Vardø Municipality Vardø kommune | |
|---|---|
 View of Vardø | |
 Coat of arms | |
 Finnmark within Norway | |
 Vardø within Finnmark | |
| Coordinates:70°22′14″N31°01′27″E / 70.37056°N 31.02417°E /70.37056; 31.02417 | |
| Country | Norway |
| County | Finnmark |
| District | Øst-Finnmark |
| Established | 1 Jan 1838 |
| Administrative centre | Vardø |
| Government | |
| • Mayor(2023) | Tor Erik Labahå (Sp) |
| Area | |
• Total | 600.85 km2 (231.99 sq mi) |
| • Land | 585.02 km2 (225.88 sq mi) |
| • Water | 15.83 km2 (6.11 sq mi) 2.6% |
| • Rank | #188 in Norway |
| Highest elevation | 492.4 m (1,615 ft) |
| Population (2024) | |
• Total | 1,972 |
| • Rank | #284 in Norway |
| • Density | 3.3/km2 (8.5/sq mi) |
| • Change(10 years) |  −6.9% |
| Demonym | Vardøværing[2] |
| Official language | |
| • Norwegian form | Bokmål |
| Time zone | UTC+01:00 (CET) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC+02:00 (CEST) |
| ISO 3166 code | NO-5634[4] |
| Website | Official website |
Vardø (Norwegian pronunciation:[vaɖːø]ⓘ;Finnish:Vuoreija;Kven:Vuorea;Northern Sami:Várggát) is amunicipality inFinnmarkcounty in the extreme northeastern part ofNorway. Vardø is the easternmost town in Norway, more to the east thanSaint Petersburg orIstanbul. Theadministrative centre of the municipality is thetown of Vardø. Two of the larger villages in the municipality areKiberg andSvartnes.
The 601-square-kilometre (232 sq mi) municipality is the 188th largest by area out of the 357 municipalities in Norway. Vardø is the 284th most populous municipality in Norway with a population of 1,972. The municipality'spopulation density is 3.3 inhabitants per square kilometre (8.5/sq mi) and its population has decreased by 6.9% over the previous 10-year period.[5][6]
The town of Vardø and the rural district around it was established as a municipality on 1 January 1838 (seeformannskapsdistrikt law). The law required that all towns 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. (This also happened to the nearby towns ofHammerfest andVadsø.) The rural district of Vardø (Vardø landdistrikt, which was renamedBåtsfjord Municipality in 1957) was officially separated from the town of Vardø in 1868. During the 1960s, there were many municipal mergers across Norway due to the work of theSchei Committee. On 1 January 1964, the eastern part of Båtsfjord merged with the town of Vardø to create Vardø Municipality.[7]
On 1 January 2020, the municipality became part of the newly formedTroms og Finnmark county. Previously, it had been part of the oldFinnmark county.[8] On 1 January 2024, theTroms og Finnmark county was divided and the municipality once again became part ofFinnmark county.[9]
TheOld Norse form of the name wasVargøy. The first element isvargr which means "wolf" and the last element isøy which means "island". The first element was later replaced (around 1500) withvarða which means "cairn". Historically, the name was spelledVardöe.[10][11]
Thecoat of arms dates to 1898. Its borders are drawn using thenational colours: red, white, and blue. The border frames the shield, and the centre field shows a complex scene incorporating asunrise with rays, twofishing boats with crews, thesea with waves, and a largecod. In thechief is the year of the town's foundation, 1789, together with the words"Vardöensis Insignia Urbis", meaning "the seal of the town of Vardø". In the lower part of the arms is the town motto:"Cedant Tenebræ Soli", meaning "Darkness shall give way to the sun."[12][13] This is ahigh resolution version of the coat of arms.
