Cruising to Kirkenes, Norway

Kirkenes is a town in the municipality of Sør-Varanger in the county of Finnmark in far northeastern Norway, near the Russian border. The village is located on a peninsula along the Bøkfjorden, a branch of the larger Varangerfjorden, a huge bay connected to the Barents Sea at the Russian-Norwegian border. Kirkenes Church, located in the Haganes neighborhood, is the town’s primary church. The village is located approximately 400 kilometers north of the Arctic Circle. Kirkenes lies at one end of the Hurtigruten route, which travels up and down the Norwegian coast to and from Bergen on a daily basis.

From May 17 to July 21, the midnight sun shines. The equivalent winter darkness lasts from November 21 until January 21. Kirkenes has a more continental subarctic climate than towns further west along the Northern Norwegian coast, despite its coastal location.

The majority of Kirkenes’ residents are of Norwegian descent, with a Sami minority. Others are originally from Finland, either as members of the Kven people or as part of a more recent wave of Finnish immigration.

Kirkenes Snowhotel

The Kirkenes Snowhotel, a hotel created from the ground up every year and open from December to April, is one of the most well-known attractions. Despite the constant cold of 4 degrees Celsius inside, the beds are warm and cozy with reindeer hide. Boat cruises, hiking, diving, fishing, hunting, climbing, and bird viewing are among the most popular summer activities.