Vardø – History, Street Art and the Northern Lights

Vardø combines a powerful culture of remembrance with street art and Arctic landscapes. The Steilneset Memorial commemorates 91 people who were convicted of witchcraft and burned at the stake there. Art throughout the town, historic sites and walking trails offer a different perspective. When planning your trip, you can decide whether to focus on museums and local history, outdoor art, exercise or the dark winter sky.

Remembrance and Local History

The Vardø Museum was founded in 1894 as a natural history museum and is the oldest museum in Finnmark. A one-hour historical walking tour starts at the museum at Skolegata 1. The tour covers, among other things, the history of the fortress, the history of buildings and immigration, fishing, the Pomor trade and the witch trials of the 17th century. Advance booking is required for the tour, so plan it before your visit.

The Brodtkorbsjåene in central Vardø also tell the story of the town’s older architecture: they are among the region’s oldest surviving warehouse buildings. Together with the memorial and the museum, they offer different ways to explore Vardø’s history—from remembering those who were persecuted to seeing preserved buildings and learning about the topics covered on a guided tour. If you would like to include these stops in your trip, you can plan the tour as a separate activity.

Street Art and Outdoor Sculpture

Komafest has transformed Vardø’s streets into a street art gallery. The art is now part of the visible townscape and can be explored as a separate focus alongside the museums and historical themes. Another public artwork is the sculpture Drakkar – Laviathan: Taibola Assemble from Arkhangelsk / Severodvinsk erected it on the island of Vardø in the summer of 2016.

The sculpture explores themes such as the sea, migration, myths, ships, historical events, wood and whales. This variety makes it a tangible example of the connection between art and coastal life in Vardø. If you are interested in different artistic approaches, you can consider the town’s street art and the thematically rich sculpture as two distinct inspirations for planning your trip.

Walking Trails and Views

For an active break, there are two easy walking routes with different stated distances. The Drakkar Trail is 1.2 kilometres one way, and the Tusenårsstien in Vardø is 2.9 kilometres long. Comparing them can help with planning your day if you want to take the length of a walk into account. Trail conditions may vary; check them before setting out.

Near Vardø, the Domen viewpoint offers views of the fjord, the open sea, coastal wildlife and the town. The view adds a perspective on the surrounding landscape to the town’s cultural and historical attractions. You can see the northern lights in Vardø from September to April; they are especially impressive on truly dark nights. Visibility also depends on darkness and weather, so a northern lights experience cannot be guaranteed on any particular evening.

Seasons, Events and Getting There

Crossings is an annual film festival in Vardø that explores the theme of “Crossings” from geographical and cultural perspectives. If the festival is a reason for your trip, check the current programme in advance. Yukigassen is a winter festival and competition in Vardø; you should also check the specific dates before travelling. This keeps recurring cultural themes distinct from the planning of a particular visit.

Hurtigruten and Havila coastal cruises call at the port of Vardø. As calls and schedules may change, check current sailings before planning your trip around them. When choosing a holiday apartment in Vardø, your planned activities can help set the focus: local history and a guided tour, public art, a walk or searching for dark nights for possible northern lights sightings. These different themes offer practical ideas for shaping your stay around your interests.

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