Lighthouses of Norway: Hammerfest Area

This page lists lighthouses of the northernmost coast of Norway, including the western half of the county of Finnmark. This entire region is well north of the Arctic Circle. Nonetheless it is well populated, with several ports, the largest being Hammerfest. The region also includes part of the Nordkapp (North Cape) region, the "top of Europe," marked by several great lighthouses.

Although it has always been considered a separate realm, Norway has only been independent since 1905; it was ruled by the Danish king until 1814 and then by the Swedish king until the Norwegian parliament arranged a peaceful separation of the two kingdoms.

In Norway a lighthouse is simply called a fyr (fire). Aids to navigation are maintained by the Kystverket (Coast Directorate), an agency of the Fiskeri og Kystdepartementet (Fisheries and Coast Department).

ARLHS numbers are from the ARLHS World List of Lights. NF numbers are from the Norsk Fyrliste. Admiralty numbers are from volume L of the Admiralty List of Lights & Fog Signals. U.S. NGA List numbers are from Publication 115.

General Sources
Norwegian Lighthouse Association (Norsk Fyrhistorisk Forening)
With pages in both Norwegian and English, the Association's site provides photos and information on selected lighthouses. For photos and descriptions of lights in this area, see the Finnmark page.
Lighthouse Pages from Anke and Jens - Norway
Excellent photos of more than 60 Norwegian lighthouses.
Norway's Fjorden and Lighthouses
Photos taken by Charles W. Bash on a 2010 cruise from Bergen to North Cape.
Meridianfoto
A collection of photos by Geir Jenssen, including lights in Finnmark.
Lighthouses in Finnmark
Photos available from Wikimedia.
Liste over Norske Fyr
From Wikipedia, a handy list of Norwegian light stations with their dates of establishment.
Norwegische Leuchttürme auf historischen Postkarten
Historic postcard images posted by Klaus Huelse.

Fruholmen Fyr
Fruholmen Fyr, Måsøy, August 2006
VirtualTourist photo copyright shugoey
permission requested

Loppa Lighthouses
Brynnilen (Brynilen)
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 44 m (144 ft); two flashes every 10 s, white, red or green depending on direction. 4.5 m (15 ft) lantern mounted on a concrete base. Lantern painted white with a red roof. No photo available, and Google has only a distant satellite view of the area. Located on an island just north of the border with Troms County. Accessible only by boat. Site status unknown. NF-9134; Admiralty L3796; NGA 13732.
Gammelværneset
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 14 m (46 ft); two flashes every 10 s, white, red or green depending on direction. 8.5 m (28 ft) concrete post light with lantern and gallery. Lighthouse painted white, lantern roof red. No photo available, but Google has a satellite view. Located at the tip of a promontory on the west side of the entrance to the Ullsfjord, about 25 km (15 mi) northwest of Øksfjord. Accessible only by boat. Site open, tower closed. NF-9152; Admiralty L3810; NGA 13768.
* Øksfjord (Ystnes)
Date unknown (station established 1909). Active; focal plane 11.5 m (38 ft); white, red or green light depending on direction, occulting once every 6 s. 8 m (26 ft) square skeletal tower with lantern and gallery. Lantern painted white with a red roof. Michael Boucher's photo is at right, another photo, a nice view, and an aerial view by Marie Lundquist are available, and Google has a satellite view. Located on the east side of the entrance to the Øksfjord and the town of Øksfjord. Site open, tower closed. NF-9162; Admiralty L3815; NGA 13788.
Øksfjord Fyr
Øksfjord (Ystnes) Fyr, Loppa, September 2011
photo copyright Michael Boucher; used by permission

Alta Lighthouses
Vaddekeip
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 7.5 m (25 ft); white, red or green light depending on direction, occulting twice every 8 s. 4 m (13 ft) lantern mounted on a concrete pad. Lantern painted white with a red roof. A photo is available, but Google has only a distant satellite view of the location. Located on the east side of the Langfjord near Sopnes, about 25 km (15 mi) southeast of Øksfjord (as the crow flies, not by road!). May be accessible by a short walk from the Hammerfest highway (E6). Site open, tower closed. NF-9291; Admiralty L3920; NGA 14008.
Amtmannsneset (Amtmannsnes)
Date unknown (station established 1907). Active; focal plane 9.5 m (31 ft); white, red or green light depending on direction, occulting once every 6 s. 7 m (23 ft) square skeletal tower with lantern and gallery. Lantern painted white with a red roof, skeletal portion painted black. Wenche Jensen has a closeup photo, another photo is available, and Google has a satellite view. Located on a promontory projecting into the Altafjord about 5 km (3 mi) northeast of Alta. Site open, tower closed. NF-9297; Admiralty L3926; NGA 14016.

