I would certainly advise visiting the local reconstruction museum. It is very well laid out and provides some wonderful displays and information about Hammerfest’s struggle after the Second World War.

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The museum utilises board displays, audio effects, a DVD show, and walk-in exhibits in an imaginative way. Some of the information has yet to be translated into English, but a summary is in a helpful leaflet that is provided by one of the very, very helpful staff members. It also encourages you to learn Norwegian (we improved some of our translation skills here!).

I was particularly impressed with the detail in the display of a kitchen after World War II, one of the walk-in displays. You can open drawers and cupboards, and they have placed authentic materials in them, even down to coffee in the coffee grinder drawer!! The museum also has a small display on telecommunications and a photo display of the changes to the region in a tower, which is wonderful to get a view of Hammerfest.

The museum is accessible to people with wheelchairs, children, and the elderly. There is a lovely shop and also a small café selling reasonably priced hot drinks and food. When we visited, they had a lovely Christmas display of Pepperkrakor hus (gingerbread houses) that the local children had made. We also managed to enter the museum free of charge, as it was a day when entrance was free. It is well worth a visit!!

Opening times: Summer 9am to 5pm
Winter: 11am to 2pm

Entrance fees: Children under 7 are FREE
Children ages 7 to 16: 15 NOK
Students and Pensioners: 30 NOK
Adults: 40 NOK

Open every day

Telephone: 47 78 42 26 30
Website: http://www.museumsnett.no/gjenreisningsmuseet/index_en.htm post@gjenreisningsmuseet.no

We dropped off our backpacks at the luggage lockers in the shop/waiting area for the bus station situated to the left of the Hurtigrute dock and then walked towards the town.

Hammerfest can be pretty chilly in the winter, so get kitted out in warm clothes, gloves, and a hat, otherwise you will quickly turn into an ice block! The town can also be quite icy, so be very careful when walking around. We found ourselves having many umpflers (our name for slip-ups) whilst walking around, which lead to some hysterics.

St. Michaels Catholic church is situated close to the harbour and is the world's most northernmost Catholic church. The church was built in 1958, and it has a wonderful mosaic situated on the side of it that is illuminated at night. The doors on the church have some fishermen carved in them, which can be seen on the photographs below. Mass is held here regularly.

The main shopping area of Hammerfest has a range of clothes shops, hairdressers (there seem to be loads in Norway!), souvenir shops, and grocery shops. The whole shopping street was lit up with some very pretty Christmas lights, and the local Christmas tree, situated outside the Polar Museum, had been decorated with homemade decorations made by the local children.

Hammerfest Kirke is situated close to the Rica Hotel and the Gjenreisningsmuseet (reconstruction museum) and is a good example of spectacular architecture. The church overlooks the bay and does not have an altar, but does have a large stained-glass window. The bells certainly are loud when chimed, and they resound over the bay to the congregation. Over the road from the church is a small graveyard.

The bay that Hammerfest looks onto is simply breathtaking, with snow-covered mountains. It is a lovely piece of arctic scenery.

In the Rough Guide, it states that the town is not the stuff of arctic romance. I have to disagree; I particularly liked Hammerfest, as it had a certain glow to it in the winter, and I'm glad that I had chance to wander around there.