TheChurch of Norway has one parish (sokn) within Vardø Municipality. It is part of theVaranger prosti (deanery) in theDiocese of Nord-Hålogaland.
| Parish (sokn) | Church name | Location of the church | Year built |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vardø | Vardø Church | Vardø | 1958 |
| Vardø Chapel | Vardø | 1908 |
Vardø has a long settlement history before it was granted status as a town in 1789. Several stone-age sites as well as sites dating from the Sami Iron Age are known on the island. In the Medieval period, Vardø's importance grew as a result of it being the easternmost stronghold of the then-expanding Norwegian royal power. A church was built in Vardø in 1307, and the first fortress was established at about the same time. Thick cultural layers in the southeastern part of the town, Østervågen, document continuous habitation in this area reaching back at least some 800 years.
Even if the presence of the fortress and king's bailiff gave Vardø a certain degree of permanence and stability not experienced by other fishing communities in Finnmark, the town's size and importance waxed and waned with the changing fortunes of the fisheries. In the mid-16th century Vardø had a population of 400 to 500 people. By 1789, however, it had reduced to about 100.
In the 17th century, Vardø was the center of a great number ofwitchcraft trials. More than 90 persons, Norwegian and Sami, were given death sentences. They are commemorated in theSteilneset Memorial.
In 1769, the Hungarian astronomerMaximilian Hell and his assistantJános Sajnovics, delegated byChristian VII of Denmark, traveled to Vardø to observe theTransit of Venus.
After 1850, the town saw a marked expansion. The fisheries grew in importance, and so did thePomor trade with Russia's White Sea region. In 1850 the population reached 400, and in 1910 it passed 3 000.
During World War II, with Norway occupied by the GermanWehrmacht, Vardø was heavily bombed by Allied, mostly Russian forces. Most of the town center was destroyed, and the population was evacuated. After the war, the city center was completely reconstructed, but older, traditional houses survived in the periphery, such as in the old town in Østervågen.
As of 2017, the fishing industry had collapsed. From 1995 to 2017, the population shrank by 50 percent to 2,100 people. In May 2017 work to lay a new electric cable from the Norwegian mainland to the island began. The additional electricity is needed to power the American-fundedGLOBUS space surveillance system, located about 40 miles from Russia's Kola Peninsula, a territory studded with high-security naval bases and restricted military zones. The secrecy surrounding the radar systems has spawned fears that officials are covering up health hazards and other possible dangers. The electromagnetic pulses the current radar system emits interfere with television and radio reception, and some residents have blamed them for a rash of miscarriages and cancer cases in a civilian district next to the fenced-in security zone.[14]
The town was selected as themillennium site for Finnmark county.
Vardø Municipality is responsible forprimary education (through 10th grade), outpatienthealth services,senior citizen services,welfare and othersocial services,zoning,economic development, and municipalroads and utilities. The municipality is governed by amunicipal council ofdirectly elected representatives. Themayor isindirectly elected by a vote of the municipal council.[15] The municipality is under the jurisdiction of theIndre og Østre Finnmark District Court and theHålogaland Court of Appeal.
Themunicipal council(Kommunestyre) of Vardø Municipality is made up of 19 representatives elected to four-year terms. The tables below show the current and historical composition of the council by politicalparty.
