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Norge -
Norway - Noreg |
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Finnmark
- Vardø |
Vardø is a town and a municipality in
Finnmark county in the extreme northeast part of Norway. Vardø
was established as a municipality on 1 January 1838 The law
required that all cities should be separated from their rural
districts, but because of a low population and very few voters,
this was impossible to carry out for Vardø in 1838. Vardø is
the easternmost town in Norway, east of Saint Petersburg, Kiev
and Istanbul. The eastern part of Finnmark is in the same time
zone as the rest of the country, even if it is more than an hour
at odds with daylight hours. The port of Vardø, on the Barents
Sea, remains ice-free all year round thanks to the effect of the
warm North Atlantic drift. Vardø is usually referred to as
Norway's only mainland town in the Artic climate zone, although
this is not strictly correct since the town is located on an
island about 2 kilometres (1 mi) off the northeastern coast
of the Varanger Penisula.
Vardø's tourist attractions include the
Vardøhus Festning, a fortress dating back to the late 13th
century (although the present structure dates from 1734); several
sea bird coloinies, museums, one about the Pomor trade and the
other about local history and birdlife; and remnants of German
fortifications from World War II. Vardøhus Festning is home to
two rowan trees which are diligently nurtured and warmed in
winter since these trees cannot normally survive in Vardø's cold
climate, north of the Arctic tree line. Originally, seven trees
were planted in 1960; the one that survived managed to blossom
twice, in 1974 and 1981. The tree finally succumbed to cold
weather in 2002, but two new saplings have been planted in its
place.
Click on the
small pictures to view a larger version
| Panorama of
Vardø |
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| We
are getting closer towards the town |
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| From
the small museum inside the fort |
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