Hammerfest - Meridian Column Meridianstøtten

The road from Hammerfest continues round the bay to the promontory of Fuglenes, with a prominent granite column topped by a bronze globe. This is the Meridian Column (Meridianstøtten), erected to commemorate the completion of a joint Norwegian-Swedish-Russian survey (1816-52) to determine the size and shape of the earth. Its southern counterpart was set up at Ismail, 2,872km/1,785mi away at the mouth of the Danube. The concrete slab beside the column was erected during a further survey in 1929. From here there is a fine view of the town and the hills immediately beyond it.