Vadsø is known as «kvenbyen» («the Kvennish town’) and had a Finnish-spmking majority in the 1860s. The Kvens are a Norwegian ethnic minority, descended from Finnish farmers and fishermen who emigrated from northern areas of Finland to Sweden and Norway in the 18th and 19th centuries.
In 1833 Vadsø was awarded the status of market town, with its citizens having a monopoly on trade in the area, and the population of the town grew. In the autumn of 1944 large parts of central Vadsø were bombed and burnt and half of its buildings were destroyed. Today Vadsø is the administrative centre of Finnmark. The municipality has a total population of 6 000, with 5 000 people living in the town and around 1 000 in the surrounding communities.
Vadsøya culture park
Vadsøya Culture Park Here you can see traces of Vadsø’s multi-faceted history, such as the remains of a medieval town, the airship masts from voyages made by Roald Amundsen and Umberto Nobile, war memorials and a rich bird life.
Admission free. Open wooden shelter and barbecue area.
Varanger is the world’s easiest accessible arctic birding destination. In Varanger you have the northern taiga, tundra and arctic coastline in one destination.
Within a day’s drive, you can experience the pine grosbeaks in the taiga, and see a wide variety of spcies on the tundra of the Varanger peninsula.
Kirkenes Airport is one of the regional hubs for air travel and offers daily flights to and from Oslo and Tromsø.
Kirkenes Airport has direct connections to several towns and communities in Varanger, such as Vardø, Vadsø, Berlevåg, and Båtsfjord.
From Oslo, the flight time to Kirkenes is just over 2 hours. From Tromsø, the flight time is 1 hour and 10 minutes
Varanger has good, easy hiking terrain suitable for both short and longer walks. There are signposted hiking trails for those who wantto experience the beautiful scenery and also a number of paths and bridleways which you can explore freely.
Music festivals
Varangerfestivalen The Varangerfestival is one of the biggest and oldest music festivals in the high north. The festival presents jazz, rock and world music and is the best place to experience the vibrant Arctic music scene live! The festival takes place in week 32 annually.
Ekkerøy
Ekkerøy is one of the oldest fishing villages in Finnmark. Previously a typical old Sami settlement along the Varangerfjord, Ekkerøy became one of the new «Norwegian» villages.
Vestre-Jakobselv
The village of Vestre Jakobselv, Ánnejohka, Annijoki, has around 800 inhabitants and is situated in the middle of Varanger. The village is a historic multicultural community, strongly influenced by Kvennish/Finnish settlers.
Music festivals
Varangerfestivalen The Varangerfestival is one of the biggest and oldest music festivals in the high north. The festival presents jazz, rock and world music and is the best place to experience the vibrant Arctic music scene live! The festival takes place in week 32 annually.
Other Indoor activities
- Public sauna and swimmingpool
- Tundra Bowling
- Varanger Golf simulator
- Vadsø Museum
- Nobile cinema and culturehouse
- Kooperativet culturehouse
The Varanger Peninsula National Park stretches across the Varanger Peninsula between Syltefjord and Varangerfjord. The park was established in 2006 to preserve the most Arctic area of the Norwegian mainland. Special and unique landscapes and topology formed in the Ice Age can be found here, along with flora and fauna with eastern and Arctic features. It is also a key area for Arctic foxes and unique Sami cultural artefacts.
National scenic route Varanger is about the long lines in the landscape as well as the long lines of history. Varanger is perhaps the most exotic stretch. A trip along the route leading to the Arctic Ocean will reveal natural surroundings full of contrasts, and the lunar landscape out towards Hamningberg in many ways feels like this is a journey to the world’s end.
Fishing and angeling
There are countless good fishing rivers and lakes in Varanger, together with rich fjord fishing. The Vesterelva and Bergebyelva riverscan be found in Nesseby.
There are also fishing locations at Gornitak and near Mortensnes on the fjord. Vadsø has the Jakobselva and Skallelva rivers, while Vardø has the Komagelv, Kibergselva and Sandfjordelva.
By boat
Hurtigruten, the Norwegian Coastal Voyage, calls at Berlevåg, Båtsfjord, Vardø, and Vadsø in Varanger. Hurtigruten turns around in Kirkenes and goes back to Bergen in Fjord Norway, calling at the same ports on the way back, except Vadsø.
By car
It’s possible to drive all the way to Varanger, regardless if you come by car, mobile home, or motorcycle. The European route E6 runs through the region and ends in Kirkenes, close to the Russian border.
All roads are open year-round, but some passes might close for short periods in winter.
By air
Kirkenes Airport is one of the regional hubs for air travel and offers daily flights to and from Oslo and Tromsø.
Kirkenes Airport has direct connections to several towns and communities in Varanger, such as Vardø, Vadsø, Berlevåg, and Båtsfjord.
From Oslo, the flight time to Kirkenes is just over 2 hours. From Tromsø, the flight time is 1 hour and 10 minutes
GREATER ARCTIC MOMENT
Aurora borealis in Varanger <3 We love it!
www.visitvaranger.no
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Photo: Odd Angell, Vadsø
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#auroraborealis #auroraphotography #aurora #northernnorway #northernlights #varanger #varangermoment #varangerhalvøya #varangerfjorden #arcticnorway #greaterarctic #coastoflapland #coastofnorway
Bike Varanger <3 More and more people are choosing to explore Varanger from the saddle on their bicycle. It’s no wonder why, considering the spectacular beauty one can see from the roads, mountains and valleys. The infrastructure in Varanger is excellent and easily accessible . This, combined with low volume traffic on the roads, makes bicycling in Varanger a pleasurable experience.
