- Duration: 40 Minutes (approx.)
- Location: Morvik
- Product code: PJQNWU
Combine historic monuments and spectacular nature, mix with a helicopter’s unique perspective, and you’ve got the recipe for a tour that could be the highlight of your holiday. On this trip we put two popular destinations together: the Northern Lights Observatory on Mt. Haldde, and Sautso, northern Europe’s largest canyon.
The tour starts from Alta airport. We lift off and fly towards the Haldde peak. At 900 meters over sea level, we will discover the Northern Lights Observatory. The first building was constructed in 1899 as a base to study weather and the northern lights, and Norwegian scientist Kristian Birkeland stayed there during the first winter season. In 1912, construction began on more buildings, and the base became the world’s first permanent northern lights observatory. From there, we turn towards towards the Alta River, a world-famous river known for its huge salmon. Sport fishers come here from all over the world to fish – even royalty! We follow the river’s course for 40 km to the point where the beauty of the Alta Canyon reveals itself. The canyon is about 400 meters deep and 7,5 km long, and holds the title as the Northern Europe`s largest canyon. At the end of the canyon we reach the power station and dam, the site of big environmental and political protests in the 1980s and the place where the Alta and Kautokeino rivers connect. We then turn back and fly over Tverrelvdalen, a beautiful river valley at the foot of a slate mountain, and finally back to Alta airport.