In Norway, Alta is known as the ‘City of the Northern Lights’ because it is uniquely located directly under the northern lights oval and due to the good weather providing many clear nights, essential for aurora viewings. The world’s first Northern Light observatory was built here at the end of the 19th century and has earned Alta the name The Town of the Northern Lights.
This group of rock carvings bears the traces of a settlement dating from around 4200 to 500 BC. Rock art is found in five separate areas in Alta, the largest being at Hjemmeluft/Jiepmaluokta, where Alta Museum is situated. This is the only area available to the public. In the summer season, groups are offered guided tours to the rock carvings.
Once you have first taken the trouble to travel all the way to northern Norway, you might just as well go the whole way: put on your thermals and your woolly hat, climb into a sleeping bag and sleep like an angel in a room constructed of snow. Because Sorrisniva has a 2,500m2 igloo hotel, located just outside the Northern Lights city of Alta, where you will be ideally positioned for seeing the Northern Lights.
