Berlevåg
Municipality · Finnmark
About Berlevåg
A hike up Tanahorn, believed to be an old Sámi sacrificial site, the breakwaters guarding Berlevåg harbour and the men's choir from the film Cool & Crazy.
What to do and where to stay in Berlevåg
Places to stay are run locally, with no hotel or campsite chain behind them.
1Tanahorn hikeHike
A 7 km walk to a 270 m headland over the Barents Sea that is believed to have been a Sami sacrificial site, about 9 km west of Berlevåg.
West of Berlevåg, from a roadside bay on Fv890 · 2–3 h (7 km) · June–September
2Tetrapod breakwatersLocal oddity
More than 11,000 interlocking concrete tetrapods guard the harbour, the result of almost a century of breakwater building that began in 1913.
Berlevåg harbour; Revnes breakwater at the quay is easiest to reach · 20–45 min · all-year (winter storms are the spectacle)
3Berlevåg Harbour MuseumHistory & culture
Covers fishing, the Sea Sami and Pomor trade, the war and occupation, with boats, navigation markers and a large photo archive, by the Revnes breakwater.
Havnegata 19, Berlevåg · 45–60 min · Mainly summer; check opening hours before you go
4Kjølnes LighthouseViewpoint
Founded in 1916, blown up by retreating Germans in 1944 and rebuilt in 1949 by Gudolf Blakstad and Herman Munthe-Kaas, on a spit 5 km east of town.
Kjølnes, about 5 km east of Berlevåg · 30 min · all-year exterior
5Partisan Trail to Partisankløfta, LøkvikaHike
A 500 m path climbs from the rebuilt Loe family hut to the gorge where three partisans hid in 1942–43, radioing German ship movements to Murmansk.
Løkvika, about 20 km southeast of Berlevåg · 45 min (0.8 km return, 45 m climb) · May–September
6Kongsfjord fishing villageHistory & culture
A fishing village of about 35 people that the Germans had no time to burn in 1944, one of two preserved fishing-station-owner settlements in Finnmark.
Kongsfjord, on Fv890 about 40 km before Berlevåg · 30–60 min · all-year
7Veinesodden walk and Veines fortHike
An exposed 2.9 km path out the Veines peninsula passes an extensive German WWII bunker system, with a bird hide near the old fishing hamlet.
Veines, by Kongsfjord · 2–3 h (5.8 km return, 83 m climb) · May–October
8Restaurant at Kongsfjord Arctic LodgeFood & drink
A guesthouse restaurant in a restored 19th-century farm at Veines that serves traditional dishes made with local ingredients.
Veines, 9982 Kongsfjord · 1–1.5 h · summer certain; rest of year unknown
9Berlevåg ChurchHistory & culture
A whitewashed concrete church by Hans Magnus, finished in 1960 at the top of Granbakken, whose copper-clad tower serves as a landmark for boats.
Top of Granbakken, Berlevåg · 15–20 min · all-year (interior at services)
10Linken walk above BerlevågHike
An easy gravel road climbs from Øvreveien to the Linken radio mast, passing German bunkers and other WWII remains, for a view over the town.
Above Berlevåg town, from Øvreveien · 1 h (1.5 km one way, 49 m climb) · May–October
Special places to stay
guesthouse in a restored 19th-century farm
Kongsfjord Arctic Lodge (Kongsfjord Gjestehus)
Eight rooms and flats in restored old houses on the beach at Veines, with old wooden interiors and a small restaurant.
Kongsfjord Arctic Lodge · Veines, Kongsfjord
Nearby, also among the best for midnight sun
- BåtsfjordFinnmarkMidnight sun (among Norway's best)Wildlife (among Norway's best)
- GamvikFinnmarkMidnight sun (among Norway's best)Weird & wonderful (good)
- VadsøFinnmarkMidnight sun (among Norway's best)National Tourist Routes (among Norway's best)
- NessebyFinnmarkMidnight sun (among Norway's best)Quiet & remote (among Norway's best)