Experience the best of Alta

Alta lies at the head of Altafjord in Finnmark, the northernmost county of mainland Norway, where pine and birch forests give way to open mountain plateau. Its rock art, thousands of carvings of reindeer, boats and people made between about 4000 BC and 500 BC, is listed by UNESCO, and the Alta Museum explains it with boardwalk trails around the carved rock faces. The Northern Lights Cathedral, a spiralling titanium-clad church, is a landmark in the centre.

The Alta River, one of the best-known salmon rivers in Europe, runs through the Sautso canyon, a deep gorge in the highlands. Sami culture is strong here, and reindeer herders move their herds across the plateau. Dog sledding is a popular winter activity, and the long sled-dog race of Finnmarksløpet starts and finishes in town.

Reindeer stew, cured and smoked salmon, Arctic char and cloudberries appear on local tables, along with dried reindeer meat in the Sami tradition. Winters are cold, dark and clear, with northern lights from autumn to early spring; in summer the sun stays above the horizon from mid-May to late July, and the town is one of the driest in Norway.