of Europe. However, the neighbouring Knivskjellodden Cape actually extends 1,450 m (4,760 ft) further north.

The issue is this point is not accessible by car. It is a 5-6 hike from the nearest road each way, and there is nothing there except a book to sign.

The plateau tourists visit is much more pleasant and safe.

Northernmost Europe: A Brief History

In 1553 an expedition of three ships sailed from England in search of the Northeastern Passage. Two of the ships never returned home. The third ship with Richard Chancellor as commander passed a mighty mountain plateau and gave it the name Nordkapp.

Over a century later the Italian priest Francesco Negri arrived at the same cliff. He is considered the first tourist to Nordkapp, and describes it as the end of the known world.

In 1873 the union king Oscar climbed the steep cliff of Nordkapp. This visit sparked great interest around the world, and just two years later the first group of travellers on a cruise arrived. The journey to the far north was a great achievement and was celebrated with a glass of Champagne – a tradition still kept alive at Nordkapp.

https://www.visitnordkapp.net/en/the-north-cape-hall

We arrive at the port and are taken in buses up to the North Cape Hall with some information along the way.

As is common with many of these coastal towns the economy is heavily based on fishing. We pass racks of fish drying in the open air (I’ve tried this before and don’t personally recommend it!). And the history of the Sami people is once again reiterated along with their reliance on the reindeer.

As we approach the main road leading up to the North Cape the guide explains how during the depths of winter the only way up there is to drive in convoy. So all the tourists have to follow behind a plough with a ranger at the back to ensure everyone makes it. It’s all timed and only in one direction at a time.

Happily today is not one of those days and we head straight up to the peak.

There are a few attractions installed, the most famous being The Globe. A monument marking the tip of Northernmost Europe. Well…. kind of! To be honest having seen the actual point of northernmost Europe I’m happy where I am!

The Globe
This monument has become the symbol of Nordkapp. It marks that you are at the end point of Europe – the northernmost of the continental mainland. This is a treasured place for photography and contemplation. This is the culmination of all journeys

https://www.visitnordkapp.net/en/the-north-cape-hall

Art Installations and Attractions

Inside the North Cape Hall there are a few things to do which further illustrate the significance of reaching this place in Northernmost Europe.

In order to preserve the landscape as much as possible the hall has been built into the cliff-face, descending into the ground rather than building up.

You walk along a steadily descending tunnel illuminated by historical displays, a Thai Museum (odd I know but I’ll explain shortly), and the St. John chapel with its unique architecture. At the very bottom there is a room which artistically presents the Aurora in a surrounding experience. You take a seat and the whole room transforms through the stages of different auroras over time.

There is also a panoramic film cinema that takes you on a journey through four seasons at Nordkapp in a “landscape full of contrasts, light and breathtaking scenery.” It’s a nice film and only fifteen minutes. And it’s interesting to see how the landscape changes up here over the year.

Back to the boat

On the way back to our ship the guide tells us more about Fishing for King Crab in the area. Apparently they were imported into the ecosystem from Russia, and are therefore not native to Norwegian waters. Which is why they are one of the few species in the area with no fishing cap.

There is a lot of work going on about sustainable fishing in the area, but the King Crab is a free for all over here!

We pass by some reconstructed Sami structures as well. It’s always fascinating to me how cultures with no connection come up with very similar ideas and traditions. But I have been assured in our daily lectures there was no contact between the Sami people and the peoples of North America.

Life Onboard Continues

I’m still incredibly sleepy for some reason. I can’t be getting quality sleep at night even if it feels like I’m asleep plenty. So I nap till 17:00 when it’s time to go to the daily meeting.

It’s mainly about the Kirkenes region and how historically it’s a cultural blend of Norway, Finland, and Russia. All three countries in easy driving distance of each other.

Which leads to some sad consequence regarding Russia 😕 as the community is now cut off from many of its usual trading routes. Of course it’s understandable and for most the correct thing to do as Europe rallies around Ukraine. But the impact on normal people is an unfortunate consequence.