| Party name(in Norwegian) | Number of representatives | |
|---|---|---|
| Labour Party(Arbeiderpartiet) | 9 | |
| Green Party(Miljøpartiet De Grønne) | 5 | |
| Conservative Party(Høyre) | 2 | |
| Centre Party(Senterpartiet) | 2 | |
| Socialist Left Party(Sosialistisk Venstreparti) | 1 | |
| Total number of members: | 19 | |
| Party name(in Norwegian) | Number of representatives | |
|---|---|---|
| Labour Party(Arbeiderpartiet) | 8 | |
| Green Party(Miljøpartiet De Grønne) | 5 | |
| Conservative Party(Høyre) | 1 | |
| Centre Party(Senterpartiet) | 4 | |
| Socialist Left Party(Sosialistisk Venstreparti) | 1 | |
| Total number of members: | 19 | |
| Party name(in Norwegian) | Number of representatives | |
|---|---|---|
| Labour Party(Arbeiderpartiet) | 10 | |
| Progress Party(Fremskrittspartiet) | 1 | |
| Green Party(Miljøpartiet De Grønne) | 3 | |
| Conservative Party(Høyre) | 2 | |
| Coastal Party(Kystpartiet) | 1 | |
| Liberal Party(Venstre) | 2 | |
| Total number of members: | 19 | |
| Party name(in Norwegian) | Number of representatives | |
|---|---|---|
| Labour Party(Arbeiderpartiet) | 8 | |
| Progress Party(Fremskrittspartiet) | 4 | |
| Conservative Party(Høyre) | 2 | |
| Coastal Party(Kystpartiet) | 2 | |
| Socialist Left Party(Sosialistisk Venstreparti) | 1 | |
| Liberal Party(Venstre) | 2 | |
| Total number of members: | 19 | |
| Party name(in Norwegian) | Number of representatives | |
|---|---|---|
| Labour Party(Arbeiderpartiet) | 9 | |
| Progress Party(Fremskrittspartiet) | 2 | |
| Conservative Party(Høyre) | 1 | |
| Coastal Party(Kystpartiet) | 2 | |
| Socialist Left Party(Sosialistisk Venstreparti) | 1 | |
| Liberal Party(Venstre) | 1 | |
| Vardø List(Vardølista) | 3 | |
| Total number of members: | 19 | |
| Party name(in Norwegian) | Number of representatives | |
|---|---|---|
| Labour Party(Arbeiderpartiet) | 13 | |
| Progress Party(Fremskrittspartiet) | 1 | |
| Conservative Party(Høyre) | 2 | |
| Socialist Left Party(Sosialistisk Venstreparti) | 2 | |
| Liberal Party(Venstre) | 1 | |
| Total number of members: | 19 | |
| Party name(in Norwegian) | Number of representatives | |
|---|---|---|
| Labour Party(Arbeiderpartiet) | 11 | |
| Progress Party(Fremskrittspartiet) | 1 | |
| Conservative Party(Høyre) | 8 | |
| Christian Democratic Party(Kristelig Folkeparti) | 1 | |
| Socialist Left Party(Sosialistisk Venstreparti) | 3 | |
| Liberal Party(Venstre) | 1 | |
| Total number of members: | 25 | |
| Party name(in Norwegian) | Number of representatives | |
|---|---|---|
| Labour Party(Arbeiderpartiet) | 10 | |
| Progress Party(Fremskrittspartiet) | 2 | |
| Conservative Party(Høyre) | 6 | |
| Christian Democratic Party(Kristelig Folkeparti) | 1 | |
| Centre Party(Senterpartiet) | 3 | |
| Socialist Left Party(Sosialistisk Venstreparti) | 2 | |
| Liberal Party(Venstre) | 1 | |
| Total number of members: | 25 | |
| Party name(in Norwegian) | Number of representatives | |
|---|---|---|
| Labour Party(Arbeiderpartiet) | 11 | |
| Conservative Party(Høyre) | 6 | |
| Socialist Left Party(Sosialistisk Venstreparti) | 5 | |
| Liberal Party(Venstre) | 3 | |
| Total number of members: | 25 | |
| Party name(in Norwegian) | Number of representatives | |
|---|---|---|
| Labour Party(Arbeiderpartiet) | 16 | |
| Conservative Party(Høyre) | 6 | |
| Communist Party(Kommunistiske Parti) | 1 | |
| Socialist Left Party(Sosialistisk Venstreparti) | 4 | |
| Liberal Party(Venstre) | 2 | |
