I recently spent an extended Easter weekend visiting my girlfriend’s family in Finnmark, a county in the extreme north-eastern part of Norway.

Before going, I only really knew two things about the place – it was a long way away from home (a whole days travelling from London was scheduled) and, as Finnmark county is well within the Arctic Circle, it would be cold.

This brief blog is my attempt to give readers (and potential future visitors) a short how, why and what about Finnmark and to give a flavour of this remote part of the world.

How to Travel to Finnmark

A Hurtigruten cruise from Bergen to Finnmark will get you there in six days and sail past the majority of Norway’s western coast in the process.

This would undoubtedly be the preferred method of travel (the scenery is extraordinary) but unfortunately, as our free time is limited by the fast pace of working life in London, such leisurely luxury was not an option for us.

Although no doubt quicker than sailing, to those who are used to speedy travel between Europe’s ever growing network of interconnected metropolises, the flying experience from London to Finnmark is certainly still on the slow side (although as somewhat of an aviation geek myself, I’m not complaining).

As no airports from the UK fly directly to north Norway, you have to travel via Oslo. You’ll be lucky if your transit time in Gardermoen airport is less than 3 or 4 hours.

You are most likely to step off your aeroplane in Finnmark in the county’s most populated municipality, Alta.

From there, the airline Widerøe does also offer on-going connecting flights to Hasvik, Hammerfest, Honningsvåg (North Cape), Lakselv, Mehamn, Berlevåg, Båtsfjord, Vardø, Vadsø and Kirkenes.

Wherever you’re flying to in Finnmark, try to get a window seat. The views of northern Norway from above in springtime can be quite spectacular, especially if you like snow.

Why Visit Finnmark?

Awe inspiring scenery, outdoor activities galore, lazing by warm fires in wooden hytter, history, culture and traditional food. For such a remote place, Finnmark has a lot going on.

The scenery speaks for itself although your view really is season dependant. Summer promises the midnight sun and an array of greenery.

In winter, an eternal twilight envelopes the landscape (only broken by the appearance of the aurora borealis – the northern lights) when only the hardiest soles are afoot. When I visited over Easter, the snow was still thick on the ground and the place certainly had a feel of the magical about it.

The outdoor activities available are limited only by your imagination, although in summer some of the colder pursuits will be out of reach.

In my short time there, I tried my hand at driving (and falling off) and exploring the countryside via snowmobile, ice fishing (this is a traditional Sami hunting method), cross-country skiing (okay, you can do this all over Norway in winter but I challenge you to find more remote or rugged terrain to traverse), fishing (some of the fish get really big here) and hiking.

Finnmark is vast and some of the environment, especially in winter, is challenging so you have to be sensible and exercise caution but if you’re lucky you might find you have a whole mountain, lake or fjord to yourself.

For those who enjoy a more relaxing pace of life there’s a lot to be said for sitting by a warm fire, or outside a traditional Norwegian home and whiling away the hours and enjoying the peace, quiet and clean air with a book (or just a furry friend) for company.

Finnmark is the home of the Sami – Norway’s aborigines and there is a surprising amount of culture and history to discover: both ancient (like 7000 year old rock art in Alta – part of the UNESCO World Heritage List) and more recent (the town of Hammerfest has a richer tale than a first glance might provide).

Although some of the modern Norwegian cuisine leaves a little to be desired some traditional foods and ingredients certainly provide a healthy and hearty meal (especially good if you’ve just come inside from a cold day).

Try hand caught salmon, fresh from Finnmark’s teeming rivers, or a traditional stew called Fårikål made with lamb, potatoes and kohlrabi (local lingonberries are an optional extra). If you can wash it down with an ice cold Isbjørn (polar bear) beer, all the better.

What to Take in Winter

The answer to this will obviously depend on your itinerary. If you make the decision to visit in winter a few essentials for a trip to Finnmark include warm (and waterproof) tops and bottoms, lots of layers, some decent gloves, plenty of thick warm woollen socks, sunglasses (it’s very bright) and a thermos flask.

Most importantly though is a big hat. The bigger the better.

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Despite being situated 70° north, a visitor to Hammerfest will soon discover a surprisingly rich history and culture alongside its famous stunning scenery.

Northern lights aside, amongst other attractions, the town boasts a polar bear club (surely unique) and polar bear guards (more about these below).

There's also defences from the Napoleonic and Second World Wars; a stop for the famous Hurtigurten cruise; a base for breath-taking outdoor activities and adventures; a symbol of historical international cooperation; and, since 2007, the most efficient liquefied natural gas facility in the world.

