The North Cape (Nordkappsome) is located in Northern Norway. It is a high cliff that stretches out into the Arctic Ocean. Road access to the North Cape is through one of Norway‘s longest subsea tunnels. At North Cape, you can visit the world’s northernmost ecumenical chapel and if you arrive in the summertime, you can experience the midnight sun. So, whether you are planning a visit or are just curious, here are some of the most interesting facts about the North Cape in Norway.
If you are planning a trip to Norway, Here are 7 interesting facts about North Cape In Norway
1. The North Cape is in Northern Norway
A cape is a headland or high point of land that extends for a substantial distance into a river, lake, or ocean. The North Cape is a 307-metre-high (1,007 ft) cliff with a large flat plateau on top that extends into the Arctic Ocean. In fact, it is at the point where the Norwegian Sea meets the Barents Sea. It is located in Northern Norway on the northern coast of the island of Magerøya in the region of Finnmark, also called the Norwegian Lapland.
2. North Cape is also called Nordkapp
The Norwegian name for the North Cape is Nordkapp. The Northern Sami name is Davvenjárga. English navigator and Arctic explorer Steven Borough named the cape after he sailed past it in 1553 whilst searching for the Northeast Passage.
3. North Cape is not the northernmost point of Europe
North Cape is located at 71°10’21 and is roughly 2,102.3km (1,306.3 miles) from the North Pole. People generally refer to it as the northernmost point of Europe as it marks the endpoint of the European continent and the final frontier with the arctic sea. However, technically it isn’t the most northern point of Europe. That is still some hundreds of kilometres further north.
4. Nordkapphall is on the top of Nordkapp
On top of the plateau is Nordkapphall (North Cape Hall). This is a visitor centre with a café, restaurant, post office, shop and museum. There’s also a wide-screen cinema that shows a film about the four seasons at the North Cape. At North Cape, you’ll also find the world’s northernmost ecumenical chapel, St Johannes Kapell. Around a quarter of a million tourists visit the North Cape each year, making it one of the top travel destinations in Norway.
5. The North Cape’s globe sculpture is a global meeting point
The globe sculpture on the North Cape plateau was erected in 1978 and has become a symbol of the North Cape as a global meeting point for people from all over the world. The globe is made of steel rings which depict the lines of latitude and longitude. The axis of the globe is aligned parallel to the earth’s axis. “This means that its parallels are parallel to the parallels of the earth and that the highest point of the model corresponds to its location on earth,” according to Second Wiki.
6. North Cape experiences the midnight sun
Between May and July, the sun doesn’t set in the North Cape. The sun stays above the horizon for over 1,800 hours without setting. This means the North Cape is a wonderful location to observe the midnight sun over the Barents Sea, which is part of the Arctic Ocean. The midnight sun is a natural phenomenon where the sun is above the horizon at midnight and there are consecutive 24-hour periods of sunlight.
7. You reach the North Cape via the North Cape Tunnel
The road to the North Cape was first built in 1956. You reach the North Cape via the E69 highway which takes you through the North Cape Tunnel (Nordkapptunnelen). Construction of this undersea tunnel took place between 1993 and 1999 and it goes under the Magerøysundet strait. The tunnel is 6.875 kilometres (4.272 miles) long and reaches a depth of 212 metres (696 ft) below sea level. It connects the island of Magerøya to the Norwegian mainland and is the northernmost subsea road tunnel in Norway.
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