Beautiful, spectacular nature or just a tourist trap?
Confusion over signs, barriers, and fees at the North Cape
Photo: Tove Andersson
In the land of the midnight sun, the North Cape plateau is one of Norway’s most popular destinations—but what does it cost to get there?
Tove Andersson
Oslo
These days, the national treasure Nordkapp (the North Cape) with its plateau and scenic panoramic view, is often the recipient of complaints from angry tourists who feel ripped off.
But there is a story behind that popular excursion destination at 71° that most tourists don’t hear. For several decades, tourists had to pay the Scandic Hotels AS to go out on the plateau. This amounted to revenue up to NOK 80 million annually, money that the local community did not benefit from.
Back then, if you arrived by car, motorcycle, or recreational vehicle, parking was free. If you were to go inside the hall there, it cost around NOK 300 per person, an amount that went to Scandic. The municipality could not make use of this tourist income and felt something needed to be done.
Now in 2024, things have changed. Access to the plateau is regulated with barriers and signs that greet tourists like a slap in the face. It is not easy to understand where you are supposed to drive or what you are supposed to pay. Many visitors don’t understand whether it is free to access the plateau or if it costs NOK 330 plus parking.
The fact is that it only costs NOK 17 plus parking to enjoy the plateau, which rises 307 meters above sea level at Norway’s second most northerly point. You pass the northernmost point on the way up there, but to go all the way out on the plateau, you have to plan a day trip. All you need to do is bring a good pair of shoes and be prepared for rugged weather and wind. (Every year, tourists must be rescued from Knivskjellodden or the surrounding area.)
So where does the NOK 330 go? This is where Scandic Hotels AS comes in with Nordkapphallen, its North Cape Hall. The hall belongs to Scandic and costs NOK 330—after parking is paid for.
Photo: Tove Andersson
Many tourists arriving on buses don’t understand that with the NOK 17 they’ve paid, they already have access to the North Cape plateau.
However, many visitors arriving on tourist buses don’t realize that with the NOK 17 they already paid, they have gained access to the outdoor area and restrooms.
It is easy to understand why. On the first day we were there, the fog was so thick that it was impossible to read the posted signs with the prices.
On the second day, under blue skies, we were able follow the signs. One sign showed where buses should go, while a smaller sign showed where cars should turn off, go around a house, make their way past a stump on an unpaved road to pay for parking. There, they are also required to register the number of people proceeding.
“We see long, long lines of cars [waiting] to get into the North Cape. It’s because people stop at the barrier, thinking they have to,” said Tor Mikkola (Center Party), who was acting mayor of Nordkapp Municipality when the discussion about fees was unfolding.
Tourists from Spain, Germany, and the Netherlands in recreational vehicles, on motorcycles, and in cars, all went straight to the ticket booth because they didn’t understand what they were paying for.
Many may have heard that it is free to visit the open air area at the plateau. That was established after several rounds in the courts. Judgments from both the district court and the court of appeals determined that the parking lot on the Nordkapp plateau must serve as an exit parking lot and the plateau on the Nordkapp is to be considered uncultivated land open to all.
The organization Norsk Friluftsliv believes it is critical that this be clearly stated in the information posted at Nordkapp. In other words, people need to see what the mandatory fee is in accordance with §14 of the Norwegian Outdoor Recreation Act.
Photo: Tove Andersson
Those arriving by car at the North Cape are confused by poor signage and pay unnecessary
The voluntary entrance fee to Nordkapphallen needs to be made explicit. It is not about access to the plateau, rather it is about special offerings for tourists, including a spectacular short film, souvenir shop, restaurant, a birds exhibit, and several restrooms.
New conflicts have now arisen with the long lines of cars, because the ticket booth outside the plateau is at the end of Europavei 69, which ends at the entrance to the plateau, was not set up and is not staffed by Statens Vegvesen, the state highway authority.
“The booths were legally built and are on private land. There is nothing in the judgment that prevents us from selling entrance tickets to Nordkapphallen,” says Scandic Hotels AS.
A political shift led to the municipal government going from claiming that the booths were illegally set up before May 23, 2024, to the new position that Scandic Hotels AS is entitled to collect fees. Specifically, these fees are the NOK 17 that give visitors access to restrooms and are not fees to access the North Cape plateau, but at the same time, the entrance fee to Nordkapphallen is back to what is was. So if you want to celebrate your arrival at 71° north with a glass of prosecco, you will be charged about NOK 200 for a bottle of it—but first you will have to pay NOK 330 to access the cafeteria in Nordkapphallen.
The community’s engagement, the municipality’s expenses, and a struggle that went on for years haven’t helped much now when the national tax remains a source of money that doesn’t provide much local benefit.
Above all, tourists should be given brochures with information in several languages before their cars head up on the winding and steep road to the beautiful North Cape plateau.
See also “Get a taste of Europe’s northernmost point” by Tove Andersson, The Norwegian American, Sept. 21, 2018.
This article originally appeared in the September 2024 issue of The Norwegian American.
