Hammerfest: SikkSakkveien & Reindeer

Though this was a short day in port, we squeezed quite a bit into our allotted time, starting with a hike up to the Salen Viewpoint and Mikkegammen.

SikkSakkveien — which translates as the Zig-Zag Way — is an unpaved and rocky trail that is relatively steep. It apparently follows paths that goats made for themselves as they grazed on the hillside. Deeming these paths dangerous for the townspeople who used them to get up and down the hill themselves, the local council voted in 1893 to make improvements. Today, it is a popular tourist attraction with beautiful views along the way and at the Salen Viewpoint.

Once we had our fill of the views, we continued on a bit further inland. I’d read that one might see reindeer up here. We were not disappointed. A bit of trivia ... while in the US reindeer is used for domesticated caribou, in Europe, the word is applied to both domesticated and wild animals.

We also saw a few of the buildings at Mikkelgammen, which is billed as a Sami camp. I believe it is actually a restaurant where one can taste Sami delicacies and learn about the culture and religion of the natives of the North. It’s only open to groups, however, and there was a large number of passengers from Nautica wandering around, so we did not dally.Read more