Honningsvåg & Nordkapp, August 17, 2024

Today we docked in Honningsvåg and saw a Hurtigruten ship right at the harbor entrance. Upon arrival, the weather was still hazy, but soon we were blessed with beautiful weather, blue skies, and sunshine.

Honningsvåg, with just over 2,000 residents (a decreasing trend), calls itself a 'town'. The attractions include a small church (the only building that survived World War II) and a Christmas shop (similar to Wanner in Basel). In the morning, we explored the town, shopped in the Christmas store, and discovered some interesting corners.

Honningsvåg is also the starting point for trips and hikes to North Cape (Norwegian with two 'p's). There are also some cycling tourists who somehow make their way to the North Cape. We booked a trip here with the bus. It is about 35 km to the North Cape on the road, and the journey takes about 40 minutes. We enjoyed the landscape, the many reindeer, a Sami farm, and the area around the North Cape. Surprisingly, the North Cape was already marked on nautical charts in the 16th century as the northernmost point of Europe, and by the 17th century, there were already tourists (usually nobles and kings) at the North Cape. Today, the North Cape is visited by many tourists, and there are countless campers here.