| Total number of members: | 29 | |
| Party name(in Norwegian) | Number of representatives | |
|---|---|---|
| Labour Party(Arbeiderpartiet) | 19 | |
| Conservative Party(Høyre) | 4 | |
| Communist Party(Kommunistiske Parti) | 1 | |
| Socialist Left Party(Sosialistisk Venstreparti) | 3 | |
| Liberal Party(Venstre) | 2 | |
| Total number of members: | 29 | |
| Party name(in Norwegian) | Number of representatives | |
|---|---|---|
| Labour Party(Arbeiderpartiet) | 16 | |
| Conservative Party(Høyre) | 6 | |
| Christian Democratic Party(Kristelig Folkeparti) | 1 | |
| Socialist Left Party(Sosialistisk Venstreparti) | 3 | |
| Liberal Party(Venstre) | 3 | |
| Total number of members: | 29 | |
| Party name(in Norwegian) | Number of representatives | |
|---|---|---|
| Labour Party(Arbeiderpartiet) | 16 | |
| Conservative Party(Høyre) | 4 | |
| Christian Democratic Party(Kristelig Folkeparti) | 2 | |
| Socialist Left Party(Sosialistisk Venstreparti) | 4 | |
| Liberal Party(Venstre) | 3 | |
| Total number of members: | 29 | |
| Party name(in Norwegian) | Number of representatives | |
|---|---|---|
| Labour Party(Arbeiderpartiet) | 15 | |
| Conservative Party(Høyre) | 4 | |
| Liberal Party(Venstre) | 3 | |
| Local List(s)(Lokale lister) | 1 | |
| Socialist common list (Venstresosialistiske felleslister) | 6 | |
| Total number of members: | 29 | |
| Party name(in Norwegian) | Number of representatives | |
|---|---|---|
| Labour Party(Arbeiderpartiet) | 14 | |
| Conservative Party(Høyre) | 4 | |
| Communist Party(Kommunistiske Parti) | 3 | |
| Socialist People's Party(Sosialistisk Folkeparti) | 4 | |
| Liberal Party(Venstre) | 4 | |
| Total number of members: | 29 | |
| Party name(in Norwegian) | Number of representatives | |
|---|---|---|
| Labour Party(Arbeiderpartiet) | 15 | |
| Conservative Party(Høyre) | 5 | |
| Communist Party(Kommunistiske Parti) | 4 | |
| Liberal Party(Venstre) | 5 | |
| Total number of members: | 29 | |
| Party name(in Norwegian) | Number of representatives | |
|---|---|---|
| Labour Party(Arbeiderpartiet) | 14 | |
| Conservative Party(Høyre) | 5 | |
| Communist Party(Kommunistiske Parti) | 5 | |
| Liberal Party(Venstre) | 5 | |
| Total number of members: | 29 | |
| Party name(in Norwegian) | Number of representatives | |
|---|---|---|
| Labour Party(Arbeiderpartiet) | 17 | |
| Conservative Party(Høyre) | 3 | |
| Communist Party(Kommunistiske Parti) | 5 | |
| Liberal Party(Venstre) | 4 | |
| Total number of members: | 29 | |
| Party name(in Norwegian) | Number of representatives | |
|---|---|---|
| Labour Party(Arbeiderpartiet) | 15 | |
| Conservative Party(Høyre) | 3 | |
| Communist Party(Kommunistiske Parti) | 6 | |
| Liberal Party(Venstre) | 4 | |
| Total number of members: | 28 | |
| Party name(in Norwegian) | Number of representatives | |
|---|---|---|
| Labour Party(Arbeiderpartiet) | 13 | |
| Conservative Party(Høyre) | 2 | |
| Communist Party(Kommunistiske Parti) | 5 | |
| Liberal Party(Venstre) | 5 | |
| Local List(s)(Lokale lister) | 3 | |
| Total number of members: | 28 | |
| Party name(in Norwegian) | Number of representatives | |
|---|---|---|
| Labour Party(Arbeiderpartiet) | 16 | |
| Conservative Party(Høyre) | 3 | |
| Communist Party(Kommunistiske Parti) | 6 | |
| Liberal Party(Venstre) | 3 | |
| Total number of members: | 28 | |
| Party name(in Norwegian) | Number of representatives | |
|---|---|---|
| Labour Party(Arbeiderpartiet) | 14 | |