Hasvik (Western Sørøya) Lighthouses
Note: Sørøya is a large island, the fourth largest in Norway, located west of Hammerfest. Ferries sailing for Hammerfest pass through the Sørøysund on the south side of the island. The island is accessible by ferries from Øksfjord and Kårhamn.
* Hasvik Nordre Molo (North Mole)
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 7.5 m (25 ft); white, red or green light depending on direction, occulting twice every 8 s. 5 m (17 ft) lantern and gallery on a short concrete post. Lighthouse painted white, lantern roof red. A closeup photo and a 2009 photo are available, and Google has an indistinct satellite view. Located at the end of the north mole in Hasvik, near the southwestern tip of Sorøya. Accessible by walking the mole; there's also a good view from ferries arriving in Hasvik from Øksfjord. Site open, tower closed. NF-9213; Admiralty L3861; NGA 13880.
Stangneset (Stangnes)
Date unknown (station established 1911). Active; focal plane 12 m (39 ft); white, red or green light depending on direction, occulting twice every 8 s. 6 m (20 ft) lantern and gallery supported by four straightpiles. Lantern painted white with a red roof, piles painted black. A good photo is available, Anne Olsen-Ryum also has a photo, and Google has an indistinct satellite view. Located on a promontory near Hasvåg, about 2 km (1.25 mi) northwest of Hasvik. Site open, tower closed. NF-9206; Admiralty L3854; NGA 13868.
Breivik (Panseren)
Date unknown (station established 1906). Active; focal plane 9.5 m (31 ft); white, red or green light depending on direction, occulting once every 6 s. 6 m (20 ft) lantern and gallery supported by four straightpiles. Lantern painted white with a red roof, piles painted black. No photo available, and Google's satellite view fails to show the tower. Located on a skerry in the entrance to the harbor of Breivik, on the west coast of Sørøya. Accessible only by boat. Site open, tower closed. NF-9202; Admiralty L3850; NGA 13860.
* Sørvær Molo (Range Front)
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 5.5 m (18 ft); white, red or green light depending on direction, occulting three times every 10 s. 6 m (20 ft) lantern and gallery supported by four straightpiles. Lantern painted white with a red roof, piles painted black. A 2009 photo is available, and Google has an indistinct satellite view. Located on a skerry inside the harbor of Sørvær; the skerry is connected to the west (main) breakwater. Accessible by walking the pier. Site open, tower closed. NF-9200; Admiralty L3846; NGA 13852.

Western Hammerfest (Eastern Sørøya) Lighthouses
Note: Hammerfest Kommune is centered on the Sørøysund and includes portions of the islands of Sørøya, Seiland, and Kvaløya as well as many smaller islands. The town itself is located on the west coast of Kvaløya.
Store Kamøy
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 24.5 m (80 ft); two flashes every 5 s, white, red or green depending on direction. 6 m (20 ft) round cylindrical fiberglass tower with lantern and gallery. The lighthouse is white, lantern roof red. A photo is available, but the light hasn't been found in Google's satellite view. This light guides vessels through the Kamøysund, a narrow passage around the north end of Sorøya. Located on the southeastern coast of Store Kamøy. Accessible only by boat. Site open, tower closed. NF-9182; Admiralty L3830; NGA 13824.
Tarhalsen
1984. Active; focal plane 90 m (295 ft); flash every 10 s, white, red or green depending on direction. 10 m (33 ft) round cylindrical fiberglass tower with lantern and gallery. The lighthouse is white, lantern roof red. No photo available, and Google's satellite view doesn't quite show the point of the cape. Jenssen has many photos (about 1/3 to 1/2 the way down the page) of a large, 3-tiered rubblestone cairn, built in the 1850s, that served as a daymarker on this cape. Located atop a vertical cliff at the northernmost point of Sørøya. Site open, tower closed. NF-9180; Admiralty L3826; NGA 13820.
Litlenæringen
2005. Active; focal plane unknown; white, red or green light depending on direction, occulting once every 6 s. 10 m (33 ft) round cylindrical fiberglass tower with lantern and gallery. The lighthouse is white, lantern roof red. The Kystverket's photo is at right, and Google has a distant satellite view. This light is a typical example of modern fiberglass lights that are being installed across the north of Norway. Located atop a vertical cliff on the easternmost tip of Sørøya. Site open, tower closed. NF-9247; Admiralty L3881; NGA 13822.
Slettnesfjord
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 12.5 m (41 ft); white, red or green light depending on direction, occulting once every 6 s. 5.5 m (18 ft) round cylindrical fiberglass tower with lantern and gallery. The lighthouse is white, lantern roof red. Bash has a view from the sea, and Google has an indistinct satellite view. Located on a headland on the east coast of Sørøya, about 25 km (15 mi) west of Hammerfest. Accessible only by boat. Site status unknown. NF-9238; Admiralty L3878; NGA 13928.

