In Alta you can visit 2 of the 8 Norwegian World Heritage Sites listed on the UNESCO World Heritage List. In Hjemmeluft in Alta you will find over 7000 year old rock carvings.
The rock art in Hjemmeluft
One of the entries on the UNESCO World Heritage List is Rock Art in Alta. Here is the most extensive concentration of rock art created by hunters and gatherers in Northern Europe. Alta Museum has prepared the areas around the rock carvings in Hjemmeluft for the public. There are over 3000 petroglyphs here and the oldest are over 7000 years old. The footpaths are available in the snow-free part of the year.
World Heritage and Cultural Heritage at the museum
Alta Museum houses several exciting exhibitions about rock art, the Northern Lights, salmon fishing and much about our cultural heritage. Several temporary exhibitions of great interest to visitors and local guests are also set up.
The museum has a café with the most beautiful view of the Altafjord and a museum shop that sells gifts and souvenirs from northern Norway. The shop also sells local goods, such as Sami knives from knife smith Strømeng in Karasjok, jewelery from Juhls Silver Gallery and Tanasølv, local raw materials and glass products from Arctic Glass Studio.
Guided tours for groups can also be booked. Audio guides are available in Norwegian, English, German, French, Spanish and Italian.
Struves geodetic arc
Alta’s second entry on the World Heritage List, Struve’s geodetic arc, was a project that helped to establish the exact shape and size of the earth. The project was started by astronomer Friedrich Georg Wilhelm von Struve. The geodetic arc is the result of extensive measurements made between 1816 and 1855.
Struve’s geodetic arc was the first technical-scientific object to be included on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2005. The geodetic arc runs through 10 countries and many different cities, including Alta. One of the measuring points is found on the mountain Lille-Raipas (Unna Ráipás) in Alta. In addition, there are two measuring points in Kautokeino municipality and it has its ending point in Hammerfest municipality. Here you will find the beautiful meridian support.
