One of the most popular Hurtigruten port is Hammerfest on the southbound journey, and rightly so. With Hurtigruten, you get a couple of hours to go exploring. Here’s my Hammerfest Self-Guided walking tour to make the most of your stay!
Royal & Ancient Polar Bear Society
The Royal & Ancient Polar Bear Society is not royal and ancient at all, but it still highlights Hammerfest’s history as a polar capital. Founded in 1963 by two local businessmen, it’s more of a joke amenity for tourists. Visitors are encouraged to join the society and are invited to the annual meeting every January. You have to be in-person to sign up, so when Elvis Presley wrote to them in 1973 asking to join, they rejected him.
Sure, it’s touristy. But still – the money goes to the tourist information centre, the museum, as well as various initiatives to protect the environment. For example, earlier this year they were helping fund the care of Hvaldimir, the Russian spy whale that made Hammerfest harbour home. I recommend coming back to the Royal and Ancient Polar Bear Society – it’s got the best souvenir shop in town as well as a free exhibition about polar life and Arctic hunting. And since it’s so close to the ship, you can use your leftover time here.
Hammerfest City Hall
The Hammerfest City Hall is another popular stop for Hurtigruten passengers. Here you can see Hammerfest’s coat of arms: the polar bear. It’s designed to represent the town’s importance as an Arctic hunting and trading port. There aren’t any polar bears in Hammerfest, though. There are, however, reindeer! The grass around the city hall is popular for the migrating reindeer, and every year up to 3,000 reindeer pass through, eating grass and gardens. They tried to build a fence around Hammerfest to stop them coming in, but it was ineffective. If you’re in the area in early summer watch out for reindeer!
Around the City Hall, you can see the main town square and harbour. This is a popular spot to come back to after the walk.
Reconstruction Museum
Eventually, you’ll get to the Museum of Reconstruction, a museum dedicated to the rebuilding effort after the Germans’ scorched earth policy destroyed the town. Before the Germans forced the public out, the locals buried their most prized possessions underground. This museum displays many of those items, such as a barber chair. It’s a small museum and something you can certainly fit into your Hammerfest visit. If you are interested in World War II history or just cool old objects, this is a worthy museum. The shop has some cute unique items, but sadly the books are in Norwegian.
Museum of Reconstruction Opening Hours: Monday-Friday 10am – 3pm (to 4pm in summer) / Sat-Sun 11am-2pm (10am – 4pm in summer) Admission: Adult 80 NOK / Pensioner 50 NOK / Groups 10+ 50 NOK pp
Hammerfest Chapel
Hammerfest’s chapel would not be that interesting if it wasn’t the only building left after the Germans’ retreat. But here it is, and it’s worth seeing. The funeral chapel was built in 1937 and was only saved because it stands in the middle of the cemetery and the German’s believed it would be bad luck to burn down a cemetery.
Hammerfest Church
It’s believed the first church was built in Hammerfest around 1620, but the church you see today is at least the sixth church on the site. The previous church (from the mid-19th century) was destroyed by the Germans. The current church was built in the 1950s and seats 525. Its strange shape is designed to represent fish drying racks.
If you manage to get inside, be sure to look at the stained glass windows, which illustrate the basics of Christian faith. The three mosaics under the stained glass are made in Norwegian stone and show Christ entering Jerusalem, the Last Supper and the betrayal of Christ. There are some historical elements in the church – the triptych is from the first church in Hammerfest and the two brass chandeliers are from 1750. Don’t miss the wooden carvings in front of the organ that shows six of the earlier churches in Hammerfest.
Blue Pavilion
The blue music pavilion was gifted to Hammerfest during the town’s 200th jubilee in 1989, and it represents the Russian architecture that used to characterise the town. Behind the pavilion you’ll find the hiking path entrance – you probably won’t have enough time to do this including my walk. If you only want to do the hike, go straight there or join the Hurtigruten excursion.