Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
DON'T MISS
SLEEPING IN A SNOW HOTEL
There really is nothing like sleeping in one of the Far North's two ice or snow hotels, the
Sorrisniva Igloo Hotel
near Alta or the
Kirkenes Snow Hotel
. In both cases, in our view it's
the stunning ice carvings and considerable novelty of the whole experience, rather than
any thought of a comfortable night's sleep, that make it worthwhile.
Although there are differences between the two, the experience is broadly similar. For a
start, the interior of each room, most of which are separated from the corridor by a cur-
tain rather than a solid door, is kept at a really rather chilly -3ºC to -7ºC. Some hotels use
reindeer skins, others mattresses atop the ice-block beds, but either way you'll be sleep-
ing in an Arctic-strength sleeping bag. That means shedding (as quickly as you can!)
most of your clothing before making a dash for the sleeping bag. Needless to say, we re-
commend going to the toilet just before bedding down for the night, and this is not an ex-
perience for those unable to sleep without a stray limb poking out from beneath the cov-
ers!
Hammerfest
Pop 10,287
Welcome to Norway's, and perhaps even the world's, northernmost town - other Norwegi-
an communities, while further north, are, Hammerfest vigorously argues, too small to
qualify as towns!
If you're arriving on the Hurtigruten coastal ferry, you'll have only 1½ hours to pace
around, pick up an Arctic souvenir and scoff some fresh shrimp at the harbour. For most
visitors that will be ample. The town's most unusual experience is to be found at the Royal
& Ancient Polar Bear Society.
History
Because of its strategic location and excellent harbour, Hammerfest has long been an im-
portant way station for shipping, fishing and Arctic hunting. In its heyday, ladies wore the
finest Paris fashions and in 1890 Europe's first electric street lighting was installed.