Norway is big. It is the longest country in Europe, some 1752km (1089 miles), and Hammerfest is nearly at the top. Only Russia, Canada, Greenland and the USA can compete for civilisation at this latitude but nowhere else has managed it on the same scale.

If you're wondering what Hammerfest in springtime looks like, think of Disney’s hit movie Frozen – you're on the right track (although the snow was starting to melt by the time I left)

Following Norwegian independence in 1905, Hammerfest was much like any other town in Finnmark (Norway’s most northerly county, roughly twice the size of Wales); small and dependent on fishing. Despite this, at the turn of the twentieth century the town was well known to the international community.

An infamous history

The British Royal Navy attacked Hammerfest during the Napolenic Wars causing a series of defences to be built to fight them off.

In 1854 the Meridian Column was erected to mark the international cooperation between Russia, Sweden and Norway in providing the first accurate measurements of the curvature of the earth, something we now take for granted every time we use a GPS.

The Second World War brought change and Hammerfest found itself overrun by Germans who used the town (along with others nearby) as a base for its North Sea submarine fleet. When the Germans left they burned Hammerfest along with the whole county of Finnmark to the ground.

The chapel that stood

All that was left of Hammerfest was the small Hauen burial chapel, built in 1937. The town was rebuilt by a huge local effort within ten years. The Hauen chapel still stands proudly next to the new Hammerfest Church built in 1961.

Despite this dark moment in the history of Hammerfest, the German occupation had established an industry which drove the town’s reconstruction.

Hitler’s armies had required feeding and with the development of new shipping technology which allowed fish to be caught, processed and packaged on one vessel, the fish of the Barents Sea provided an ideal food source for his troops.

After Norwegian liberation, the locals used this technology and sold their produce to the market establishing a strong industry. Findus (the new Norwegian frozen food company), capitalised on this opportunity and attempted to build up brand Norway by distributing the high quality fish to Europe.

However, in typically reserved Norwegian style, the high production numbers involved did not sit well with the local population who preferred to pursue traditional fishing methods. Findus’ goal was therefore never fully realised and by the 1970s fishing had gone into decline in Hammerfest.

With no prospect of a growing economy, population numbers began to decline. This situation was replicated across Finnmark. Many young people thought only of how they could get out of the county. A change in Norwegian government oil exploration policy was to change this and the future of Hammerfest in a big way.

The energy industry arrives

Since the discovery of oil and gas in the North Sea in the 1960s, Norway has risen to be one of the richest countries in the world and one of the best places to live according to the Human Development Index.

However, historically oil and gas exploration had been restricted in Norway to below the 62nd parallel; essentially anything North of this line (which included all of Finnmark) was protected from any activity.

Once this policy was relaxed an enormous discovery of gas was made in the Snøhvit (snow white) field in the Barents Sea off the coast of Hammerfest. What followed was a long a protracted story of exploration, drilling, appraisal and eventually production which led to the building of the world’s most efficient LNG facility.

This facility exports 5.7 billion cubic meters of natural gas a year mostly to Spain and the USA providing annual revenues of c. £108 million a year. It is forecast to do so until 2040.

LNG has transformed Hammerfest's fortunes. The brain drain was reversed, and people and new investment have been attracted to the town.

New homes and facilities have been constructed such as the Arctic Cultural Centre (on the site of the old Findus fish factory); new jobs created in the various industries which supply the oil and gas sector; new infrastructure developed including an upgrade of local hospital and schools; and grants have been provided to the town's tourist attractions – including inviting ¾±²õ²úÂáø°ù²Ô±ð°ù (polar bears) to be town guards.

You might expect that such a boom would create an environment which was out of control, flooded with ugly concrete, money and the trouble such riches can attract. However, it seems that the developers and the people of Hammerfest have managed to ensure that such an unwelcome outcome did not happen.

Hammerfest appears to have retained its old small town feel, Arctic charm and local spirit which helped the locals rebuild after the Germans lit the flames. Surely such a model should be a look out for others.

The timing of a trip to Hammerfest will depend on your preference for warmth or cold, for midnight sun or for the northern lights. The town is well known for its breath-taking scenery but its rich culture and history provide another, perhaps surprising reason, why Hammerfest would be a welcome addition to your travel itinerary.

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I am British and have a passion for eating, drinking and exploring the cuisine of other cultures.  So, when my Norwegian partner offered me the chance to visit her homeland,ÌýI was very excited to pack British tea bags (my travel essential) and discover Norway’s culinary delights.

