Nuorgam



Nuorgam (Northern Sámi: Njuorggán) is in Finnish Lapland and is situated at the top of Finland and the EU, 510 kilometers north of the Arctic Circle, in the municipality Utsjoki. It is very central while on route to the Arctic Ocean and the Finnmark area in Norway. The close proximity of the Norwegian border crossing gives the village with its 200 inhabitants an international atmosphere, with many tourists visiting during the summer season.

Understand
Summer in this salmon valley is dominated by the king of fish and sports fishermen from all over Europe come to try their luck. The winter passes slowly, just like the water under the icy cover of the Teno River (Norwegian: Tana, Sámi: Deatnu. This is when Norwegian traders and European snowmobiling tourists arrive. When the sun rises over the horizon the village fills with people on snowmobiles and ice-fishermen and their families here to catch the giant Arctic Char. Nuorgam is also a place to visit during the period of winter twilight (officially November 26th – January 16th). At this time you have the possibility to experience the blue light and peacefulness of midwinter. It is not pitch-dark throughout the day, the snow gives us some light and softens the moment. And you may also experience the Northern Lights already in the early afternoon.

The EU’s northernmost school, Nuorgam lower elementary, had 16 pupils in 2018.

Get in
Even though it is allowed to cross the Finland-Norway border anywhere it is an outer border of EU and customs regulations apply. If you aren't a citizen of a Nordic Country you also need to carry all necessary documents with you. The corresponding border station is the in Norway.

The ways to get in are car or bus.

Distances by road
To Finland:
 * Utsjoki main village                   47 km
 * Ivalo (airport)                       210 km
 * Rovaniemi (airport and train station) 510 km
 * Saariselkä                            250 km

To Norway:
 * The border (Polmak village)                 3 km
 * Tana Bru                               23 km
 * Vadsø (airport)                        85 km
 * Vardø (airport)                       160 km
 * Båtsfjord (airport)                   160 km
 * Kirkenes (airport)                    165 km
 * Lakselv (airport)                     270 km

By plane
The closest airport in Finland is in Ivalo, to which Finnair flies daily from Helsinki. SAS and Wideroe fly to the airport in Kirkenes in Norway.

Get around
In the village you can get around on foot, for longer distances a car is needed.

All the airports in close proximity offer car rentals: Ivalo, Kirkenes airport and also Vadsø have Hertz, Europcar and Avis car rental companies.

See
Sights in the Nuorgam village and nearby areas:


 * The midnight sun is shining from May 16th to July 27th.
 * The period of winter twilight from November 26th to January 16th when the Sun doesn't rise at all.
 * The autumn colors (Sámi:ruški/Finnish: ruska) rule the views in September. The first snow falls usually early October.
 * The Sami museum in Varangerbotn in Norway
 * Norway and the Arctic Ocean, take photographs of the fisher villages and towns
 * Rastigaisa (Sami: Rásttigáisá): East-Finnmark’s highest fell (1065 m.a.sl.) can be seen from the top of the treeless fells in Nuorgam
 * The Sami museum in Varangerbotn in Norway
 * Norway and the Arctic Ocean, take photographs of the fisher villages and towns
 * Rastigaisa (Sami: Rásttigáisá): East-Finnmark’s highest fell (1065 m.a.sl.) can be seen from the top of the treeless fells in Nuorgam
 * The Sami museum in Varangerbotn in Norway
 * Norway and the Arctic Ocean, take photographs of the fisher villages and towns
 * Rastigaisa (Sami: Rásttigáisá): East-Finnmark’s highest fell (1065 m.a.sl.) can be seen from the top of the treeless fells in Nuorgam
 * Rastigaisa (Sami: Rásttigáisá): East-Finnmark’s highest fell (1065 m.a.sl.) can be seen from the top of the treeless fells in Nuorgam

Do
The vast majority of tourists in Nuorgam are Norwegians coming here to buy cheap booze from the Alko store.

The rest are mostly fishing enthusiasts as Teno is the most important wild salmon river in the Europe. To protect the river and its stock fishing in Teno is strictly regulated; you need to buy a licence and all your fishing equipment must be disinfected (see fishing in Finland). The arctic char is common in many lakes around and during the winter it is the main catch for ice fishing.

South from Nuorgam there is vast backcountry, the Kaldoaivi Wilderness Area. This makes Nuorgam an awesome place for hiking. The 70 km long, marked hiking trail from lake Pulmanki to Sevettijärvi village in Inari is recommended only for experienced trekkers. Near the lake Ylä-Pulmanki, deep within the wilderness area, there is a wreck of a German Junkers-52 airplane shot down by Russians in 1944. The wreck is relatively well preserved due to successful emergency landing and its extremely remote location, it lies over 20 km off the nearest marked trail.

The Arctic Ocean is just 35 km away. Small town Varangerbotn has a large Sami museum.

Go next
You may take a drive along the Teno River (i.e. the border to Norway); the drive between Nuorgam and Karigasniemi has been chosen as the most beautiful road in Finland. The road passes by the famous Alaköngäs rapids, where it is possible to observe the fishermen toiling.