I love a good old road trip and it’s one of my favourite ways to explore new places, to check out local cultures, taste new food and learn new languages. In Europe there are lots of road trips to be had and most people can create one very easily. Some road trips I do involve going along some of the longest roads in Europe and in this post I be telling you the best parts of the E6 (and some of the side roads of it) from Kirkenes at the top of Norway to Utsjoki on the Finnish/Norway border and hopefully very soon I will bring you more exciting places to check out on the rest of the route. This part of Norway is known as the Finnmark region which is one of the most beautiful regions I have explored in Europe.
The E6 (European Route 6) is the main north to south road through Norway and continues on through to Southern Sweden. It is 2,084km (1,295 miles) long and is one of the harshest main roads to drive along in the winter months, especially within the Arctic Circle.
I started the E6 where it starts/finishes (depending how you see it) just east of the centre of Kirkenes, which lies on the shores of the Arctic Ocean. This is a small fishing town which has been totally rebuilt after the Second World War when the Nazi Germans burnt down the whole town. Only thirteen houses remain of that era. As a visitor to the area, there is not much to do. The highlight is the church which has stood here since the 1850s but was rebuilt after the war and stands on a small hill overlooking the centre. There are also many statues and my favourite has to be the 'the mother’s monument'. This beautiful statue is of a woman holding a child in her arms and it’s a tribute to the part played by the women of the town during the war. It’s made by the Norwegian sculptor Per Ung. The statue was erected in the centre of Kirkenes in 1994 as part of commemorations of the 50th anniversary of the liberation by Kirkenes. The idea is that the women of Kirkenes deserved recognition for keeping the kids fed, alive and comforted during a three-year period from October 1941 to October 1944 when the air raid sirens were going almost every day as Russian planes launched attack after attack on German supply ships in the harbour and sometimes on the town itself.
The town of Kirkenes is actually named after the church (Kirkenes means ‘Church Headland’). I took a walk around the area and probably checked out the centre with the town's seafront in around thirty minutes (this would have been quicker if it wasn’t for lots of ice on the ground). The views of the seafront are worth checking out, seeing the beautiful rugged coastline with small hills surrounding the harbour. Apart from that I moved on out of town.
One fascinating fact about this part of Norway is the time zone. Kirkenes is east of Finland (and of course, Istanbul, Saint Petersburg, Kiev) and is ONE hour behind Finland as the region kept the same time as the rest of Norway. Traveling west and entering Finland, I would jump an hour. Coming towards Kirkenes from Finland and I would lose an hour. Also going into Russia nearby (about 14km away), in the summer months I would lose an hour but in the winter I would lose two hours. This is a crazy part of the world when it comes to timekeeping.
To the south-east of the town (slightly off the E6 but signposted in both Norwegian/Russian) is the border checkpoint. Managing to park up on the right hand side before the actual checkpoint area which is on the E105 route and had a great view of the lake. However no walking to the border is allowed and car vehicles can’t go through unless visitors have a visa (which can’t be brought at the control point). Just before I got back in the car, I noticed a tiny souvenir cabin on the other side of the road where Norwegian/Russian products can be brought and is owned by a man who moved here from Oslo so he could ‘just get away from it all’. He has got that right and I landed up talking to him for around forty minutes talking about the E6, Russia, Norwegian politics and the breakup of the relationship between Britain and the European Union and how happy he was to see us (the Brits) join his brothers (Norway, Iceland, Switzerland and Liechtenstein as they are not part of the European Union).
Back on the road and heading west passing the airport (which is on military land so no taking photos around this area, it’s clearly signposted), the road passes beautiful sloping hills but the land can be barren. Villages alongside the fjords can be seen and checked out whilst reindeer walk and look for food by the roadside. To be honest the road itself isn’t a problem to drive along but it’s the concentration which is needed. Reindeer and moose can jump out at any second, there could be huge chunks of snow blowing onto the windscreen, snow plows whizzing down the road and lots of ice can be on the road surface during the cold months.
