European route E69
Norway · Europe
About European route E69
The northernmost European route, E69, is not a particularly long one, linking E6 to the northernmost point of Europe accessible by road, Nordkapp. It's the northernmost highway in the world connecting to an international road network, reaching up to 71° north (the few highways in Svalbard, Greenland and Nunavut are not connected to the rest of their respective highway networks).
This article describes the route from south to north, as its north end is a cul-de-sac.
European route E69 travel guide
Understand
E69 is a picturesque highway in the Finnmark region of Norway, with an immense amount of eye-catching scenery and a wealth of cultural significance – it is easily one of the most scenic highways on the European route (E-route) network. The highway is 129 km long and includes five tunnels with a total length of 15.5 km (about 12% of the journey). The longest tunnel is the North Cape Tunnel (Nordkapptunnelen) with a length of 6.9 km. It starts in Olderfjord and meanders towards the north – along the way, you will see stunning fjords, mountains, waterfalls and diverse wildlife. This is in addition to somewhat noteworthy towns such as Hammerfest, which offer valuable glimpses into Sami culture. In winter, access to the northernmost part of the road between Skarsvåg and the Nordkapp is only via one daily convoy led by a snow plough. The convoy is cancelled in poor weather.
Getting there
The start of the 127-kilometre drive is at the small village of Olderfjord and is a turnoff from E6. To get to Olderfjord itself, you will need to drive 108 km (67 mi) north-east of nearby Alta or 137 km (85 mi) north of Karasjok (a town just 19 km west of the Finnish border). There is an airport at Honningsvåg near the northern end of E69, but you'll need a car (or bike) to drive this route.
Go next
Head back on the road on E6 through northern Norway. E75 and E8 are the next closest E-routes. If you have had enough of driving, the Hurtigruten ferry service calls at Honningsvåg daily in both directions, and you can take your car on board too.
Overview adapted from Wikipedia, travel guide fromWikivoyage (CC BY-SA)。Photography via Wikimedia Commons.