Hammerfest is a municipality in Finnmark County, Norway, and has a population of approximately 9,000 people. The town of Hammerfest serves as the municipality’s administrative center. There are some communities further north, but none with a population of more than 2,000 people. Rypefjord, Forsol, Honsebybotn, Akkarfjord, and Karhamn are among the municipality’s principal communities. Hammerfest is one of the Sami cultural centers.
Hammerfest is a colorful and small micrometropolis. The Hammerfest plaza (Sommertorget) is located in the middle of the town, just a few minutes’ walk from the fast liner quay and the quay area where cruise ships and express ferries dock. The streets are alive with activity during the summer, with both local inhabitants and visitors—express liner passengers and tourists from the various cruise ships that visit during the brief and frantic summer season. When the cruise ships dock, the mood can be positively carnival-like, and when it comes time to eat, you may select from traditional Sami food served in a Sami turf hut at Mikkelgammen to the world’s most northerly Chinese restaurant.
Northern Lights and Midnight sun
The natural surroundings are the real deal at Hammerfest, and they should be actively experienced! Fjords and straits, skerries, rivers and lakes, moors, valleys, and a touch of untamed plains can all be found in these locations. There is always a season for new and unusual natural discoveries. Whatever time of year you visit, whether it’s with the mystical Midnight Sun, a stunning thunderstorm, or the enchanting Northern Lights.