Vardø

The town Vardø (Vuoreija in Finnish) in the extreme northeast of Norway, in the county of Finnmark, has 2,586 inhabitants as of January 1, 2002.

Fishing and Seafood Processing remain Vardø's major income sources, although tourism is starting to become an important economic factor.

The port at the Barents Sea remains ice-free year round due to the warm North Atlantic drift. The town is a stop of Norway's Hurtigruten ferry service.

Vardø is usually referred to as Norway's only mainland town in the Arctic climate zone, although this is not entirely correct since the town is located on an island about 2km off the coast. The island is connected to the mainland via an undersea tunnel (Norway's first such structure); the town's airport and the settlement of Svartnes are located on the mainland opposite the tunnel entrance. Vardø's tourist attractions include Vardøhus Festning, a fortress dating back to the late 13th century, several bird colonies and remnants of German fortifications from WW2.