Vardø
Municipality · Finnmark
About Vardø
Steilneset, the witch-trial memorial by Peter Zumthor and Louise Bourgeois, star-shaped Vardøhus fortress, and puffins on the bird island Hornøya.
What to do and where to stay in Vardø
Places to stay are run locally, with no hotel or campsite chain behind them.
1Steilneset MemorialHistory & culture
A 135 m Peter Zumthor hall with 91 small lit windows, one for each person sentenced to death in Finnmark's witch trials, beside a Louise Bourgeois installation.
Steilneset, north shore of Vardøya, Vardø town · 45 min · all-year (unstaffed outdoor site)
2Vardøhus FortressHistory & culture
An eight-pointed fortress built in 1734–38 and still manned by the Navy, which fires a salute when the sun returns after the polar night and gives schoolchildren the day off.
Vardø town, east side · 45–60 min · All-year grounds; check opening hours before you go
3Hornøya bird cliffNature
Norway's easternmost island, a short boat ride from Vardø, where puffins and guillemots nest by the path; from 2026 you can only land with a licensed guide.
Hornøya, off Vardø harbour · 3–4 h including boat · seabirds roughly March/April–August; boats depend on weather
4Domen witch mountain and viewpointLocal oddity
A bare 164 m hill between Kiberg and Vardø where, in folklore, witches flew to meet the Devil, now with a Biotope-designed viewpoint shelter.
By E75 between Kiberg and Vardø · 20–45 min · all-year (E75 roadside)
5Kibergsneset and Fort Kiberg trailHike
A short trail climbs from Kiberg village to the ruins of the county's largest German coastal battery, manned by about 700 soldiers and blown up in October 1944.
Kibergsneset, Kiberg village · 1–2 h · May–October (snow-free)
6Komafest street artLocal oddity
Murals painted on mostly abandoned houses in 2012 by artists such as Vhils, Roa and Conor Harrington, curated by Norwegian street artist Pøbel.
Around Vardø town · 1 h · all-year
7Nordpol KroFood & drink
A pub run by the Bredesen family since the 1960s that calls itself North Norway's oldest, serving pizza and simple dishes amid a small museum of old items.
Kaigata 21, Vardø harbour · 1 h · all-year
8Komagdalen valley, Varanger Peninsula National ParkHike
A 7 km gravel road ends at a national park entrance with a fire-pit shelter, a bird trail into the valley and a 7 km walk to a suspension bridge.
Komagdalen, inland from Komagvær north of Vardø · 1 h to a full day (14 km return to the bridge) · June–September
9Vardø Museum at GammelskolenHistory & culture
Varanger museum's Vardø branch in the old school on Skolegata, with information on the Steilneset memorial and the Finnmark witch trials; open on weekdays.
Skolegata 1, Vardø town · 45 min · all-year (Mon–Fri 09–15)
10Vardø Tunnel under BussesundetLocal oddity
Norway's first undersea road tunnel, opened in 1982, carries E75 2.9 km under the strait to Vardøya, dipping to 88 m below sea level.
E75 between Svartnes and Vardøya · 5 min (drive-through) · all-year
Special places to stay
B&B in a former WWII partisan's house
Cape East Arctic Adventure homestay ↗
Rooms with breakfast in a sea-view house built by the wartime partisan Trygve Eriksen, near the Partisan Museum and Fort Kiberg.
Cape East Arctic Adventure(s), Kiberg · Kiberg
Book something local
boat / birdwatching
Guided Hornøya landing by boat ↗
Since 2026 Hornøya can only be visited with a licensed guide, who takes small groups ten minutes across the sound to the puffin and guillemot cliffs.
Several licensed operators, e.g. Vardø veteranbåtlag, Destinasjon Vardø, Cape East Adventures, Photo Tours Norway · Vardø harbour
guided bird photography tours
Photo Tours Norway – Varanger/Hornøya photo trips ↗
A 7-day photo tour with four nights in Vardø and two days on Hornøya's seabird cliffs, for up to six people.
Photo Tours Norway AS · Vardø / Varanger