Norway Holidays 

Norway Holidays

 
ALTA IGLOO HOTEL
A 10 minute drive from town, idyllically situated on the banks of the Alta River is the family-owned and operated Alta Friluftspark - an exceptionally presented activity centre for visitors from all over the world. A delightful smell of pine infused with burning logs on the open fire, greets visitors in the lobby/lounge area, creating a welcoming atmosphere. This is also the location of the amazing Igloo Hotel. This incredible construction is the seventh ice hotel on this spot and although not huge, with 20 bedrooms it is Norway’s largest and, you’ve guessed it, Europe’s northernmost. The design is none the less impressive – there is a small but fabulously crafted bar and an intimate lounge (complete with ice log fire!), an ice chapel and exquisite works of ice art. The bridal suite, with its drapes and delicate candles, evokes a true sense of romance so much so that guests hardly notice the -5 degree C temperature!

Another of the notable features at the Friluftspark is the tremendous 150-seat wooden lavvu-shaped restaurant which serves magnificent Lappish cuisine in a thoroughly toasty environment. Saunas and showers are available in the main building and a recent addition, are the outdoor hot tubs and circular timbered sauna, right next to the Igloo Hotel. There are many activities onsite and as it is such a beautifully presented and well-run complex, we have included it on all three of our Norwegian Lapland Discovery itineraries.

PLEASE NOTE the Alta Igloo Hotel opens on 13 January 2006

NORTH CAPE
The North Cape, latitude 71'10’21’’, is a high rugged coastal plateau that looks out over the Barrents Sea. It is situated at the northern edge of Mageroya, an island with 3500 inhabitants. Most of them live in Honningsvag, a small town and fishing harbour. The island is linked to the mainland by a 7km tunnel and the road there from Alta, which skirts the fjord, would be a perfect location for a James Bond car chase – winding and weaving with a sheer mountain one side and a sheer drop the other! Although ‘Nordkapp’ isn’t technically the northernmost point in Europe (that honour goes to Knivskjellodden, a rocky, deserted promontory several kilometres to the north-west), visitors feel like they’ve arrived somewhere notable as champagne is served with a certificate in North Cape Hall.

On the North Cape, from the middle of November to the end of January, the sun never peeps above the horizon. And from February onwards, although the days become progressively longer, the vast uninterrupted panorama and dark, starry skies help improve the already superb chances of seeing the northern lights.

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