Hammerfest on Foot

by shuttle bus & on foot

Hammerfest is a small community and the best way to explore it is on foot. This guided walk aims to show you some of the town’s history and highlights.

Meet your guide at the quayside and take the shuttle into the town centre where your walking tour will begin. You will pass by Hammerfest Church with its original architecture, inaugurated in 1961 and renowned for its beautiful stained glass windows. Adjacent to the Church is the Reconstruction Museum.

A visit here immerses you in the history of the region, from the first permanent settlements 10,000 years ago through to the present day. The main focus of this small museum is to convey the dramatic events of the Second World War. Learn about the forced evacuation of Hammerfest’s population, the complete destruction that followed the Nazi’s retreat, and the challenges faced by people forced to live in caves during the winter of 1944-5.

From the museum, you will walk along the winding gravel path to the viewpoint at Mount Salen, where you will see panoramic views of Hammerfest and the surrounding area.

Returning back to the town centre, you will stop at the Royal and Ancient Polar Society. The polar bear features on Hammerfest’s coat of arms and is symbolic of the strength, willpower and survival skills necessary for living in the Arctic – the type of resilience demonstrated by the people of Hammerfest throughout history.

The Society was founded in 1963 with the goal of preserving Hammerfest and its proud heritage as a base for fishing and hunting voyages in Arctic waters. Today, it is the second largest club in the world, with almost 300,000 members. The exhibition here features a collection of artefacts from polar expeditions, including an exhibit on Adolf Henrik Lindstrøm, a Hammerfest-born cook who accompanied Roald Amundsen and Fridtjof Nansen – completing more polar expeditions than any other person.

After browsing the collections, you may wish to visit the shop to purchase a souvenir of your visit, or perhaps even join the society for yourself.

At the end of your visit, you may wish to remain in town to explore independently, alternatively embark the shuttle bus back to the pier and your awaiting ship.