Hammerfest, Norway claims to be the northernmost city in the world, although the title is disputed by the same country’s city of Honningsvag. I think the validity of the claim depends on the definition of a city, which by Norwegian law requires a population of 5,000 to achieve town status. Though Hammerfest qualifies, to most, it is still a small town, but with a lot of local pride.
I half expected to see lots of ice and snow, but surprisingly, the morning we arrived was overcast and cool, and by midday, the sun was shining and people were out walking in shorts, sandals, and t-shirts…at 70 degrees latitude, just 20 degrees from the North Pole itself. In spite of its extreme northern location, the mean annual temperature is about 36 degrees Fahrenheit, about the same as Anchorage, Alaska. But, there is evidence that this place has vast extremes of weather. The snow-field dotted tundra hillsides rising sharply above the town are terraced with giant steel barricades and wooden fencing to control avalanches and snowdrift, which, on some occasions, have forced inhabitants to be evacuated from their homes until the danger was over.
Hammerfest was reconstructed after WWII, when the town was completely destroyed by fire during the withdrawal of the Germans. Their Museum of Reconstruction gives visitors an inside look at the life and culture before the war, the refugee existence, and the optimism that characterized the following reconstruction years. The sharply angled Lutheran Church, built in 1961 and part of the post-war building efforts, is said to mimic the shape of the local traditional fish-drying racks, known as a kjell, that we drove to see at the nearby fishing village of Forsol, where, along the way, we spotted herds of reindeer grazing near the roads. In fact, during summer, massive reindeer herds migrate from their winter pastures inland to the coast, even walking into towns and wandering in the streets and among the houses. While this is popular with tourists, it is, as you can imagine, less favorably received by the town’s population, who regard them as a nuisance.
Zig-zagging up to the top of the winding Old Road, or Gammelveien, we were rewarded with broad views of the town and islands below. At the summit we found an example of an earthen-built sod structure similar to the dwellings of the native Sami people of Lapland, living in the northernmost regions of Scandinavia.
And, in 1854, King Oscar II erected the Meridian Column, on the Fuglenes Peninsula near town, to commemorate the first measurement of the earth’s exact size and shape, a joint scientific endeavor of Russia, Sweden, and Norway that reached its conclusion in Hammerfest.
But, the real reason I wanted to visit this city is for the bragging rights to become a member of The Royal and Ancient Polar Bear Society. Founded in 1963, by a couple of enterprising locals, it is dedicated to remembering the town’s culture, preserving its proud tradition as a base for hunting, fishing, and trading in the Arctic, and celebrates the polar bear, the town’s mascot featured on their official coat of arms. The Society has a small museum at the city’s waterfront that chronicles the colorful and rugged Nordic history of Hammerfest, with taxidermic animals and artifacts. And, of course, the requisite and irresistible souvenirs from this northernmost destination. If you are one of the select few who have made it all the way to Hammerfest, you qualify to belong in this famous and exclusive club. Not just for anyone, membership requires a nominal fee and, more importantly, must be claimed in person. If you become a member, you will be presented with a certificate to hang on the wall, signed by the mayor of Hammerfest, as well as the famous Polar Bear pin to wear on your lapel, and eligibility to attend their annual meeting in January. If, on your travels around the world, you should see anyone wearing the pin, you’ll know you’ve met someone who’s also been to Hammerfest. Though not likely to find a more tongue-in-cheek souvenir, I am, nonetheless, proud to be member number 255814 of the Isbjornklubben.
Congratulations, Kristy on your membership in the Royal and Ancient Polar Bear Society! Delano is looking good next to the BEAR,
You’re lucky. The Polar Bear Club I’m a member of required a dunk in ice covered (ice removed) water with just a bathing suit. Love the scenery and local lore you provide,
John
THIS is the Royal and Ancient Polar Bear Society, not just some club dunking guys in ice water. Decorum prevails, my man!!!
Deano, Mbr, RaAPBS, OPht