Choses à faire à Kirkenes

Kirkenes Essentials

Kirkenes serves as the northern terminus of the Hurtigruten coastal voyage and a key gateway to the Barents region. The town’s identity is defined by its strategic border location and its survival of intense World War II bombing. This selection highlights significant historical sites, including the Andersgrotta air-raid shelter and the Monument to Soviet Soldiers, alongside cultural landmarks like the Savio Museum, which showcases indigenous Sami art, and the 1959 concrete church rebuilt after the war.

Kirkenes Essentials — Carte

Nathalie Canas / CC-BY-SA

A

Monument to the Soviet Soldiers

Commemorates the 1944 liberation of Kirkenes by the Red Army. The bronze statue of a Soviet soldier stands on a high stone pedestal overlooking the town center.

B

Andersgrotta

A World War II air-raid shelter carved into the rock. It provided refuge for the local population during heavy bombardment and now hosts historical film screenings.

C

Saviomusea / Saviomuseet

Located within the Border Area Museum, this gallery is dedicated to the woodcut prints and life of John Savio, the first internationally recognized Sami artist.

Nathalie Canas / CC-BY-SA

D

Kirkenes kirke

A concrete church completed in 1959. It replaced the previous 19th-century wooden structure that was destroyed during World War II air raids.

E

Hurtigruten Kirkenes

The northernmost port of call for the Norwegian coastal voyage. Ships dock here at the end of the northbound route before beginning the return journey to Bergen.

F

Thorvald Stoltenberg

A monument honoring the Norwegian diplomat and politician, recognized for his instrumental role in establishing the Barents Euro-Arctic Region cooperation.

Kir Petuchov / CC-BY-SA

G

Kirkenes

Waterfront facility providing berths for private vessels and local boats, situated near the town's commercial center.

H

Bunker

Concrete ruins of a defensive fortification dating back to the German occupation of Kirkenes during World War II.