Altevatn

Altevatn is a Lake in Norway

Altevatn is a long mountain lake in the interior of Troms in northern Norway, in the municipality of Bardu. It lies in high, open country close to the Swedish border and the edge of Øvre Dividal National Park. Raised and regulated for hydropower, it runs for many kilometres between rounded fells and birch-clad slopes, its cold, clear water fed by mountain streams and scattered with islands and quiet bays. The area has deep Sámi roots and is used for reindeer herding. A scattering of cabins along the shore makes it a base for fishing, boating and hiking in summer, and for skiing and dog-sledding once the lake freezes. It is remote and lightly visited, reached by a mountain road up from the Bardu valley. At around 69°N, far from any town and with almost no artificial light, its skies are wonderfully dark and the horizon wide. On clear winter nights the aurora stretches over the lake and glows back from the ice.