The Hidden North
North European travel guide
self-guided walks
Kirkenes
Explore the best of Kirkenes with this self-guided walking tour. This walk circles around the city, starting and ending at the coastal ferry pier. Along the way, you will pass important historic and cultural monuments but also learn about life in Kirkenes.
What you get
Historic overview of Kirkenes (with photos of what the city used to look like)
Link to a Google Map that can be loaded into your phone for easier navigation
Clear directions with English & Norwegian names of places, addresses, and step-by-step guides
Photos of each point of interest
This guide is 9 pages and comes in a PDF format.
Norway's Border Town
Kirkenes is Norway’s border town and is located in the far-east of the country. In fact, Kirkenes is further east than Finland, St. Petersburg and Cairo! Located around 10 kilometres from the Russian border, Kirkenes has had a fascinating development through history from the early Sami settlement to mining and then World War II. Kirkenes was one of the most-bombed places during the war. If you are visiting Kirkenes with the coastal ferry, this walk is a perfect way to see most of the town independently.
Trip Highlights
- Learn about the establishment of Kirkenes
- Pass by famous monuments and historic sites
- Explore how people live in Kirkenes today.
- Visit World War II Sites & Russian buildings
Distance
3.7km (2.2 miles)
Activity Level
Level 1 – flat path but one small set of stairs (can be easily avoided). Paved road.
Start Location
Coastal Ferry Terminal
End Location
Coastal Ferry Terminal.
Itinerary
This is a summarised itinerary. More stops are included in the walk.
Haganesveien
Haganesveien is a beautiful residential street. ‘Haganes’ means ‘pastures’. As you walk along the street, you’ll notice the side streets are all the names of people.
Border Commission
On the right you will see a dark wooden building. This is the ‘Grensekommissariatet’ – the Border Commissionerate for the Norwegian/Russian border.
Andersgrotta
Andersgrotta is a bomb shelter from the Second World War.
Soviet Memorial
The Russian monument is a memorial for the liberation of the municipality Sør-Varanger by the Red Amy in the autumn of 1944.
Kirkenes Church
The first church in Kirkenes was consecrated in 1862 and was designed as an octagonal wooden church.
This guide also visits the main square, shopping street, city hall, and king crab nets.
Example of what the guide looks like.