Litlenæringen Fyr; Kystverket photo

Eastern Hammerfest (Northern Kvaløya) Lighthouses
Håja
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 17.5 m (58 ft); two flashes every 10 s, white, red or green depending on direction. 6.5 m (21 ft) round cylindrical fiberglass tower with lantern and gallery. No photo available, but Google has a satellite view. Located on the southeastern point of a steep-sided island about 15 km (9 mi) west of Hammerfest, marking the entrance to the town. Accessible only by boat. Site status unknown. NF-9243; Admiralty L3880; NGA 13922.
* Fuglenes (Fugleneset, Hammerfest) (3)
Date unknown (station established 1859). Active; focal plane 5 m (16 ft); white, red or green light depending on direction, occulting twice every 8 s. 5 m (16 ft) quadrupod skeletal tower with lantern and gallery. Lantern painted white with a red roof. Torbein Rønning's photo is at right, Jenssen has good photos (about halfway down the page), Roger Johansen has a fine photo, E. Brakke has a closeup, Bash has a view from the fjord and a closer view, a view from an arriving ferry is available, and Google has a satellite view. Huelse has a postcard view showing the original lighthouse, a square tower attached to the gable end of a 1-1/2 story keeper's house. This building was replaced in 1911 and does not survive. Also shown in the postcard view is the second light, which may be the present lantern mounted on straight piles. Fuglenes is the neighborhood on the north side of the harbor of Hammerfest. The lighthouse is at the end of a peninsula jutting out from Fuglenes and sheltering the harbor. Site open, tower closed. ARLHS NOR-089; NF-9248; Admiralty L3884; NGA 13940.

Fuglenes Fyr, Hammerfest, August 2003
Flickr Creative Commons photo by Torbein Rønning
Melkøya
Date unknown. Inactive. 6 m (20 ft) post light with lantern and galley. Lighthouse is white, lantern roof red. No photo available, but Google has a satellite view. Melkøya is a small island a short distance north of Hammerfest that is completely covered by a terminal for natural gas from the Barents Sea. Located on the west side of the island. Site and tower closed.
Mylingen
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 45 m (148 ft); green flash every 5 s. 5 m (17 ft) light mounted atop a small building, apparently. No photo available; Google has a satellite view that shows two small buildings at the location of the light. Located on a steep headland at the northwestern tip of Kvaløya, marking the east side of the northern entrance to the Sorøysund. Site open, tower closed. NF-9246; Admiralty L3882; NGA 13936.
Skipsholmen
2005. Active; focal plane unknown; white, red or green light depending on direction, occulting twice every 10 s. 10 m (33 ft) round cylindrical fiberglass tower with lantern and gallery. The lighthouse is white, lantern roof red. The Kystverket has two photos (photo page 5, photos 2 and 3 in the top row), including the one at right, but Google's satellite view does not show the island at all. Skipsholmen is an island north of Hammerfest, about 13 km (8 mi) northeast of Sørøya and 10 km (6 mi) southwest of Rolvsøya. The light guides vessels approaching Hammerfest from the open sea. Located at the west end of the island. Accessible only by boat. Site status unknown. NF-9252; Admiralty L3824; NGA 13823.