After 82km, there is a turning to the right signposted Bugøynes which is another 20km along the coastal road. Here is a beautiful fishing village where views overlooking it must be had before driving down to the centre and checking out its wooden church. There is a shop and a restaurant here serving King Crab which has been given rave reviews on the internet but it was closed so no crab for me. The brown sandy beaches are a bonus and it’s here in the winter months that crazy people from the south known as Finnish folks come here to get naked and jump into the sea.
Back on the E6 and heading around the south/western end of the Varangerfjord, the road gets very exciting as there is a major roundabout junction in Varangerbotn to manage. This happens 118km after the last roundabout/major junction so you can imagine what sort of distances I was driving before seeing a road sign, changing gears in the car or having to turn my head left to right to look for oncoming traffic (which there was none). This is a major junction with the E75 (which goes towards Vardø, and more on that below) but also there is a gas station (which sells nice sausages to go), an Italian restaurant (which is reasonably priced) and a museum of the local area.
17km to the west (the E6/E75 share this bit of road all the way to Utsjoki in Finland), is Tana Bru (which in English means Bridge on Tana river). To be honest in this major road junction with a population of around 600, buggers all happen here apart from getting some gas, getting some sleep in a hotel, checking out the souvenir store and buying expensive beer from the supermarket. Otherwise just keep driving…….
The E6/E75 runs alongside the northern shores of the Tana river and there is not much to see unless stopping off for those beautiful photos of the river itself. The next major junction is where the E6 and E75 split just north of Utsjoki. The E6 carries on westwards towards Alta and Narvik and this is where I leave the road for now. Head south on the E75 and across the bridge into the small town of Utsjoki where the Norway-Finland border meets which means lots of cheaper food, gas and beer are to be had. Sights include the Sami Bridge (the bridge which links Norway and Finland in this part of the world), see one of Europe’s largest salmon fishing rivers, check out the local church plus the Kirkkotuvat which are accommodation huts for the church. Then there is also the chance to have a hotel snack and drink in the local cafe, buy souvenirs from the shop (which has a lot of handmade souvenirs) and there is also the northernmost bar in the European Union to check out. Also Utsjoki is an excellent place for Northern Light chasing with the local Aurora Holidays tour operator which is worth checking out (read more about this towards the bottom of the post).
Exploring the small city of Vardø, Norway
A city further than Istanbul, Kiev and Saint Petersburg in Europe, a city which is far away from its capital (Oslo by nearly 2000km), and a city which is one hour behind most of Finland where the whole country lies totally beneath it and is an hour in front. Vardø flung out on a small island from the mainland and was one of my dream destinations to visit in Europe. I rented a car at Kirkenes airport some 250km (153 miles) away to check out one of the smallest cities in one of the biggest countries in this part of the world. This makes an excellent day trip from the E6 road with plenty to explore.
On the drive towards the city passing beautiful places on the Finnmark coastline like Varangerbotn, Nesseby and Vasdø, the landscape went to a rugged coastline to a land which was coated with pure fresh snow, the wind blowing the white dust across the road, ice patches in places, not many trees to be seen and the ones I saw, I could only see the tops off. Mind you this was the back end of winter where most of the houses (where I did see some) were abandoned and will not see life until the summer comes around. I did pass some beautiful beaches along the way but the bitter cold wind of the Arctic Ocean made me sit in the car and just watch the waves crash against the rocks. The further north I went, the harsher the weather, the more lonely I got. I didn’t see a car for ages on this stretch of the longest road in Europe (E75 - from Vardø to Crete, Greece).
Then I drove through the tunnel which goes underneath the sea (and is one of the first tunnels to be built in Norway) and arrived on the island of Vardøya where the city lies. Here are my top tips to do and see in this city flung out right on the edge of the Arctic Ocean.
