North Cape
307 M Cliff At 71 Degrees 10 Minutes North, Commonly Billed As The Northern Tip Of Europe; The North Cape Hall Visitor Centre With Its Globe Monument · Honningsvag, Finnmark
North Cape (Nordkapp) is a sheer slate cliff about 307 m high on the island of Mageroya in Finnmark, at roughly 71 degrees 10 minutes north, and is billed as the northern tip of Europe. On the flat plateau at the top stand the steel globe monument, the Children of the Earth sculptures and the North Cape Hall, a visitor centre with a panorama film, exhibitions, a small chapel, cafe and shop, much of it cut into the rock. People come to stand at the edge of the continent, above the Barents Sea, and above all to see the midnight sun, roughly from mid May to late July, circling low over the horizon. Many arrive on a bus excursion from the Hurtigruten or a cruise ship in Honningsvag, others at the end of an epic drive up the E69. The honest caveats: the neighbouring point of Knivskjellodden actually reaches farther north, fog often hides the midnight sun, entry to the plateau is expensive, and in winter the last road stretch runs only in convoy and closes in storms.
Nordkapplatet, the North Cape plateau, at the end of the E69 on Mageroya, Nordkapp municipality, Honningsvag, Finnmark, Norway
The North Cape Hall is open daily in summer until late at night for the midnight sun, with much shorter hours in winter - confirm current times. In winter (roughly October or November to April) the last stretch of the E69 to the plateau is driven in convoy (kolonnekjoring) behind a snowplough at set times, and closes in storms. Getting there: Honningsvag is about 30-35 km away; Hurtigruten, Havila and cruise ships call there with bus excursions; Wideroe flies to Honningsvag; Alta airport is roughly 3-3.5 hours by car. Book excursions ahead in summer.