Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Grense Jakobselv
The first settlement at Grense Jakobselv, 60km northeast of Kirkenes, probably appeared
around 8000 years ago, when the sea level was 60m lower than it is today. Only a small
stream separates Norway and Russia here, and along the road you can see the
border ob-
elisks
on both sides. The only real attraction - apart from the chance to gaze over the ma-
gic line - is the isolated 1869
stone church
. It was constructed within sight of the sea to
cement Norway's territorial claims after local people complained to the authorities that
Russian fishing boats were illegally trespassing into Norwegian waters; it was thought that
the intruders would respect a church and change their ways. During school holidays, you
can make a day trip between Kirkenes and Grense Jakobselv (1½ hours) on Monday, Wed-
nesday and Friday. The bus leaves at 9am and departs Grense Jakobselv at 11.30am, al-
lowing an hour to explore.
Pasvik River Valley
Even when diabolical mosquito swarms make life hell for warm-blooded creatures, the re-
mote lakes, wet tundra bogs and, to their south, Norway's largest stand of virgin
taiga
forest lend appeal to little
Øvre Pasvik National Park
, in the far reaches of the Pasvik
River valley.
Some 100km south of Kirkenes and 200 sq km in area, this last corner of Norway seems
more like Finland, Siberia or even Alaska. Here, wolves, wolverines and brown bears still
roam freely. The park is also home to some of the most northerly elks in Europe, Eurasian
lynx and a host of relatively rare birds such as the Siberian jay, pine grosbeak, redpoll and
smew.
The Stone Age Komsa hunting culture left its mark here in the form of hunters' pitfall
traps around lake Ødevann and elsewhere in the region; some date from as early as 4000
BC. Nearer to our own times in the mid-19th century, farmers from southern Norway es-
tablished homesteads here with government support, opening up these near-virgin lands
and helping to assert this ill-defined frontier territory as Norwegian.
Sights