Vardøhus Fortress - this is the northernmost star fort in the world and has to be checked out (a star fort is where the fortress is built inside a star-shaped moat which surrounds it). Lying on the western side of town (easily signposted with brown signs), it was built in the 14th century to make sure the locals were defended from other tribes in the Finnmark region where Vardø lies and Russia. However, the fortress (and the rest of the country) have not had a war with Russia, the locals in the Finnmark region behaved themselves and no shots have been fired. Even during the crisis of the Second World War when the Nazi Germans came up to this region, they used the fortress as a base (but only one incident of gun fire was reported in the early stages of the war when a German plane dropped a bomb nearby but a Norwegian soldier fired back, that being the one and only incident of gun fire at the fortress since it was built).
Walking around the small fortress, it was hard to stand on the surrounding star-shaped walls due to the bitter winds but did see some of the canons which are located here and are still used in ceremony displays. Some of the buildings are closed off to the public but the ones I did see showed us displays on how the fortress was used over the years.
Steilneset Memorial - Right next to the fortress is this amazing memorial dedicated to those who were burned at the stake accursed for doing witchcraft. Seventy-seven women and fourteen men lost their lives between 1662 & 1663 and it took over 348 years for a memorial to be erected.
There are actually two parts to this memorial, the main part being a 410ft long wooden structure which is covered with fabric making it look like a long cocoon. Whilst walking inside, I noticed that there were ninety-one randomly placed small windows, each one marking one life lost in the trails. Next to each window is a board with text on it explaining why that person had to be burned at the stake.
The second part is a building made from steel and seventeen panes of tinted glass which form the walls of the structure. In the middle is a metal chair with flames coming out of the seat. Above this is seven oval mirrors which form a ring around the fiery seat which the locals say looks like judges circling the condemned.
The end of the E75 - People would think that a start of a major road like this one (again, the longest one in Europe which starts here and goes all the way to Crete, Greece) would have a sign or something, not here, here is my view of the end of the main road.
Globus II Radar - this huge golf ball overlooks the city and is an eyesore in the same ways but because Russian waters (and lands) lie slightly east of here, it is used by NATO to spy on them. That’s my version. The real deal is that it is there to monitor space junk and to spy on planes flying over the Middle East during conflicts.
Shops, Cafes and Gas Stations - there are not many things to do and see in the actual centre itself. I checked out the local supermarket which is also home to the post office and a hardware store. Next to that is a gas station (with the prices more expensive here than the mainland) and sometimes there maybe a couple of restaurants open but only when the tourists come off the Hurtigruten cruise ships which stops off at the main ports along Norway’s coastline (note: It takes six days to get to Bergen from Vardø). Here there is also a souvenir shop for those visitors but I was probably the only one to stop by that day. Next to the tiny harbour there is another cafe which I checked out and got fancy hot chocolate with colourful marshmallows.
I took a drive around the whole city, looking at the colourful buildings but did find a few buildings with street art on them. That’s because ten buildings were painted on by international artists back in 2012 as part of an urban festival. Funky indeed.
Before heading back south to a warmer climate, I made sure I had gas in the tank, food and drink in the car and battled through winter wonderland scenes as photos are shown below. This part of Europe was well worth the wait, the drive and the few hours to capture it and get a sense of what it can be like to check out the place during the winter, with the bitter winds and lack of life going on.
Chasing the Northern Lights in Lapland
I was very fortunate one winter to try out the whole package with Aurora Holidays in the northernmost town in Finland, Utsjoki. This sleepy town really turns into a real winter wonderland when the snow comes. Anyone looking to do some winter outdoor and cultural activities between November and April with the added bonus of seeing the Northern Lights, then Aurora Holidays is the company to book it with. For me it was a magical experience and I hope to relive the magic in the near future.
What I like about the tour company is that they would pick up visitors to the area from Inari airport, then on the way to Utsjoki give visitors the chance to go to a local supermarket and buy all their drinks and food which they require for the visit. How cool is that?
Accommodation: I totally love the accommodation here. The cottages here are equipped with everything from the everyday kitchen amenities to a fridge/freezer, hob, kettle to a dining table next to the window to which I could sit and have a lovely warm meal cooked by myself and looking out at the beautiful landscape. There is also a sauna, yes, I couldn’t believe it, my own private sauna so everyday after I do a day's activities, I would go in here and relax. There is also a television, standard size beds and clean washroom facilities, everything one needs for a winter’s break.
