Vardø is the oldest town in northern Norway and the easternmost in the country.
The Vardø Lighthouse, built in 1896, is erected on the island's peak. The island is now uninhabited and in the steep mountainsides around 40,000 pairs of birds have their nesting place. Hornøya is, because of this, a preserved wildlife reserve. When you turn south, you will see the southern side of the Varanger Fjord behind the Globus-II radar.
In Vardø you can enjoy wind from all directions, waves splashing, snow in large amounts and - in clear weather - truly fantastic northern lights. We stopped here for about an hour before dinner. It was just enough time to visit the nearby fortress.
Vardøhus Fortress
Vardøhus fortress was built in 1734–38 by 40 soldiers from Bergen. The star-shaped fort was built in eighteenth-century fortification style, with low embankments designed to withstand cannon fire. Inside the fortress installation, there is a collection of historical wooden buildings from the 1700s and early 1800s.
The fortress was built to guard the border with Russia, although it is not known whether Russian forces ever attacked the installation. However, the fortress guns did open fire on English troops during the mainland blockade in 1808 and targeted German aircraft in June 1940.
The fortress was built to guard the border with Russia, although it is not known whether Russian forces ever attacked the installation. However, the fortress guns did open fire on English troops during the mainland blockade in 1808 and targeted German aircraft in June 1940.
Vardo
Click on the image to the right for more Blog posts about this trip.
Follow Us On
Sign-up for Exclusive Email Offers
Where have you explored?
Gather your travel and food pics and join us Wednesday night for the latest installment of #FoodTravelChat
No comments:
Post a Comment