Øytun and Alta
On the North Calotte north of the Arctic Circle you find enormous pristine nature sceneries, close to where people live.
These are perfect conditions for all kinds of outdoor life.
Here is God´s creation as it was intended to be, less affected by the modern society than any other place in Europe.
Nature offers you intense experiences and does something to you. To explore nature is to explore one self.
Øytun Folk High School - 70 degrees north
Øytun is a folk high school wich roots back to 1917, when it started in Havøysund, one of the outermost islands on the coast of Finnmark.
After 50 years the school was moved to Alta, but kept the name Øytun.
Øytun carries on the Christian folk high school tradition, and intends to be a school for everybody.
Conversation about ways of thinking and common experiences is central to personal growth, regardless of religion and background.
The school is run by the Lutheran Home Mission in Norway.
Alta – a meeting point for nature and culture
Alta is a big community with a lot of beautiful nature surrounding it.
Between alpine moutains in the north and the mountain plain Finnmarksvidda in the south, there are lush valleys, fjords and glaciers.
Alta, the city of the northernlights, is the biggest city in Finnmark county and is the junction of Finnmark and the Sámi areas of Norway.
Øytun is the northernmost folk high school in the world.
It is 6 kilometres south of Alta city centre and 12 kilometres from the airport. It is about a 2-hour flight from Oslo to Alta.
The distance to Karasjok in the east is 200 km, 130 km to Kautokeino in the south, 200 km to the North Cape in the north,
300 km to Tromsø in the west, and over 2000 km to Oslo.
The school is located in pine forest at the foot of the mountain Skoddevarre and within walking distance from the Alta River.
The school building and 8 student residencies are situated around a spacious, yet cozy, campus, on which several of the teachers also live.
Skoddevarre holds good fishing lakes, several rock faces suitable for climbing, and is a great area for skiing and hiking.
In the winter you can put on your skis right outside your front door.
The Alta River meanders north through the community from Sautso, the biggest canyon in northern Europe,
and is considered one of the best salmon rivers in the world.
Year-courses
Lessons are divided into main subjects, electives and common subjects.
Within the main subjects much of the autumn and winter once the sun returns after Christmas is spent on hikes and skiing trips.
The main part of the instruction in the electives takes place in the middle of the winter from November to February.
All students participate in the common subjects, which are spread out evenly throughout the year.
In addition, you can participate in extra-curricular courses which usually include handicrafts, photography, hunting, bible studies and choir.
Other courses
We also offer second year and half-year courses for those who have basic skills in the particular subject,
and shorter courses.
There are specific application forms for these.
Alta and Finnmark, how far north?
Only 2 hours flight from Oslo and a 15 minute drive from the airport to the campus, and you are 70° north – 380 kilometers north of the Arctic Circle.
Destination Øytun - where is it and what is it like?
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Norway is in the middle and the rest of Europe is in the background.
Russia is to the left, Spitsbergen in the bottom, Greenland and Iceland are to the right. |
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| Western parts of Finnmark seen from the north. |
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| Aurora borealis and the school´s cabin on the Finnmark plateu. Photo Fredrik Neregård |
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| It is nice to stay in the school´s cabin during weekends. Photo Fredrik Neregård |