Måsøy (Rolvsøya Area) Lighthouses
Note: Rolvsøya is a large island located northeast of Hammerfest. The island stands at the bend of the Norwegian coast from southwest-northeast to east-west, leading to Nordkapp (North Cape).
Fruholmen (Upper) (2)
About 1949 (station established 1866). Active; focal plane 48 m (157 ft); white flash every 20 s. 18 m (59 ft) square cylindrical concrete tower with lantern and gallery. Lighthouse painted white, lantern red. A photo is at the top of this page, Masøy Kommune has Erling Johansen's photo, Jenssen has good photos (a little less than halfway down the page), the Lighthouse Association has a page with a photo, and a 2009 view is available, but Google has only a fuzzy satellite view of the island. This is the first of the three major lighthouses that guide ships around the Nordkapp (North Cape) into the Barents Sea, and it is actually the northernmost of the three, standing in latitude 71° 05.6' N. The original lighthouse, a cast iron tower shown in Huelse's postcard view, was destroyed during World War II. Located on a small island off the north side of Ingøy, an island off the north coast of Rolvsøya. Site open, tower closed. ARLHS NOR-088; NF-9345; Admiralty L3962; NGA 14092.
Fruholmen (Lower)
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 36 m (118 ft); white, red or green light depending on direction, occulting three times every 10 s. Approx. 9 m (30 ft) concrete post light with lantern and gallery. Lighthouse painted white, lantern red. Jenssen has good photos (a little less than halfway down the page). This auxiliary light guides ships around reefs near the lighthouse. Located at the base of the taller light. Site open, tower closed. ARLHS NOR-428.
Gunnarnes
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 11 m (36 ft); white, red or green light depending on direction, occulting twice every 8 s. Approx. 7 m (23 ft) square skeletal tower with lantern and gallery. Masøy Kommune has posted a photo, and a 2009 photo is available, but Google has only a fuzzy satellite view of the harbor. Located at Gunnarnes, a village on the east side of Rolvsøya. Accessible only by boat. Site open, tower closed. ARLHS NOR-430; NF-9358; Admiralty L3973; NGA 14116.
Skipsholmen Fyr
Skipsholmen Fyr, 2006; Kystverket photo
Rolvsøyhamn
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 17 m (56 ft); flash every 5 s, white, red or green depending on direction. 7 m (23 ft) round tower with lantern and gallery. Lighthouse painted white, lantern roof red. Bash has a distant view, but Google has only a fuzzy satellite view of the area. Located on a promontory on the east side of the island of Rolvsøya, about 15 km (9 mi) south of Gunnarnes. Accessible only by boat. Site open, tower closed. NF-9367; Admiralty L3978; NGA 14120.
Garpeskjær (Garpholmen)
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 18 m (59 ft); flash every 5 s, white, red or green depending on direction. 6 m (20 ft) lantern and gallery mounted on concrete piles. Lantern painted white with a red roof. A closeup is available (2/3 the way down the page), Bash has a photo, Jenssen has a photo identified as Havøysund (about 2/3 the way down the page), Masøy Kommune has a photo, and Google has a satellite view. Ferries between Hammerfest and Havøysund pass close by this light. Located on a small island about 3 km (2 mi) east northeast of Havøysund. Accessible only by boat. Site open, tower closed. NF-9374; Admiralty L3989; NGA 14156.

