At 69-70 degrees North, between Tromsø and Alta, lies the Lyngenfjord region where the elements and the people meet. The combination of the majestic Lyngen Alps stretching up from the fjord, the islands of Skjervøy and the inland with the lush valleys and open plateaus gives the region great natural contrasts and sets it apart from other regions.
Next to nothing. Close to everything. This is arctic living. Alta is located at 70° North. Far above the Arctic Circle, at the intersection of the sea and Finnmarksvidda. This geographic area has, since the Stone Age, been a meeting place for several indigenous people groups. They have built their common history and future to master the rugged arctic environment.
The landscape in Varanger is a very different one from the Norwegian fjord-and-mountain thing. The peninsula of Varangerhalvøya consists of rolling hills with a rocky coastline of cliffs towards the Barents sea and a lower coast of sandy and pebbly beaches towards the Varanger Fjord.
The municipality houses Nordland National Park Centre, which is an information center for the county's many beautiful national parks. Two of them, Saltfjellet/Svartisen and Junkerdal lie wholly and partly within the municipality's borders and are frequently visited in connection with both hunting, fishing, berry picking and pure nature experiences.
Helgeland lies as an elongated pearl in the southern part of Nordland county. Here you can go hiking in mountains like the famous Seven Sisters and Torghatten, explore thousands of islands and white sandy beaches, and experience a coastline that is also regarded as one of Norway’s best areas for sea kayaking, cycling and puffin spotting.
