Nuorgam

Nuorgam is in Finnish Lapland and is situated at the top of Finland and the EU, 510 kilometers north of the Arctic Circle, in the municipality Utsjoki. It is very central while on route to the Arctic Ocean and the Finnmark area in Norway. The close proximity of the Norwegian border crossing gives the village with its 200 inhabitants an international atmosphere, with many tourists visiting during the summer season.

The village of Nuorgam.

Understand

Summer in this salmon valley is dominated by the king of fish and sports fishermen from all over Europe come to try their luck. The winter passes slowly, just like the water under the icy cover of the Teno River (Norwegian: Tana, Sámi: Deatnu. This is when Norwegian traders and European snowmobiling tourists arrive. When the sun rises over the horizon the village fills with people on snowmobiles and ice-fishermen and their families here to catch the giant Arctic Char. Nuorgam is also a place to visit during the period of winter twilight (26.11–16.1). At this time you have the possibility to experience the blue light and peacefulness of midwinter. It is not pitch-dark throughout the day, the snow gives us some light and softens the moment. And you may also experience the Northern Lights in early afternoon.

Get in

Distances by road are:

To Norway:

  • The border (Polmak) 3 km
  • Tana Bru 23 km
  • Vadsø 85 km
  • Vardø 160 km
  • Båtsfjord 160 km
  • Kirkenes (airport) 165 km
  • Lakselv (airport) 270 km

Airlines

The closest airport in Finland is in Ivalo, to which Finnair flies daily from Helsinki.

SAS and Wideroe fly to the airport in Kirkenes in Norway.

Get around

Car rental

All the airports in close proximity offer car rentals:

Ivalo, Kirkenes airport and also Vadsø have Hertz, Europcar and Avis car rental companies.

See

Sights in the Nuorgam village and nearby areas:

  • The midnight sun 16.5–27.7.
  • The period of winter twilight 26.11–16.1.
  • The museum road
  • The EU’s northernmost point at the river near the flagstone
  • The EU’s northernmost flagstone on the national border
  • The EU’s northernmost school
  • Pulmankijärvi lake and Pulmankijoki river valley, which in ancient times has been the bottom of the Arctic Ocean
  • Norway and the Arctic Ocean, take photographs of the fisher villages and towns
  • The Polmak and Varangerbotn Sami museums
  • In Utsjoki a church designed by Carl Engel and respective chapels
  • The King’s Stone, in Vetsiko between Nuorgam and Utsjoki
  • Rastigaissa: East-Finnmark’s highest mountains (1065 m.a.sl), which can be seen from the top of the treeless mountains in Nuorgam

Do

Buy

Eat
  • Resturant Stallonpesä
  • Café-Restaurant Suvanto, at the Holiday resort (the northernmost restaurant of the EU)

Drink

Sleep

Connect

Go next

You may take a drive along the Teno River (i.e. the border to Norway); the drive between Nuorgam and Karigasniemi has been chosen as the most beautiful road in Finland. The road passes by the famous Alaköngäs rapids, where it is possible to observe the fishermen toiling.

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