The airship mast in Vadsø is being preserved

The Norwegian Ministry of National Heritage has preserved the airship mast in Vadsø, Northern Norway.

The 35-meter-high mast was built in 1926 and plays an important role in Norwegian polar history. It was erected for Roald Amundsen, Lincoln Ellsworth and Umberto Nobile's expedition with the airship Norge over the North Pole.

The expedition - officially named the "Amundsen–Ellsworth–Nobile transpolar flight" - was the first successful flight over the North Pole.

Vadsø was one of the stopovers for the airship on its way from Italy to Ny-Ålesund in Svalbard, and further over the North Pole to Alaska.

"Norway has a rich polar history, and the airship mast in Vadsø is a unique cultural monument that tells an important part of this story. 100 years ago, the eyes of the world were focused on Vadsø and Roald Amundsen's expedition. Now we are securing this unique cultural heritage for future generations, says Minister of Climate and Environment Andreas Bjelland Eriksen (Labor) in a press release.