| Communist Party(Kommunistiske Parti) | 3 | |
| Liberal Party(Venstre) | 5 | |
| Joint list of theConservative Party (Høyre) and theFree-minded People's Party (Frisinnede Folkeparti) | 6 | |
| Total number of members: | 28 | |
| Note: Due to theGerman occupation of Norway duringWorld War II, no elections were held for new municipal councils until after the war ended in 1945. | ||
| Party name(in Norwegian) | Number of representatives | |
|---|---|---|
| Labour Party(Arbeiderpartiet) | 15 | |
| Conservative Party(Høyre) | 6 | |
| Communist Party(Kommunistiske Parti) | 2 | |
| Liberal Party(Venstre) | 5 | |
| Total number of members: | 28 | |
| Party name(in Norwegian) | Number of representatives | |
|---|---|---|
| Labour Party(Arbeiderpartiet) | 11 | |
| Communist Party(Kommunistiske Parti) | 1 | |
| Liberal Party(Venstre) | 6 | |
| Joint list of theConservative Party (Høyre) and theFree-minded People's Party (Frisinnede Folkeparti) | 8 | |
| Local List(s)(Lokale lister) | 2 | |
| Total number of members: | 28 | |
| Party name(in Norwegian) | Number of representatives | |
|---|---|---|
| Labour Party(Arbeiderpartiet) | 14 | |
| Communist Party(Kommunistiske Parti) | 1 | |
| Liberal Party(Venstre) | 5 | |
| Joint list of theConservative Party (Høyre) and theFree-minded Liberal Party (Frisinnede Venstre) | 8 | |
| Total number of members: | 28 | |
| Party name(in Norwegian) | Number of representatives | |
|---|---|---|
| Labour Party(Arbeiderpartiet) | 11 | |
| Liberal Party(Venstre) | 4 | |
| Joint List(s) of Non-Socialist Parties(Borgerlige Felleslister) | 8 | |
| Local List(s)(Lokale lister) | 3 | |
| Workers' common list(Arbeidernes fellesliste) | 2 | |
| Total number of members: | 28 | |
| Party name(in Norwegian) | Number of representatives | |
|---|---|---|
| Labour Party(Arbeiderpartiet) | 11 | |
| Liberal Party(Venstre) | 2 | |
| Joint list of theConservative Party (Høyre) and theFree-minded Liberal Party (Frisinnede Venstre) | 9 | |
| Local List(s)(Lokale lister) | 6 | |
| Total number of members: | 28 | |
| Party name(in Norwegian) | Number of representatives | |
|---|---|---|
| Labour Party(Arbeiderpartiet) | 12 | |
| Joint List(s) of Non-Socialist Parties(Borgerlige Felleslister) | 16 | |
| Total number of members: | 28 | |
Themayor (Norwegian:ordfører) of Vardø Municipality is the political leader of the municipality and the chairperson of the municipal council. Here is a list of people who have held this position:[41][42][43]
Vardø is the easternmost town in Norway and theNordic countries, located at 31°E, which is east ofSaint Petersburg,Kyiv andIstanbul. The eastern part of Finnmark is in the sametime zone as the rest of the country, despite daylight shifted by more than an hour. The town is on the island ofVardøya, but the municipality includes significant area on the mainland of theVaranger Peninsula, including part of theVarangerhalvøya National Park in the southwest. The highest point in the municipality is the 492-metre (1,614 ft) tall mountain Grythaugen.[1]
The mountainDomen lies on the shore of the Varanger Peninsula. South of it lies the smallKibergsneset peninsula, where the village ofKiberg is. The town lies on the island ofVardøya, which is surrounded by a few smaller islands.Hornøya is one of them. It is northeast of Vardøya and is the site ofVardø Lighthouse. The mouth of theVarangerfjorden lies along the municipality's eastern coast.