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Read more here: https://www.visitgreaterarctic.com/bicykling-in-varanger/
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Photocredit: Øystein Ruud, @varangerhalvoyaturlag og Thor-Arne Dallavara
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#bikersparadise #bicycling #mountainbikelife #varanger #arcticnorway #peninsula #bikenorway #redbull #bicycle #visitvaranger #ArcticRace ##ebikemtb #visitvaranger #finnmark #bikevaranger #varangermoments #greaterarctic #visitnorthnorway #visitnorway #marelius #greaterarctic
Take a timeout. Take a hike and #visitvaranger <3
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Varangerhalvøya is one of our 47 national parks i Norway. All of our national parks are free and open to the public all year round, and are further playgrounds for recreational adventures. Read 10 smart hiking tips for families with children here https://www.visitnorway.com/things-to-do/family-fun/mina-and-me/hiking-tips/
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Map (Pdf) https://www.nasjonalparkstyre.no/uploads/files_varangerhalvoya/Varangerhalvoya_engelsk_M-1138_web.pdf
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Photocredit: @Øystein Ruud // @varangerhalvoyaturlag
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#hikevaranger #trekkinglife #hikevibes #varanger #arcticnorway #visitvaranger #marelius #greaterarcticmoment #northnorway #finnmark #hikevaranger #skivaranger #sailvaranger #bikevaranger #silent #ultimathule #visitnorway #coastoflapland #icehouse Icehouse Varanger www.visitvaranger.no
Varangerhalvøya / Várnjárga /Varenkinniemi offers its visitors an ancient landscape of Arctic tundra, boulder fields, rich wetlands and riparian valleys with rivers that run to the Varanger Fjord and Barents Sea. Read more here: https://varangerhalvoya.no/en/about-the-national-park/
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Photo; ©Foto: Roger Ellingsen / Statens vegvesen
#discoverearth #welovevaranger #arcticlife #arcticocean #icehousevaranger #coastoflapland #visitvaranger #hiking #arcticwildlife #varanger #northernnorway #varangerpeninsula #varangerfjord ##discoverearth #arcticnorway #finnmark #mareliusarcticresort #greaterarctic #hamingberg #nationalscenicroute
Dont forget to live, love and play <3 #snowball #snow #winterfun #childrenoftheearth #liveloveplay
#peaceonearth #oneworld
#adventureworthy #visitnorway #visitnorthernnorway #northernnorway #visitvaranger #varanger
#wildernessculture #neverstopexploring #exploringtheglobe #earthpics #outsideisfree #discoverearth #lifeofadventure #mytinyatlas #lonelyplanet #beautyfuldestinations #wonderful_places
Wishing you sunshine, good times and a very happy Easter! ❤ #visitvaranger #visitnorway #explorearctic #lovelife #north #visitlapland #coastoflapland #greenbike #kickbike #marelius #icehouse #snow #eastern #arcticnorway #greaterarctic #varangermoments #vadsø #ekkerøy #vardø #smelror #beatavfinnmark #arcticyouth #kav
The story about Drakkar:
Long ago, in the northernmost parts of Norway, there lived a fierce Viking warrior named Ragnar. Ragnar was known throughout the land for his bravery in battle and his prowess as a shipbuilder.
One day, Ragnar decided to embark on a voyage to explore the waters of the Arctic Ocean. He commissioned his finest ship, a sleek and mighty drakkar, to be built and set out from his home port in Vardø.
As they sailed northward, Ragnar and his crew encountered many challenges, including treacherous ice floes, fierce storms, and attacks from rival clans. But they were undaunted and pressed on, determined to reach the furthest reaches of the Arctic.
Finally, after many long weeks at sea, they arrived at a desolate and icy shore, where they discovered a hidden cove teeming with exotic wildlife and abundant resources. They dubbed this new land "Island of the White Bear," and settled there, building a thriving village and trading outpost.
Ragnar`s drakkar became a legendary vessel, feared and respected throughout the region. Its imposing figure and fierce reputation made it a symbol of Viking strength and conquest.
And so, thanks to Ragnar`s daring expedition and the mighty drakkar that carried him, Vardø became a center of Norse power and exploration, and the story of the drakkar in Vardø lived on for generations to come.
#vikings #ragnar #drakkar #explore #visitvaranger Visit Varanger #varangerarcticnorway #greaterarctic #vikingstory #coastoflapland #visitlapland
Steilneset memorial, Vardø
Photo: Steinar Skaar, Statens vegvesen
#heksemonumentet #witchtrialsmemorial #witchesofinstagram #witchessociety #whitch #visitvaranger #nordnorge #northernlights #auroraborealis #vardø #eastcape #coastoflapland #mareliusarcticresort #greaterarctic #varangerarcticnorway #varangermoments
About us
Brand: Visit Varanger
Company: Greater Arctic Moment AS
Address: The Icehouse
Ørtangen 10A, NO-9800 Vadsø
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