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Harstad webcam

 

 

 

 

 

 

The City We Live In

 

Harstad  is the second largest city and municipality by population, in Troms county, Norway – the city is also the third largest in North Norway.[2][3] Thus Harstad is the natural centre for its district. Situated approximately 250 kilometres (155 mi) north of the Arctic Circle, the city celebrated its 100th anniversary in 2004.

 

The municipality is located on two islands in south Troms. Most of the municipality is located on Hinnøya, which is Norway's largest coastal island (three islands in the Svalbard archipelago are larger). The northern part of the municipality is located on the southern half, 53 square kilometres (20 sq mi), of Grytøya. Harstad is bordered by the municipality of Bjarkøy to the north, Kvæfjord to the west, and Tjeldsund (in the county of Nordland) to the south. To the southeast the Tjeldsund Bridge connects Hinnøya with Skånland and the mainland across Tjeldsundet, and to the northeast is the Vågsfjorden, where Harstad shares a water border with Ibestad. The city itself is located northeast on Hinnøya; it is the only city on the island, and is popularly known as Vågsfjordens perle (The pearl of Vågsfjorden).

 

The city enjoys the midnight sun during the summer months, from 22 May to 18 July. There is also a period with twilight a few hours each night as the sun just dips below the horizon, so there is no darkness from early May to early August. The polar night, when the sun is always below the horizon, lasts from 30 November to 12 January. At this time, there are a few hours with dusk/dawn around noon, sometimes with colorful skies towards the south. From late January, day length rapidly increases, reaching 12 hours by March and 18 hours in April. Harstad is located in the midst of the aurora borealis (a.k.a. the northern lights) zone, and the aurora can often be seen on clear nights, but not in summer due to the continuous daylight.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harstad

 

Northern part of Harstad City

 

The Church in Harstad

 

The history of Harstad and the surrounding region

Settlement in the Harstad district dates back to the Stone Age. Bjarkøy and Trondenes were important political centres from the end of the Viking era and in Medieval times. Even then, this area was the region’s population centre.

Tore Hund from Bjarkøy was the slayer of Olaf the Holy in 1030, and the Trondenes Church, which dates from the 15th century, is the world’s northernmost medieval stone church. The church stands on one of Hålogaland’s earliest and most important church sites.

The development of Harstad into a city can be attributed to its location and the transport patterns over the years. The sea was the old transport artery, and the steam ships called at Sandtorg and Trondenes. In 1844, Trondenes was replaced by Harstadhamn, which in turn was replaced in 1848 by Harstadsjøen, representing the first step towards Harstad as a city.

 

 

Harstad City                                                                             photo: VisitNorway

 

 

The Viking Age

 

The Viking Age is an era in North European history stretching from the late 8th century to the middle of the 11th century.

Bjarkøy outside Harstad is known from the Viking period as one of the most powerful chiefdoms in the north. Tore Hund was the chieftain here around the year 1000, and established the enormous wealth of the Bjarkøyætta (clan) through trade with Sami and descendents from Karelen. Many traces and cultural memorials from the Viking period remain on Bjarkøy to this day.

 

Middle Ages

 

The term Middle Ages normally refers to the period from around 1000 to 1536 and indicates the period when Christianity was introduced in Norway and right up to the Reformation. During this period, power was shared between the Crown, nobility and the church. However, during the Reformation this three-way relationship changed as the church lost much of its political power.

Trondenes Church was completed around 1250 and is the world’s northernmost medieval church. Trondenes must have been an incredibly important place in medieval times. The site was located right in the shipping lane and by building such a large and visible church at Trondenes one could demonstrate that Christianity was strong here.

 

 

Photo: Destination Harstad (C) Adolf Kanonen

WW2 Adolf Guns on Trondenes Armybase

 

 

World War II history

 

When the Germans invaded Norway in 1940, they were not impressed with the Norwegian coastal artillery even though in some places they were met with strong resistance and suffered big losses. However, there were plans to expand and regroup the coastal batteries. These plans got into German hands and were considered so good that they were implemented with immediate effect. The expansion of the coastal artillery was regarded as the most important contribution to defence, and the first hesitant steps in the direction of expansion were taken as early as July 1940.

At Trondenes, a battery of four 40.6 cm guns was built, of which just one has been restored and is today open to visitors. The guns were actually ship guns, but were demounted and transported to Trondenes, where there was frantic building activity at the fortress right up until the end of the war. Soviet Prisoners of War were used for this work, including excavation of the bunkers, brick laying and installation. They lived in a separate POW camp and were used as slave labour. Around 800 Soviet POWs died here.

After the war, they guns were handled over to Norwegian authorities.

 

Arts Festival of North-Norway


The Arts Festival of North Norway is an upper shelf musical venue featuring some of the best musical artists and acts in the world. It is also a true festival of the arts, presenting a selection of concerts, theatre, dance, visual arts, and performances for children.
 
The program reflects the modern and the mythical Arctic Norway, and the regions cultural links to the world outside. The international connection is present in most of the artistic content, and also manifested by the fact that the program feature artists and performers from several parts of the world.

 

Destinasjon Harstad

More about what the city can offer, go to:

http://www.festspillnn.no/default.aspx?pkMenu=13&L=E

 

 Text and pictures from:

Destinasjon Harstad, VisitNorway, Wikipedia og Festspillene i Nord-Norge

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

" Here you could be the one that you are.
Here you find comfort and safe belives.
We're living in the same dream as you.

Each time we meet we're feeling good
.
We're friends for life and that's the best we could have. "

Halvdan Sivertsen

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Viking Age
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The land of the midnightsun

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Kayak in the midnightsun

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Hidden "heavens" on one of the islands around Harstad