_(Vard%25C3%25B8_Radio%2c_SN98550).svg)
The port of Vardø, on theBarents Sea, remains ice-free all year round thanks to the warmNorth Atlantic drift. Vardø earlier had atundra climate (Köppen:ET),[45] but as a result of warming, Vardø now has asubarctic climate (Köppen:Dfc) using the official 1991-2020 period, because the monthly mean temperatures in July and August has passed the 10 °C (50 °F) threshold. Excluding high mountain areas, it was earlier the only town in Norway proper (excludingSvalbard andJan Mayen) with a polar climate. The town is on an unsheltered island in the Barents Sea and treeless. The "midnight sun" is above the horizon from 16 May to 29 July, and the period with continuous daylight lasts a bit longer,polar night from 24 November to 19 January. The average date for first overnight freeze (below 0 °C (32 °F)) in autumn is October 12.[46] The weather station Vardø Radio (10 m) started recording in June 1829.
| Climate data for Vardø (10 m, Vardø Radio), 1991–2020 normals, extremes 1829–present | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °C (°F) | 7.3 (45.1) | 6.9 (44.4) | 8.4 (47.1) | 13.3 (55.9) | 21.1 (70.0) | 25.8 (78.4) | 27.3 (81.1) | 25.1 (77.2) | 20.1 (68.2) | 13.8 (56.8) | 10.4 (50.7) | 7.3 (45.1) | 27.3 (81.1) |
| Mean maximum °C (°F) | 3.6 (38.5) | 3.3 (37.9) | 3.6 (38.5) | 6.8 (44.2) | 12.7 (54.9) | 16.8 (62.2) | 20.0 (68.0) | 19.1 (66.4) | 15.2 (59.4) | 9.9 (49.8) | 5.6 (42.1) | 4.8 (40.6) | 21.4 (70.5) |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | −1.2 (29.8) | −1.8 (28.8) | −0.4 (31.3) | 2.2 (36.0) | 5.8 (42.4) | 9.1 (48.4) | 12.3 (54.1) | 12.3 (54.1) | 9.8 (49.6) | 5.0 (41.0) | 1.7 (35.1) | 0.2 (32.4) | 4.6 (40.3) |
| Daily mean °C (°F) | −3.5 (25.7) | −3.9 (25.0) | −2.3 (27.9) | 0.3 (32.5) | 3.8 (38.8) | 7.0 (44.6) | 10.0 (50.0) | 10.1 (50.2) | 7.8 (46.0) | 3.3 (37.9) | −0.2 (31.6) | −2.0 (28.4) | 2.5 (36.6) |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | −6.0 (21.2) | −6.5 (20.3) | −4.5 (23.9) | −1.6 (29.1) | 1.8 (35.2) | 5.0 (41.0) | 8.0 (46.4) | 8.2 (46.8) | 5.9 (42.6) | 1.5 (34.7) | −2.2 (28.0) | −4.3 (24.3) | 0.4 (32.8) |
| Mean minimum °C (°F) | −12.8 (9.0) | −12.8 (9.0) | −9.8 (14.4) | −7.2 (19.0) | −2.3 (27.9) | 1.7 (35.1) | 5.3 (41.5) | 4.5 (40.1) | 1.8 (35.2) | −4.2 (24.4) | −7.9 (17.8) | −10.3 (13.5) | −14.5 (5.9) |
| Record low °C (°F) | −22.5 (−8.5) | −22.7 (−8.9) | −20.5 (−4.9) | −14.4 (6.1) | −10.3 (13.5) | −3.9 (25.0) | −1.6 (29.1) | −0.4 (31.3) | −4.8 (23.4) | −13.2 (8.2) | −15.0 (5.0) | −20.1 (−4.2) | −22.7 (−8.9) |
| Averageprecipitation mm (inches) | 59.1 (2.33) | 50.6 (1.99) | 51.8 (2.04) | 40.3 (1.59) | 35.6 (1.40) | 46.0 (1.81) | 55.0 (2.17) | 55.2 (2.17) | 46.6 (1.83) | 70.9 (2.79) | 52.8 (2.08) | 60.0 (2.36) | 623.9 (24.56) |
| Average extreme snow depth cm (inches) | 62 (24) | 83 (33) | 98 (39) | 97 (38) | 59 (23) | 10 (3.9) | 0 (0) | 0 (0) | 1 (0.4) | 8 (3.1) | 21 (8.3) | 42 (17) | 110 (43) |
| Average precipitation days | 16 | 13 | 13 | 11 | 9 | 8 | 9 | 9 | 10 | 16 | 13 | 14 | 141 |
| Averagerelative humidity (%) | 85 | 85 | 82 | 81 | 82 | 84 | 87 | 86 | 84 | 83 | 84 | 84 | 84 |