Sustenance

I do some writing up in the bar overlooking the frosty landscape.

My friend the barman joins me for a bit 😂 as it’s quite quiet up here right now. It’s good for me to chat to people, I can turn into an isolated nomad far too easily! My tolerance for other human beings diminishes even faster without regular contact!

I get a cider as my only alcoholic beverage of the day, trying to cut back a little bit as drinking is an expensive habit onboard the ship.

And for dinner if you’re interested, I have goat celery soup to start, a fish main, and chocolate tart with blueberry sorbet for dessert. The food really is incredible, I can’t fault it! Not looking forward to getting on the scales when I get back though…

Meh, that’s a problem for post-holiday future-me to deal with!

And thus at 21:00 I turn in for an early night…

21:45 aurora alarm

Clearly the trick for the aurora to appear is for me to go to bed!

I’m not complaining though.

Thursday

The temperature has definitely dropped now.

You think that at a certain point, how much colder can it really get? Surely once you’re cold there no deeper layer of cold you can feel?

Oh just you wait!

Kirkenes

It’s an earlier start today as we arrive in Kirkenes at 9:00 and I have an excursion booked. So my regular work alarm goes off at 7:00 and I immediately wonder how on earth I’m going to cope next week when back to normal!

Kirkenes is near the borders of Finland and Russia. It is further north than Iceland and further east than Istanbul.

And it’s -24 degrees Celsius out there today. A new record low for me. And out on the frozen Barents Sea going 30-40mph it’ll feel like -46 apparently. Because today I am going Snowmobiling.

This is a level of cold you take seriously. There’s a very real threat of frostbite 🥶

I like to try and do something new and adventurous every trip and Snowmobiling is what I’ve chosen for Norway.

Snowmobiling in Northernmost Europe

I’m a little nervous but mainly because of the temperature.

We are picked up by our guide and he immediately irritates me a little. Basically his first question is ‘Are you travelling alone?’ and his response to my yes is ‘Do you need a husband?’.

Seriously.

Take note men of the world. No woman needs a husband. We are perfectly capable of being alone thank you very much.

I think my reply of: “Absolutely not!”, gets my point across.

So then later in an attempt to make it up to me perhaps he introduces me as a secret English Princess (the rest of my group are German and Belgian). I smile and play along, but now I’m even more determined to prove I am no ‘Princess’. I am a freakin’ QUEEN dammit. Just watch!

You are meant to ride in pairs but I get my own snowmobile which I’m very happy about. So I get to drive the whole time and no sharing. This goes a long way to actually making up for the misogyny (however well intended) I’m experiencing.

We get a quick lesson and then off we go! I think maybe there should have been a little bit more safety instruction, but they don’t seem to care too much…

It’s great fun!

Speeding across the frozen sea in convoy. I’m at the front behind the guide and keep pace with him even when he speeds off to test us. The others… not so much. There’s a few times we have to wait for them to catch up.

The first time we stop and wait I know I’ve earned respect. “Damn, you are a great driver. So tough!”. We are friends now, I forgive the earlier comments.

Getting Warm

One of the other riders almost gets frostbite on his face as he ignores some earlier warnings about covering your face. I know it seems counter intuitive, but by breathing into cloth you create condensation which in this temperature immediately freezes. It’s very dangerous.

So now I know how to quickly deal with the early signs of frostbite. Something I hope I never need to know again!

I’m pretty much okay, not too cold thanks to the overalls. My only regret is not taking their boots and extra socks as my feet are COLD. This is the first time my snow-boots and thermal socks have actually failed me.

Still, we make it the whole experience without needing to break inside. And that means at the end we warm up with hot coffee and dried reindeer heart meat.

Sorry guys, reindeers may be better than people, but they taste too good to deny.

