Alta - a modern shopping centre, husky dogs, and the Northern Lights, experienced from the far northern tip of Norway,

After learning a bit more about some of the bizarre ceremonies associated with "Crossing the Line", we're off to Alta, the final destination on our recent cruise. I say final because Alta ended up being our last port of call, even though that honour should have gone to Narvik. Unfortunately, the weather took a turn for the worst, after our ship departed from Alta, with the captain warning us of a number of deep depressions developing off the coast of Norway. This was a pity, as Narvik represented the final Norwegian coastal settlement, of any size, that we haven't visited during our two cruises to this part of Scandinavia.

Alta is considered the northernmost city in the world with a population surpassing 10,000. Alta is located in Finnmark county, at the inner end of the Alta Fjord and is the largest town in the region. Situated at approximately 70 degrees north, far above the Arctic Circle, the city serves as a regional hub and is surrounded by impressive mountains and forests. 

Alta is also the gateway to the vast Finnmarksvidda, which at 8,500 square miles is Norway’s largest mountain plateau. It is a functional town made up of several communities strung together along the E6 highway, but also serves as a centre of transportation in Finnmark county. The town's port facilities are situated along Altafjorden, just alongside Alta Airport, where there are direct flights to Oslo and certain other cities in Norway like Tromsø. Our ship was berthed close to the end of the runway, which gave us a good view of the planes landing, and taking off, even though there weren't that many flights in and out of the airport.

During the German occupation of Norway during World War II, Alta was a key strategic location for the Nazi forces. The battleship Tirpitz was based in the Altafjord for two years and served as one of the main threats against convoys delivering supplies from Western Allies to the Soviet Union. The area around Alta held the Nazi’s largest naval base outside of Germany during World War II. 

Alta was devastated at the end of the conflict, as the Nazis instituted as scorched earth policy in the wake of their retreat. The Germans felt pressure from an alliance between Finland and Russia and initiated a forced evacuation of the local people around Alta. About 45,000 people were forcibly relocated to the Tromsø area, and before they left, the occupying forces destroyed almost everything including buildings, infrastructure, mines and wells.

Modern day Alta has risen from the ashes of war, and now boasts a well-laid out town centre, that incorporates an extensive and modern shopping centre, and one that isn't dominated by multi-national retailers. I visited on both days of our stop-over in Alta, and whilst not normally a fan of shopping arcades, was impressed with what I saw. In the absence of much else, Alta's modern and well-laid out shopping centre, seemed to act as a magnet for the local populace, by drawing in people from all walks of life. 

There was also a number of cafes and bars - more about the latter, later, but if you live in an area that is perpetually dark for one part of the year, and then a location that remains light, for part of the summer, I imagine you will crave company and seek the comfort that goes with your fellow human beings - or some of them, perhaps!

Somewhat disappointedly, the weather was a good 10-15 degrees warmer than it should have been for late March, which meant that much of the snow had started to melt, something that was even more noticeable on the second day of our visit. This was quite noticeable, when I stepped down from the shuttle bus, and was saved from landing flat on my back, by a burly, local tour guide! Despite the slippery conditions underfoot, I made it across to Alta's ultra-modern place of worship. Known as Northern Lights Cathedral, this impressive church was consecrated on 10th February 2013. As well as a significant local landmark, the cathedral is visible from many parts of the city.

Apart from the shops, the cathedral, the bars, and the stunning scenery, there’s not a great deal in Alta to keep visitors occupied beyond a one-day stay, unless you’re a history buff, of course. So why, in common with other visiting cruise ships, stay for two day? The consensus seems to be, this is down to the large number of excursions available to passengers, most of which include outdoor, winter activities, such as dog sledding, or being pulled through the snow by horse-driven sleighs.

One such activity that I took part in, was a visit to the Holmen Husky Lodge, situated to the south of the city. The centre offers husky-pulled sled rides by day and accommodation in purpose-built glamping tepees, by night. I visited Holmen, not so much to see the huskies, but more so because I thought that the location of the lodge, away from the lights of the city centre, would offer the best chance of witnessing the famous, but elusive, Northern Lights. 

I was right too, as towards the end of a talk about the dogs, and their work, we were hurriedly called away from the warmth of the large tepee, we were sitting in, and out into the cold, dark night, to see the Aurora Borealis in all its glory! And the lights were certainly glorious, and well worth travelling to the far northern reaches of the globe, to have the chance of seeing them. What started as just a faint glow, soon sprang into life, and we were treated to a spectacular display of heavenly illuminations.  

The following evening, as our ship was preparing to set sail, we witnessed a further display, from the observation deck of our cruise liner. This time, Mrs PBT's was able to see the lights for herself and thus didn't feel cheated after missing them the previous night. Still to come, a few Norwegian beers enjoyed in a couple of far northern bars, plus some final observations on this wild and rugged part of northern Europe.