Kirkenes

Kirkenes - darkometer rating : 5 - Kirkenes is the last outpost town of north-eastern Norway before the border with Russia . As such it was a particularly sensitive place during the Cold War . And before that its gateway position, ice-free harbour and proximity to various coal and nickel mines made it a hotly contested target in WWII between occupying Nazi Germany and the USSR as well. Local museums cover both of these aspects today. > More background info > What there is to see > Location > Access and costs > Time required > Combinations with other dark destinations > Combinations with non-dark destinations > Photos More background info: Kirkenes is a remote place, the easternmost town in Norway and high above the Arctic Circle. Despite its remoteness it is a strategically important location – due to a largely ice-free harbour with access to the Barents Sea. Thus it was held by Germany as part of the occupation of Norway in WWII – and during those years it saw an unusually large number of air raids. It was also the first place to be recaptured by the Soviet Red Army in 1944 – at a time when the Germans were retreating, leaving behind "scorched earth" as they went. Almost all of Kirkenes was destroyed. During the Cold War era, this was the only area in Europe where the Soviet Union and a NATO country shared a direct Iron Curtain border. (And the only other stretch of it where the USSR faced a NATO member directly was the border between Turkey and Armenia – see Ani and Ani viewpoint & Iron Curtain ). Today, with the Cold War over, Kirkenes also serves as the gateway to north-western Russia , especially Murmansk . In fact, the proximity of Russia also shows in Kirkenes itself: street names are given in both Norwegian and Russian, there's a weekly Russian market and lots of Russian boats, both fishing vessels and icebreakers use the ice-free harbour of Kirkenes.