Afternoon sailing back

As an addendum to illustrate just how cold it is today, the soft mints in my bag have solidified. The bag was inside the whole time. It only went outside between the bus and the changing room. Brrrrrrrrrr!!

We are now heading back towards the North Cape. Retracing our route across northernmost Europe eastwards. We will be stopping at the same ports but at different times, meaning there are different places to visit and things to see.

Mini aside: Etiquette

At lunch today I had to sit net to an awfully miserable lady. I felt kind of bad for the friend she is travelling with who seems perfectly pleasant. Her complaints were about the food, the service, and even the Northern Lights!

Clearly she was expecting a luxury cruise with the perfect aurora every night before her bedtime. Oh and probably warmer too 🙄

If you have a negative attitude you’ll never be able to appreciate anything. Always finding faults never joy.

And I may say something akin to this to her friend about ‘other’ passengers whilst she can overhear… her friend wholeheartedly agrees.

I do encounter them a few more times over the next couple of days, and her attitude it’s a little better. I wonder if her friend said something or if she just took the hint!

But whilst I’m on a mini rant about passenger behaviour…

The only other people onboard who I’ve found to be rude are a Spanish family, who seem to think they are entitled to sit wherever they like even if you are already there. And interrupt the live music performance by showing up late and pulling up chairs in front of people who were already there.

AND proceed to talk over the singing anyway!

Then a few days later a group of loud Americans, who are really living up to the stereotype of the worst kind of American traveller. Inconsiderate, taking up space and leaving their stuff around to reserve a table for hours later, playing cards over the live music.

Someone actually did go and tell them to be quiet, which I was on the verge of doing myself.

Back to Sailing Northernmost Europe

The daily briefing confirms a very relaxing couple of days ahead for me. I don’t really plan to leave the ship until Sunday now. The stops coming up are short and I am not interested in any of the excursions on offer.

So after a delicious dinner of more reindeer meat and a little aurora hunting (another sighting is made but dimmer than before), I turn in and look forward to a relaxing weekend.

Friday

Today’s point of interest is Milk Island. Or Melkøya as it’s actually called. It’s an industrial island which is the endpoint of the undersea pipeline that transports natural gas from the Snøhvit natural gas fields in the Barents Sea.

The engineering of all these undersea tunnels and pipelines really is mind-blowing. I still can’t get my head around the Channel Tunnel!

Whilst up on Deck 7 (the top deck) watching Melkøya go by, we are served a special beverage. It’s coffee brewed for four hours, then they add chocolate, chilli, cinnamon, star anise, and some secret ingredients. It’s very yummy!

Then the weather changes and the wind picks up as the temperature drops.

The Captain asks all passengers to stay inside due to the wind and ice on deck, and our port call in Hammerfest is cancelled due to strong winds.

It’s a little disappointing, but I did only plan to walk around the bay a little and not go into the town itself. So not a big deal for me.

We do stop later on in Øksfjord, which is not a point where passengers are usually allowed to disembark.

But as we are early due to skipping Hammerfest we are allowed to go for a walk. It’s good to get some fresh air and just be off the ship for a bit really.

Learning about the Aurora

There is a special Northern Lights Lecture today with Tom Kerss, an expert on the Northern Lights.

It’s all very interesting, covering mythology, history, and science. He boldly claims we will definitely see amazing aurora activity tonight.

(Spoiler alert: there is aurora activity, but it’s only pretty low level.)

Despite having a very lazy day, I am incredibly sleepy for some reason. I manage to read my book for a bit and go to dinner, fully intending to stay up late for the promised lights.

Plus there’s live music in the bar again which I do enjoy, and I stay for a bit, but my eyes are closing despite it only being 10pm.

So I go outside hoping to be lucky and I do see a dim aurora. It’s not much though and I just can’t stay awake much longer.

Suffice to say I sleep well. I don’t notice any of the night port calls, and don’t wake up until the 8am announcement Saturday morning!