Kirkenes

Kirkenes is a city in the Finnmark region of Norway.

Get in

By Road

Kirkenes is at the very end of the all-through-Norway (and half of Europe) highway E6. You can also enter by road from northern Finland (via Rovaniemi about 4 hours), and northwestern Russia (via Murmansk about 3 hours + border formalities). If you want to come from southern Norway by car, cutting through Sweden and Finland is actually faster. Long distance buses [2], with connections to most of Norway.

By Sea

Kirkenes is the northern turnaround port (Bergen being the southern) of the Coastal Express [3], arguably the most beautiful sea voyage of the planet, covering most of the Norwegian coast in 5-6 days.

By Air

Due to its distance from the rest of the civilized world, most people choose to arrive and depart by plane, at Høybuktmoen airport[4] (IATA: KKN) some 15 km outside town. Daily flights to Oslo, Tromsoe and others by Norwegian [5], SAS[6] and Wideroe [7]. Also flights to Russia and Germany (summer only). All flights from Oslo have a bus to town waiting outside. A taxi will set you back some NOK 200.

By Train

Although there is a railroad here, it is for ore only. Real adventurous spirits should be aware that you can connect to the russian network in the border town of Nikel, travelling as far as Moscow, Vladivostok, Ulan Bator and Beijing.

Get around

Local buses [8], including to the airport.

See

• The midnight sun in summer
• The Aurora Borealis
• The Russian border, including the three-borders-mark, where also Finland joins in.
• The Grenselandmuseet, a museum that includes a fine exhibition of woodcuts by the Sami artist Jon Savio as well as much on the history and lifestyle of the far north of Norway.

Do

Fishing, both salt and fresh water, including salmon. Hiking.

Eat

Vin og Vilt. First class. Moderately priced.

Drink

Try Ritz or Ofelas.

Sleep

Budget

There is a camping site between the airport and town, up the hill after the bridge as you drive towards town. Tel (+47) 78 99 80 28.

Mid-range

• Rica Arctic Hotel, Kongens gate 1, ☎ +47 78995900 (fax: +47 78991159).
• Rica Hotel Kirkenes, Pasvikveien 63, ☎ +47 78991491 (fax: +47 78991356).
• Wessel Hotell, Dr Wessels gate 3, ☎ -47 78998600 ([email protected], fax: +47 78998601), [1].

Get out

• Go up the Pasvik valley for quite a change of fauna. Here you find the last bit of the enormous Russian Taiga, a pine forest that stretches all the way to Siberia.
• At Grense Jakobselv, the open Barents Sea washes a beautiful sandy shore. Never gets above 8 celsius, though! You can also peek at the "King Oscar II" church.

Routes through Kirkenes

' ← END ←	N  S	→ Tana → Narvik
' ← END ←	N  S	→ Border crossing - Russia → Murmansk → St. Petersburg

This article is an outline and needs more content. It has a template, but there is not enough information present. Please plunge forward and help it grow!