Kirkenes. A voyage to Kirkenes, Norway (Norge), Nord Europe.

This is it: you’re as far east as Cairo, further east than most of Finland, a mere 15km from the border with Russia – and at the end of the line for the Hurtigruten coastal ferry.
This tiny, nondescript place, anticlimactic for many, has a distinct frontier feel. You’ll see street signs in Norwegian and Cyrillic script and hear Russian spoken by trans-border visitors and fishermen, who enjoy better prices for their catch here than in their home ports further to the east. The town reels with over 100, 000 visitors per annum, most stepping off the Hurtigruten to spend a couple of hours in the town before travelling onward. But you should linger a while here, not primarily for the town’s sake but to take one of the many excursions and activities offered by the useful one-stop tourist office.

Show in Lonely Planet

More about Kirkenes

• Getting there & around
• Practical information
• History
• Hotels
• Forum

Make it happen

• Shop for travel guides
• Search hotels
• Cheap flights
• Travel insurance