Northern Lights: What I love about the cottages is that I can just walk out and I would be looking at the Northern Lights. They are just absolutely stunning and I have spent many hours at night here just seeing them dancing in the sky. There were some periods as I stood on the frozen river next to the cottage where the sky would be in complete darkness then suddenly BOOM, the green coloured lights were dancing all over the place. I will never forget this and it has remained with me ever since. I can never forget their beauty. Also if there is one evening that the Northern Lights can’t be seen over Utsjoki, then the guys at Aurora Holidays will try and get you to an area where the Northern Lights may appear using high-tech systems which detect the possible likelihood of the lights appearing.
Extras: Aurora Holidays offers extra activities which can be done for a fee ranging from snowshoeing, visiting the local village and having an adventure with husky dogs. Here is what I experienced.
Snowshoe adventure: I felt as if I was walking like a penguin at first after I put on the snow shoes for the first time in my life but after a while I mastered this and was doing the slow short hike up the nearby hillside. The terrain wasn’t difficult which was great so I can recommend this to people of all ages and fitness levels. It's a great morning workout. At the top of the hill, our group was treated to a lunch break in a private hut which had a fireplace which was rather nice and cozy. The views looking out to the north, over the river and into Norway were just nice on this clear winter’s day.
Husky dog sledding experience in the Arctic wilderness: I have never done husky dog sledding before and I was told that this activity is so much different to the ones in the touristy places in other parts of the Nordics. Instead of a short ten to twenty minute ride going in a small circle like most companies do, I was flung out into the Arctic wilderness for a two hour ride with one of Norway’s leading husky dog leaders.
The day started with a drive to Tana Bru over the border in Norway which is about an hour’s drive from the base in Utsjoki, Finland. On my arrival I met Tom, the leader for the day who was going to be in the leading sledge and gave myself and the rest of the group I was with instructions on how to get the huskies to pull the sledge and how to stop in an emergency. For the first half of the ride, I opted to do the steering etc whilst the other person I was with got herself wrapped up warm in the sledge and just looked on. Not too long after our arrival we were off whizzing through the snow and out into the wilderness.
After a few minutes I noticed the huskies I had were not as fast as the ones pulling the other sled (but it was a good job I was at the rear as there were only three sledges being pulled on this trip). I had six huskies pulling our sledge, the leaders did well but the two in the middle kept crossing the main rope so I had a little bit of an off-balance when in motion. At the rear the two dogs (who were both females) were trying to hump each other (having sex basically) while the other huskies were working hard to play catch up on the other sledges.
Going around corners was a scary thought at first as the foot brake has to be applied once into the curve but after a while I mastered that. Only on steep downhill sections was when the foot brake had to be pressed hard otherwise I would have gone flying over the dogs or gone to the side, let go off the sledge and the dogs would have ran off into the wild.
The course was mostly flat, the trees were bare (as it was the end of the winter months), the winter sun shining its rays on us (where I did get a suntan on my face so don’t forget the lotion) and the sharp cold breeze on my face was enough to keep me awake and focused.
The other two sledges in front of me were so fast that they left me behind by a far distance in most places and as the ride went on, my huskies were getting slower but still doing the job. Just before the end of the trail, there were quite a few downhill sections and trees to divert around and that was probably the fastest part of the ride for my team of huskies.
After the ride I sat beside an outdoor fire drinking coffee and hot juice reflecting on the morning's ride. Despite the problems (which were minor) I had, I really had a very enjoyable ride and one I won’t forget. My voice was hurting for a while as I kept shouting STOP and GO all the time, in some parts confusing the huskies as they didn’t know if they were coming or going. This has been one activity I have been wanting to do for a long time and I was glad to do it with Tana Husky (the name of the company who supplied the huskies).
Aurora Holidays then picked up the guests who went on this activity and took us into the centre of Tana Bru where there are some local shops to buy products where the highlight is Tana gull og solvsmie where they produce a lot of beautiful jewellery which most is made on site. Then it’s the drive back to Utsjoki.