| Averagedew point °C (°F) | −6.3 (20.7) | −6.6 (20.1) | −5.4 (22.3) | −2.6 (27.3) | 0.5 (32.9) | 3.9 (39.0) | 7.7 (45.9) | 7.4 (45.3) | 5.7 (42.3) | 0.9 (33.6) | −2.2 (28.0) | −3.9 (25.0) | −0.1 (31.8) |
| Source 1: Norwegian Meteorological Institute (dew point and humidity 1991-2020, extreme snow depth 1897-1950 and extremes)[47][48] | |||||||||||||
| Source 2: NOAA WMO averages 91-2020 Norway[49] | |||||||||||||
The municipality of Vardø with its seabird colonies ofHornøya andReinøya are among the most interesting on this part of the coast. There is a small breeding population ofBrunnich's guillemot as well as larger numbers ofrazorbill andcommon guillemot.
The climate is too cold in summer and too windy in winter for trees, but a few planted trees exist in wind-sheltered locations, generallyrowans.
The island is connected to the mainland via theunderseaVardø Tunnel which was Norway's first such structure.Vardø Airport and the settlement ofSvartnes are on the mainland opposite the tunnel entrance. Vardø is a port of call on Norway'sHurtigruten ferry service. The town is the northern termination ofEuropean route E75, which starts inSitia,Crete.
The newspaperØsthavet has been published in Vardø since 1997.[50]
Fishing andseafood processing remain Vardø's major sources of income, althoughtourism is starting to become an important economic factor.
Vardø's tourist attractions include theVardøhus Festning, a fortress dating back to the 14th century (although the present structure dates from 1734); the witchcraft trials memorial; severalsea bird colonies; two museums: thePomor Museum and thePartisan Museum; and remnants of German fortifications fromWorld War II. TheYukigassen competition in Vardø is unique in Norway.
Vardøhus Festning is home to tworowan trees that are diligently nurtured and warmed in winter since they cannot normally survive in Vardø's climate, north of the Arctictree line. Seven trees were planted in 1960; the one that survived managed to blossom twice, in 1974 and 1981. It finally succumbed to the cold in 2002, but two new saplings have been planted in its place.
In the summer of 2012, Vardø hosted the urban art eventKomafest, where 12 international artists painted tens of the town's abandoned houses in a three-week period.
Fishing permits (for salmon fishing) are sold for use on specific rivers, including Komag-elva.[51]
Since 1998, the town has housedradar installations calledGLOBUS I, II and III. Its official purpose is the tracking ofspace junk, but due to the site's proximity toRussia and an alleged connection between the GLOBUS system andUS anti-missile systems, the site has been the basis for heated controversy in diplomatic and intelligence circles.[52] In March 2017 and again in February 2018 Russia executed mock air strikes aimed at Vardø, presumably because of the radar site. Both times military aircraft took off from theKola Peninsula in attack formations, but stopped short of Norwegian airspace.[53][54][55]
{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
Definitions from Wiktionary
Media from Commons
Travel guides from Wikivoyage
Data from WikidataPlaces adjacent to Vardø Municipality | |
|---|---|
| |||||||
 | Towns and cities |
| |||||
| Municipalities |
| ||||||
| |||||||
| Geographic | |
|---|---|
| Artists | |
| Other | |
