Did you know that Alta is responsible for 2 of the 7 Norwegian entries on UNESCO's World Heritage List?
Alta Museum
The first of these is the Rock Art of Alta. Alta is home to the most extensive concentration of rock art created by hunter-gathers in Northern Europe. Hjemmeluft, by the Alta Museum, features some of the areas which have been made available to the public. This area contains over 3,000 rock carvings, the oldest of which are over 7,000 years old. They are available for viewing during those periods of the year when there is no snow on the ground.
Exciting exhibitions
The Alta Museum houses some exciting exhibitions about rock art and the recent history of Alta, as well as temporary exhibitions about the Northern Lights, salmon fishing in the Alta River and art exhibitions.
The Museum has a café with beautiful views across the Alta Fjord and a museum shop selling gifts and souvenirs from northern Norway. The shop also sells items such as Sami knives from Strømeng in Karasjok, jewellery from Juhls and Tanasølv, local produce and glass products from the Artic Glass Studio.
Guided tours for groups can also be booked. Audio guides are available in Norwegian, English, German and French.
Struve's Geodetic Arc
Alta's second entry on the World Heritage, Struve's Geodetic Arc, runs through 10 different countries and many cities, including Alta, before culminating just outside Hammerfest.
Struve's Geodetic Arc was the first technical-scientific object to be included on UNESCO's World Heritage List in 2005. The Geodetic Arc is the result of extensive measurements carried out during a period of 39 years between 1816 and 1855 in order to finally determine the shape and size of the Earth.