Ekkerøy, Varanger peninsula, Troms og Finnmark, Norway
Ekkerøy is a small village in Troms og Finnmark in north east Norway. It is located on the Varanger peninsula along the shore of the Varangerfjord. The village lies along the European route E75 about 9 miles east of the town of Vadsø.
As the ending "øy" in the name indicates, Ekkerøy was originally an island. However, it is now joined to the Varanger peninsula by a narrow isthmus of land. At the mainland end of the isthmus is the small hamlet of Valen. The headland on the northern tip of Ekkerøy is called Varnes and its eastern tip is called Skagodden. The bay on the north east side of the neck which joins Ekkerøy to the mainland is called Yttersida and that on the south west side is called Innersida.
Ekkerøy is one of the few places in Troms og Finnmark where pre-World War 2 buildings can be seen. When the German army retreated from the Litsa front and Kirkenes in late 1944, they burned most buildings in the county under Operation Nordlicht, the German “scorched earth” retreat from Finnmark. However, buildings on the north side of the Varangerfjord survived because the Russians advanced so quickly that the German troops in this area fled west to get across the Tana river before they were cut off and therefore did not have enough time to obey the order to destroy all buildings.
Historically, the economy of Ekkerøy was based on fishing and farming but today tourism also forms part of the economy.
Flåget is a bird reserve with an easily accessible bird cliff just outside the village. The cliffs face south towards the Varangerfjord, stretch for just over 0.5 miles and rise steeply to a height of 130 to 165 feet. They can be reached by a short walk from a small car park. Flåget is best known for a huge colony of breeding Kittiwakes between March and September. In addition, Ekkerøy and nearby Salttjern, have sheltered sandy bays and these, together with the Varangerfjord offshore, provide good habitats for many species of birds and sea mammals.
Date: 3rd July 2019
Location: Ekkerøy, Varanger peninsula, Troms og Finnmark, Norway
As the ending "øy" in the name indicates, Ekkerøy was originally an island. However, it is now joined to the Varanger peninsula by a narrow isthmus of land. At the mainland end of the isthmus is the small hamlet of Valen. The headland on the northern tip of Ekkerøy is called Varnes and its eastern tip is called Skagodden. The bay on the north east side of the neck which joins Ekkerøy to the mainland is called Yttersida and that on the south west side is called Innersida.
Ekkerøy is one of the few places in Troms og Finnmark where pre-World War 2 buildings can be seen. When the German army retreated from the Litsa front and Kirkenes in late 1944, they burned most buildings in the county under Operation Nordlicht, the German “scorched earth” retreat from Finnmark. However, buildings on the north side of the Varangerfjord survived because the Russians advanced so quickly that the German troops in this area fled west to get across the Tana river before they were cut off and therefore did not have enough time to obey the order to destroy all buildings.
Historically, the economy of Ekkerøy was based on fishing and farming but today tourism also forms part of the economy.
Flåget is a bird reserve with an easily accessible bird cliff just outside the village. The cliffs face south towards the Varangerfjord, stretch for just over 0.5 miles and rise steeply to a height of 130 to 165 feet. They can be reached by a short walk from a small car park. Flåget is best known for a huge colony of breeding Kittiwakes between March and September. In addition, Ekkerøy and nearby Salttjern, have sheltered sandy bays and these, together with the Varangerfjord offshore, provide good habitats for many species of birds and sea mammals.
Date: 3rd July 2019
Location: Ekkerøy, Varanger peninsula, Troms og Finnmark, Norway
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Also in: North Norway
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