Varangerhalvøya National Park

Varangerhalvøya National Park (Varanger National Park or Varanger Peninsula National Park) is in the Finnmark region of Nordland.

Understand

Landscape

The national park covers most of the peninsula, except for the built-up area along the coast. A low ridge, with Skipskjølen as the highest point running through the area in an east-west direction and forms a watershed.

The landscape on the Varanger Peninsula is old on a Scandinavian scale, and it was largely shaped before the ice ages. The inland ice from the last ice ages was frozen over large parts of the peninsula, and thus changed the landscape to a small degree. The large block land areas are believed to be very old, from before the last ice age. In addition to the block land, the flush gutters and annular rock formations are characteristic landscape elements.

Flora and fauna

The area has a mix of species from the northern Arctic, eastern Siberia and more southern plants. The small deciduous forests in the area are among the northernmost in the world. Calcareous mountains and the soil north of the area provide lush pockets with rare species. The most famous plant, however, is the landslide-associated and sulphur-like altai hawk beard Crepis multicaulis, which was found inside the national park in 2008 which was thought to be considered extinct in Norway since 1943.

Get in

From Kemi in Finland, head north onto E75 taking the 568 km (353 mi) drive up north until Utsjoki village near the Norwegian border. Cross the border, head east for 181 km (112 mi) east up until the end of the road where you would have arrived.

See

There are important Sami shrines, sacrificial sites, a number of hunting grounds for wild reindeer hunting and other tracks such as meat hides, tent rings, etc. in the park with the oldest cultural monuments in the park are dated to before the year 4500 BC.

The most notable ones are the large traps with stone guide fences over several kilometres located deep in the peninsula. The facilities end in a large stone ring around a local hill, placed so that the reindeer could not see the fence on the opposite side when it ran along the fence and these large fencing facilities are believed to be younger than the more traditional catch pit systems located closer to the coast. One theory is that the large hunting grounds were built when wild reindeer became less common around the 16th century, and that they are relatively new and the facilities are visible on orthophoto.

Do

• The River Jakobselv trail is a 1.5–3.5 km (0.93–2.17 mi) trail alongside the VestreJakobselv, which is known for its salmon. Along the way, you'll pass four waterfalls and lush dense Arctic forests
• Going parallel to the sea, the Kjærlighetsstien trail passes through the numerous flora of the park. If the weather isn't great, then you may sea the Arctic ocean with power. Seeing these sorts of rough seas are only possible close to the poles, and this park has just that. The trail takes 2.5 km (1.6 mi) one way, and is signposted on route 75
• Whether you choose to walk, jog, or ride a bicycle on the Pavel trail, this 3 km (1.9 mi) goes alongside a cross-country ski track

Eat

• 1 Kafé pakkhuskaia, Fv341 137, 9990 Båtsfjord, ☏ +47 951 02 346. Café with outdoor and indoor dining with a rather unique view of the Arctic Ocean. (updated Dec 2021)

Sleep

Lodging

• 1 Båtsfjord Farmen Syltefjord Camping, Nordskogveien 31, Båtsfjord, ☏ +47 905 41 627. A little outside the park, but includes caravan accommodation, lodging as well as camping. (updated Dec 2021)