On the shore of the Altafjord, a few kilometres from the town, a long hill of smooth grey rock slopes down to the water, and its surface is covered with pictures. There are thousands of them, carved by hunters between roughly seven thousand and two thousand years ago: reindeer, elk, bears, boats, fish, and human figures that seem to dance or drum. The carvings sit at Hjemmeluft, beside the Alta Museum, and the whole group is a World Heritage site. The oldest are life-size reindeer, and some of the later scenes show hunting and ritual in strikingly lively detail.
A boardwalk runs over the rock so that you can look without walking on it. In summer the carvings were once painted red to help visitors see them, but they are best seen in low light, early or late, when the sun picks out the grooves. The sea level has fallen since they were made, so the older panels now sit higher up the hill, far from the water that those people knew. Standing among them with the fjord stretched below, you realise how short the distance is between that world and ours.
Alta has a recent history of its own. In the late 1970s and early 1980s a plan to dam the Alta river and flood the Sami village of Máze led to some of the biggest protests Norway has seen. The dam was built, though smaller than first intended, but the conflict helped lead to stronger recognition of Sami rights and a Sami parliament. The museum tells part of this story as well.
The riding to get here is the E6 across Finnmark, long, open and quiet, with a wide sky and the occasional reindeer in the road. In summer the midnight sun gives you light all night, and you can visit the carvings in the small hours if you like. Winter means snow, dark and ice, and a very different trip. Alta is only about four kilometres away and has fuel, supermarkets and cafes, so there is no need to plan around a gap. A coffee in the museum cafe is a good way to end.