6 unique things to do in Honningsvåg – North Cape

Most people come this far north for one reason: to stand at North Cape, the northernmost point of mainland Europe. Worth it, obviously. But the little town you pass through on the way, Honningsvåg, has a lot more going on than people give it credit for. Here are a few of the more unique things to do in Honningsvåg while you are up here. It is only a taste, not the full list, and most of it is the kind of place the locals actually use.

1. Catch a show at Perleporten Kulturhus

Down by the harbour, an old prayer house has been turned into the town’s cultural hub. Downstairs there is a small local brewery and a pub, and upstairs a concert hall where locals put on a musical about life at the top of the world. Catch a show, then have a beer brewed a few metres below your feet, and you have had a proper Honningsvåg evening.

2. Step back in time at the North Cape Museum

Right on the harbourfront, a couple of hundred metres from where the ships dock, the North Cape Museum (Nordkappmuseet) packs in more than 10,000 years of coastal life. It is small, but a good one: old fishing gear and boat models, the stockfish trade with the Russians, the Sami, and the story of how the whole town was burned to the ground in 1944 and rebuilt from nothing. Half an hour here and the rest of Magerøya makes a lot more sense. Fair warning, it sits dangerously close to the bakery in the next point.

3. Coffee at Europe’s northernmost French bakery

Honni Bakes, near the pier, bills itself as Europe’s northernmost bakery, and it lives up to the name. Proper French-style pastries and good coffee at almost 71 degrees north. The cinnamon buns in particular have a bit of a reputation. After a lot of frozen-and-reheated food this far up the map, this is the real deal, and a fine place to thaw out over a coffee.

4. Try cod tongues at Corner Spiseri

If you want to eat the way people up here actually eat, Corner Spiseri is the place for local dishes. The one to order is cod tongues, a proper Northern Norwegian delicacy that sounds stranger than it tastes: tender, mild, and a bit of a rite of passage this far north. Go on, then you can tell people back home you tried it.

5. Ride the local bus out to Bruket – Fish Factory

We will put our hand up here, because this one is ours. Bruket is the world’s first wildfish visitor centre, set inside a working fish factory in the village of Nordvågen, just along the coast. The nicest way to reach us is the local bus. Hop on with the people who live here, ride a few minutes along the water with the fjord out the window, and step straight into our factory. It is a 45-minute tour led by the people who actually work the fish, finishing with a tasting of king crab, stockfish and Norwegian caviar. Not your average museum stop.

6. Take home a piece of the Arctic at Frozen Summer Design

Tiny wildflowers picked around Magerøya, pressed, dried and set in resin and silver. That is what Frozen Summer Design makes, all by hand, in a little studio in town. Earrings with heather (Norway’s national flower, and a symbol of protection), necklaces holding real Arctic blooms, plus cards and candles. You might recognise her work already: the otolith keychains in our gift shop, little good-luck charms for a safe journey home, are made by her. Drop by the studio to see the full collection and the workroom where it all happens.

And that is just the start

This really is only a handful. There is the wooden church that survived the war, the galleries, the walk up the hill for the view, and plenty more besides. Our partners also run trips out on the water, up to North Cape and across the island, so if you are after something more active, have a look at the other ways to visit.