Welcome to Kirkenes!
Take a peek at one of the most interesting and prospective small towns in the European High North. Read more about the town here.
You can read news stories from Kirkenes in the Kirkenes news archive.
Kirkenes is located on the coast of the Barents Sea, in the cross-roads between Norway, Russia and Finland. The municipality, which has about 10,000 inhabitants, hosts the Norwegian Barents Secretariat and a number of other organisations and companies specialised on cross-border trade and cooperation.
In connection with the development of industrial projects in the Barents Sea, Kirkenes looks set to boost activities within logistics and services. The local port is ice-free all year round and deep enough for large-size tankers.
Kirkenes is the former mining town, which now prepares for the revival of the mining industry. In 2006, the Tschudi Shipping company bought the Syd-Varanger iron mines and major land areas in the local municipality. The company now intends to revive extraction after more than a decade of standstill.
Kirkenes is located on the border to Russia and constitutes a key part of the projected "Pomor Zone", an unprecedented industrial and economic zone in the Norwegian-Russian borderlands. If implemented, the zone will become a hub for regional oil and gas industry, as well as ship repair and logistics.
In addition, Kirkenes i located in the Sør-Varanger Municipality, which is well known for its rich and diverse nature. Deep fjords, mountains, thousands of lakes, the salmon rivers and the exotic king crab offer tourists plenty of adventures.
Visit local resources:
The Norwegian Barents Secretariat
The International Barents Secretariat
Himmelstigen (local history and unique photo gallery)
