Vadsø

Vadsø is an exciting multi-cultural town in the region of Varanger. The local council area skirts the Varanger fiord and many small communities, both "Nowegian" and "Finnish", are dotted around in this area. The arctic nature is at its best here. The majority of the 6,200 inhabitants of this council area live in the town of Vadsø, but some of them have remained in the other small communities. The largest of these is Vestre-Jakobselv, where many of the inhabitants have Finnish roots.

Vadsø offers many opportunities for fishing, hunting and hiking in an area of unspoilt natural beauty. The town itself covers a relatively small area, therefore it is easy to find the attractions here. Nature is all around you. Vadsø is also a service town, and there are many cultural events and festivals here during the year.

Traditionally, fishing has been the main industry here and as early as in the 16th century, Vadsø was a large fishing village. Today Vadsø is the seat of the county council for Finnmark and tertiary service industries have become more important than the primary industries.

In 1833, Vadsø was named a provincial town and it became an important centre for trade. Much of the Pomor trade with the Russians took place here. 1830 marked the start of immigration from Finland to Vadsø. The Finns came from other areas of Finnmark to try their luck and avoid starving to death. During the Second World War the centre of Vadsø was almost entirely demolished during the allied bombings of 1944. Despite widespread damage many of the buildings remained standing and today Vadsø has more preserved and renovated buildings than any other place in Finnmark.