The Route to the North Cape - Norway - page 424

N-8063 Sørland, Vaerøy. & 76-09-52-99. Fax [phone]. www.lofotentravel.com. 5 cabins. 1,350NOK
($192) double for up to 4 people. Discounts available for 5 or more people. MC, V. Amenities: Restaurant;
bar. In room: TV, kitchen, coffeemaker, hair dryer.
WHERE TO DINE
Kornelius Kro Restaurant NORWEGIAN This is the most popular venue
in town. The 110-seat restaurant, installed in a modern building at the Kor-
nelius Kro hotel (see above), is decorated with antique fish netting and nautical
equipment. The lounge bar with its cozy fireplace is liked by both locals and vis-
itors. You can eat dinner by firelight or candlelight. Everything is very informal
here, and the place is always open in summer, but only for groups in winter. You
might begin with a shrimp cocktail and then inquire as to what the cook has pre-
pared for dinner that night. Most often it's fresh Norwegian salmon and the
invariable cod prepared pretty much as you like it. Beefsteak with vegetables is
also popular.
Sørland. & 76-09-52-99. Meals 200NOK-325NOK ($28-$46). MC, V. Daily 5-10pm.
5 Alta: City of Northern Lights
809km (503 miles) N of Bodø; 329km (205 miles) N of Tromsø; 1,989km (1,236 miles) N of Oslo
At the dawn of the 21st century, Alta was renamed rather romantically Nordlys-
byen Alta or “Northern Lights City Alta.” For years, this far-northern outpost
of 18,000 inhabitants belonged to Finland and was inhabited almost solely by
the Sami (Lapps), who until the end of the 1960s held a famous fair here in
spring and autumn. Because of fires and the Nazi destruction of the city at the
close of the war, almost everything looks new and rather dull. People come here
for nature, not for town architecture.
Alta is the commercial and mercantile capital of Finnmark (as opposed to Fin-
land, two names which some visitors confuse). The role of administrative capi-
tal of Finnmark goes to the city of Vadsø. The River Altaelva runs through the
town, which has the appearance of a frontier outpost. In its 19th-century hey-
day, Alta enjoyed patronage by British lords who came here to fish the Altafjord,
known to have the best salmon waters in the world.
In one of the major environmental protests in Scandinavia, the Altadammen
was constructed in the 1970s, rising 100m (328 ft.). A former salmon-spawning
stream was diverted for hydroelectric power.
ESSENTIALS
GETTING THERE The airport at Alta lies 7km (4 1 ⁄ 3 miles) northeast of the
center of Elvebakken. Three daily direct flights from Oslo take 3 hours. Most
passengers transfer through Tromsø, which receives the most flights in north
Norway. From Tromsø to Alta, there are four daily flights. There are no train
lines here, but buses run between Tromsø and Alta, taking 7 hours and costing
400NOK ($57) one-way. For schedules and information about this bus, call
& 177 from phones within Norway, or the local tourist office ( & 78-44-50-50 )
for information about Alta or other towns and districts within Finnmark.
VISITOR INFORMATION For information about the area, call or visit Via
Alta Tours, Sentrums Parken #4, Alta Sentrum, N-9504 Alta ( & 78-44-50-50;
www.altatours.no). From June to August it's open Monday to Friday 10am to
8pm, Saturday and Sunday 11am to 5pm. The rest of the year (Sept-May), it's
open Monday to Friday 8:30am to 4:30pm, and Saturday 10am to 2pm.