Vardøhus Fortress – Vardø

Vardøhus in Vardø is the third fortress on this spot – the first was built in 1307. The present star-shaped fortress was built in 1734–38 by 40 soldiers from Bergen. It reflects how important the Barents Sea and Norway’s northeastern frontier have always been. The “king’s post” (kongestokken) records the visit of King Christian IV in 1599.

Local knowledge: Vardøhus is tied to the darkest chapter in Finnmark’s history, the witch trials. In the 1600s people accused of witchcraft were held and interrogated in Vardø, and the king’s officials at Vardøhus played a central role in the persecutions. The fortress you see today was built later, in the 1730s, but earlier fortifications stood on this spot during the trials. A short walk away, the Steilneset Memorial remembers the 91 people who were executed.

Traditions: at the end of January, when the sun is seen in the south for the first time after the polar night, the fortress salutes it with two shots. In front of the commandant’s house grows a rowan, a tree that hardly survives this far north: the one planted in the 1950s had to be cut after winter damage in 2002, and kindergarten children planted a new one in 2004.

Visiting: the fortress stands open – you can just walk in. Vardø lies on an island and is reached through an undersea tunnel. Combine it with the Steilneset Memorial, the Tusenårsstien path and the road on to Hamningberg.