Snowmobiling and Ice Fishing: Another first for me, snowmobiling! But I didn’t drive the vehicle, I was a passenger in a sledge which was pulled by the snowmobile. Would you trust me with a machine that is powerful over the snow? I also wouldn’t have a clue where I was going as everything is pure white up here in the winter months. After a lengthy drive into the wilderness from Utsjoki, I was taken to the top of the fells and the landscape up here is truly amazing. Eventually I was taken to a frozen lake where my ass was freaking freezing for a few hours. I didn't catch a fish but you know what, I enjoyed every minute of it.
Taking in a Sami Meal: For an extra fee, I was fortunate to have a meal with a local Sami in the village of Utsjoki in a traditional hut with an open fire inside. All food is local, cooked inside the hut and whilst waiting for the food to be prepared, the host would tell us a bit about the history of the local folk and a story or two.
Learn about the Sami people and culture: This I found really interesting whilst spending a day with Aurora Holidays in the town of Inari (a couple of hours drive south). I was fortunate enough to see the World Championships of Reindeer racing but afterwards I took in the Siida Sami museum which is a great way to learn about the indigenous people of Lapland and their way of life. There is plenty to see here with fantastic visual displays and authentic Sami tools and clothing. I didn’t find this museum dull and found it very informative.
Afterthought: If this sounds like the sort of tour you want to do whilst in Lapland, then check out Aurora Holidays website and book it up! But be quick, due to space, the tour package does book up very quickly for the winter season (they are also open in the summer for hiking packages). Out of all the travels I have done in the world, this is right up there at the top. Everything was done to detail and everything was perfect. The guys at Aurora Holidays know what visitors want and expect and they do deliver.
Afterthought on the Finnmark region
Whilst driving around the Finnmark region of Norway, I took in spectacular scenery which I have never seen in any other region in Europe, saw beautiful wildlife, a lot of snow and the folk around here are just dam too pleasant. I love this region and I hope to return one day.
Essential Information
How to get there: Flying is the best and quickest way to reach this region from Southern Finland or Norway. I would recommend using Skyscanner to find flights as that is my first point of call. Then if necessary use the airlines directly to find a good deal. I sometimes use Momondo as well to compare prices before booking. The main airport for Finnmark region in Norway is Kirkenes with Widerøe, SAS and Norwegian. Ivalo is an airport about ninety minutes drive south of Utsjoki in Northern Finland and flights are with Finnair.
Car Rentals - as I do a lot of road trips around the world, I use Rentalcars.com which is very reliable for booking car hire in advance. I also use Turo (the airbnb of car rentals) and never had a problem with them. The cars are insured, owners vetted and never had an issue.
Need insurance? Safety Wing offers coverage for a lot of adventure activities as well as emergency medical, lost luggage, trip cancellation and so forth. I never travel without travel insurance. I highly recommend them for those who need travel insurance.
Currency: Finland uses the Euro and is the currency for most countries in the European Union (and is accepted as well in Monaco, Andorra, San Marino, and the Vatican City). In Norway they use the Norwegian krone (which means Norwegian Crown) .
Language: English is widely spoken in Norway and Finland and is taught in most schools with children. Norwegian people speak Norwegian and Finnish people speak Finnish. Sámi also is spoken. Sami and Saami, are a group of Uralic languages spoken by the Indigenous Sámi people in Northern Europe (in parts of northern Finland, Norway, Sweden, and extreme northwestern Russia).
Watch out for: getting yourself drunk after a great time in the bars and finding out the next morning your wallet or purse has no more money in it. Also Moose, Elk and Reindeer in the road whilst driving.
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Please note that while I was working with some of the companies mentioned in this blog post such as Aurora Holidays, my review and experiences written about in this post are 100% genuine. I value my readers too much to lie to you. My blog would be nothing without you and your continued support! There maybe some links above which are affiliate and are at no additional cost to you. If my readers use them, I earn a commission to buy their products and remember, I only mentioned products and companies I use. The income from this keeps this website going. Thank you.
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