The first visitor

“Here I stand at the North Cape, the outermost point of Finnmark. I could even say that this is the end of the entire world, as no point further north is inhabited by people.” The words belong to Francesco Negri, the first recognised visitor of the North Cape that you can see on the left of this diorama. After three years travelling north, this Italian priest, scientist and explorer, finally arrived at destination in 1664. In the centre, stands the carving of Rama V – King of Siam – or Thailand as it is known today:; the stone we like to call the first guestbook of the North Cape. This stone is now on display on the main floor of the North Cape Hall. The young character walking on the right is Prince Louis Philip of Orleans. Soon after the French Revolution, in 1795, the Prince visited the North Cape and lived in the area (he didn’t actually live in Magerøya – he lived in a neighbouring municipality of Måsøy for a while under a false identity before becoming King of France from 1830 to 1848). It is only in 1956 that the road to the North Cape opened, allowing thousands of travellers to walk in the footsteps of our early visitors. Through the thick fog, snowstorms and extreme winds, visiting the North Cape still is an unforgettable adventure.