Nordkapp (North Cape) Lighthouses
Stikkelvågnæringen
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 19 m (62 ft); white flash every 5 s. 4 m (14 ft) lantern and snow screen. Lantern painted white with a red roof. No photo available; Google has a distant satellite view of the location. Located on a rocky promontory of the mainland marking the western entrance to the Magerøysund, the channel south of the island of Magerøy. Accessible only by boat. Site and tower closed. NF-9430; Admiralty L4010; NGA 14224.
Lafjord
Date unknown (station established 1909). Active; focal plane 7.5 m (25 ft); white, red or green light depending on direction, occulting three times every 15 s. 4 m (14 ft) lantern and snow screen. Lantern painted white with a red roof. Masøy Kommune has a photo, but the light is not seen in Google's distant satellite view of the location. Located on the east side of the entrance to the Lafjord about 2.5 km (1.5 mi) west of the Magerøy bridge. Accessible only by boat. Site and tower closed. NF-9436; Admiralty L4018; NGA 14236.
Sandholmen (Gjesvær)
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 12 m (39 ft); flash every 5 s, white, red or green depending on direction. 7 m (23 ft) round rubblestone tower with lantern and gallery. Tower painted black with a white vertical stripe, lantern painted white with a red roof. Andrea Perotti has a good photo, Wayne Hopkins has a photo, and Jenssen has a distant photo with the midnight sun behind the lighthouse (about 3/4 the way down the page, identified as Gjesvær). Google has only a very distant satellite view of the area. Located on a small island at the eastern entrance to Gjesvær, a small port on the northwest side of Magerøy. Accessible only by boat. Site open, tower closed. NF-9518; Admiralty L4006; NGA 14216.
[Knivskjærodden (North Cape)]
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 33 m (108 ft); two flashes every 10 s, white or red depending on direction. 7 m (23 ft) light mounted on a small cabinet atop a plain concrete block column. Giuseppe Venini has a photo, and Google has a distant satellite view of the cape. This very modest light marks the northernmost point of te European mainland, at 71° 11.1' N. (Knivskjærodden is the Norwegian name for the precise point of the cape. Nordkapp, a Norwegian transliteration of the English name North Cape, is the name of the municipality that includes all of Magerøy and sections of the adjoining mainland.) Much better known to tourists is the Nordkapp parking area and monument, at the end of the E69 highway, about 4 km (2.5 mi) to the southeast; here every summer tens of thousands of tourists stand atop a steep cliff to watch the midnight sun at what is almost the northernmost point of Europe. It is quite a long hike, some 18 km (11 mi), from the parking area to Knivskjærodden. Located at the northern tip of Magerøy. Site open. NF-9470; Admiralty L4041; NGA 14300.
Helnes (2)
Late 1940s (station established 1908). Active; focal plane 37 m (121 ft); two white flashes every 30 s. 10 m (33 ft) square cylindrical concrete tower with lantern and gallery, attached to a 2-story concrete keeper's house. Lighthouse painted white, lantern red. One of the station buildings is available for overnight accommodations. A Kystverket photo of the station is at right, Per Einar has a closeup photo of the lighthouse, another view from the sea is available, and Google has an indistinct satellite view. This is the second of the three major Nordkapp (North Cape) lighthouses. Located on a promontory at the eastern end of Magerøy. Accessible only by boat. Site and tower closed. ARLHS NOR-023; NF-9460; Admiralty L4034; NGA 14276.
* Kamøyfjord (Kamøyvær)
Date unknown (station established 1902). Active; focal plane 20 m (66 ft); white, red or green light depending on direction, occulting once every 6 s. 6 m (20 ft) concrete post light with lantern and gallery. Lighthouse painted white, lantern white with a red roof. Arnstein Rønning has a photo, and Google has an indistinct satellite view. Located at the entrance to Kamøyvær, a small port on the east side of Magerøy. Accessible by road. Site open, tower closed. ARLHS NOR-133; NF-9462; Admiralty L4038; NGA 14288.
* Søre Honningsvåg
Date unknown (station established 1912). Active; focal plane 29 m (95 ft); white, red or green light depending on direction, occulting twice every 8 s. Approx. 7 m (23 ft) square stone tower with lantern. The tower is unpainted; lantern painted white with a red roof. Waynes Hopkins has a closeup and more distant view, Bash has a photo, Jenssen has two photos (a little over halfway down the page), and Google has an indistinct satellite view. Honningsvåg is a small port on the southeast side of Magerøy. Located on a ridge above the waterfront of Honningsvåg. Site open, tower closed. NF-9442; Admiralty L4022; NGA 14248.
Helnes Fyr
Helnes Fyr, Nordkapp, 2005
Kystverket photo

Information available on lost lighthouses:

Notable faux lighthouses:

Adjoining pages: North: Svalbard | East: Vadsø Area | South: Tromsø Area

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Posted August 3, 2006. Checked and revised August 20, 2012. Lighthouses: 30. Site copyright 2012 Russ Rowlett and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.