Nordlysobservatoriet Halde

The place

A DNT cabin installed in one of the buildings of the world's first aurora borealis observatory, built on Mount Haldde near Alta (Finnmark, northern Norway), at 904 metres elevation. The original observatory was commissioned in 1899 on the initiative of Professor Kristian Birkeland, funded by the Norwegian Parliament; it operated until 1926 before being transferred to Tromsø. Research was carried out notably by Lars Vegard and Ole Andreas Krogness (1912-1915) with a network of stations (Bossekop, Elvebakken, Gargia, Øksfjord, Alteidet) centred on Alta; up to 17 people lived at the summit during periods of high activity. Today managed by the DNT network, offering mountain accommodation by reservation. History and exhibits can be viewed at the Alta Museum.