We both currently live and work in London and so as many things related to Norwegian living are pretty cool in the UK right now – the maintenance of facial hair, a need to ensure that all rooms in a house contain the bare minimum and include no colours other than white and (if you’re lucky) shades of grey, I had been able to sample some Nordic cuisine before visiting.  However, after a few trips to Norway I quickly realised that although the UK's Nordic culinary scene is certainly not a bad place to start, the first time Norwegian visitor is in for a few gastro related surprises upon arrival.

By way of a warning, the author is fully aware that eating and drinking preferences are entirely personal and so acknowledges full blame and responsibility for any recommendation which fails to live up to expectation.  He is still hopeful however that visitors to Norway will be adventurous and try some of the Nordic culinary options which have not made it to the UK, yet.

Scandinavian food in London

Three venues in London which currently cater to the connoisseur looking for cuisine au Norway are Oslo (Hackney), the Nordic Bakery (various locations) and Scandinavian Kitchen (Soho). Here a visitor can enjoy a wide variety of contemporary Nordic delights which aren’t too different from typical British fare, such as pølse (Norwegian sausage – a must on May 17th, Norway's National Day), gravlax,Ìýskoleboller (a Norwegian custard bun),Ìýlofoten fiskesuppe (fish soup from Northern Norway), lingonberries,ÌýTrondhjems brun lapskaus (a meat stew from Trondheim) and even fjällbrynt renost. Okay, I admit smoked reindeer cheese isn't exactly common in the UK but it is surprisingly tasty.

After visiting Norway and enjoying some Norwegian meals, it quickly became apparent that the UK's trendy take on Nordic cuisine doesn't quite give the whole picture.

Traditional Norwegian food

If something can be boiled, streamed or covered in salt, and is edible without the need for saucy accompaniments, it has a good chance of ending up on a Norwegian's plate.  Although this is probably down in no small part to more frugal times in Norway's history, some Norwegian meals can still surprise you by their simplicity.

±Ê¾±²Ô²Ô±ð°ìÂáø³Ù³Ù – salted and dried sheep rib, steamed until tender.  A traditional Western Norwegian dish.  Serve with boiled potatoes (a regular feature at mealtimes) and root vegetables, steamed to perfection.

°Õø°ù°ù´Ú¾±²õ°ì – salted, dried, thoroughly rinsed and boiled to reconstitute (head and tongue optional).  Available anywhere along Norway's huge coast – Lofoten tørrfisk is highly regarded.  Serve with potatoes, boiled.

¹ó±ð²Ô²¹±ôÃ¥°ù – salted and dried mutton thigh.  Similar in style (but not taste) to Spanish Serrano ham. Hang it in your kitchen (or, from your boat’s mast), stick a knife in and consume over the winter.

I admit some of the Norwegian’s ideas for a meal do push the boundaries a bit:

Smalahove – whole sheep's head, torched, salted and dried.  Boil for three hours. Ears, eyes and brain – optional. If you are not a meat fan, try:

Norwegian jams – hardly novel I know but honestly, the Norwegian stuff surpasses anything we have in the UK.  Bringebær (raspberry),Ìýjordbær (strawberry) and tyttebær (lingonberry) are all superior.  Fortunately, I’ve still got a good selection in my fridge which I received from my partner’s parents for Christmas; or

Brunost – literally, brown cheese.  Boiling caramelises sugars in the cheese and gives it a brown and sweet taste.  If you don't like it at first, add jam.

And, if you're fond of a tipple, try:

³Ò±ôø²µ²µÂ – similar to mulled wine but with raisons and almonds; or

Aquavit – a flavoured spirit.  Matured in oak casks and served at room temperature.  The main spices should be caraway or dill.  Potato based (unsurprisingly).

Tips on eating and drinking in Norway

1. Before you agree to eating lunch, check what time you'll be eating dinner.  My girlfriend's granddad considers dinner late if served past 2pm.

2. Add jam. Not only to brunost but to everything. When I first saw lamb, potatoes and jam on my plate I was sceptical. I was quickly won over.

3. Beware of russefeiringÌý²¹²Ô»åÌýhelegefylla even if just for the sake of your wallets.  Russefeiring is an almost a non-stop binge from early April to 17th May for Norwegian high school students, just before their final exams, bizarrely. Helegefylla is the toned down adult version, where the bingeing only lasts over weekends.

I must acknowledge and thank my fantastic partner (and her generous family) for giving me the opportunity to discover and experience such a diverse array of Norwegian flavours most of which, even if they might not for me beat Cornish fish and chips or Yorkshire pudding, I am really glad I tried.

—

Photo credits: ,Ìý,Ìý

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