Vardø

Not to be confused with Vårdö of Åland or neighbouring Vadsø.

Vardø.

Vardø is a town in Finnmark. It is the easternmost point of Norway; as strange as it may seem, it lies east of Istanbul! Vardø is one of the few towns with an Arctic climate within Norway. Annual average temperature is 1.3 °C (34.3 °F), while monthly average for July is 9 °C (48 °F). Because of the rough climate there are no natural trees in Vardø.

Get in

By plane

• 1 Vardø Airport, Svartnes (VAW  ^IATA). a small airport, which has flights from Alta and Kirkenes.  

By car

Vardø is the endpoint for E75. It is the only road from other regions, but it is possible to transport a car (not a motorhome) and yourself on Hurtigruten.

By bus

Search 177.no for bus connections. There are buses from Vadsø, Kirkenes and Tana. From Tana there are buses to Finland.

By boat

Vardø is a port on Hurtigruten, and a quick visit to the fort can just be managed on the southbound voyage.

See

• 1 Vardøhus Fortress (Vardøhus festning), Festningsgaten 20. The fort is impressive and has a 700-year history, but has never fired a shot in battle – only as a welcome for the return of the sun in February after the season of continual darkness. (updated Jul 2023)
• The Lutheran Church.
• Steilneset Memorial by Peter Zumthor and Louise Bourgeois to the victims of being accused of witchcraft.
• 2 Hamningberg. Hamningberg is a small fishing village 40 km north of Vardø which was unharmed in World War II, when most of Finnmark and Vardø was destroyed.  
• 3 Vardø Lighthouse (Vardø fyr) (4 km north of town). Norway's easternmost lighthouse is 20 metres tall and was built in 1896. It was fully automated in 1991 but due to the midnight sun, the lighthouse does not operate during summer. (updated Jul 2023)

Do

Visit Vardo church – it is even possible to walk there and back from the Hurtigruten! Interesting church in the vestibule of which is a model of the previous building which was destroyed. Warm welcome from the local guide who explained both the history of the building and the symbolism of the architecture depicting the Trinity and the relevance for today.

Eat

• 1 Abc Thai As, Kristian 4 Gate 3, ☏ +47 78 94 46 00. Budget Thai restaurant. (updated Jul 2023)

Sleep

Mid-range

• 1 Vardø Hotel, Kaigata 8, ☏ +47 78987761, fax: +47 78988397, post@vardohotel.no. Check-in: 14:00, check-out: 12:00. . 

Go next

Routes through Vardø

END ←

N  S

→ Vadsø → Rovaniemi

• Varangerhalvøya National Park is nearby.