Varanger peninsula in a nutshell (Norway)

I totally fell for this beautiful peninsula and if you watch the video, I'm sure you'll understand why. The Varanger nature has lot to give, but so does the history. The witch trials of Vardö (1662-1663) were one of the biggest witch hunts in Scandinavia. Both men and women were accused, both Sami people and Norwegians. Four out of five habitants of the area were touched by the trials and over 90 people were burned at the stake.
The Steilneset-memorial by Louise Bourgeois and Peter Zumthor was erected in 2011 to commemorate the victims of the hunt and I think it's absolutely stunning monument not only for its beauty but also for the strong message its carrying: victims of wrongdoings are not forgotten, not even after centuries. Inside the monument the story of every victim is told and lamp is lit for every one of them. The structure of the monument looks like a fish on racks - fishing used to be the main source of income back in the days. The monument is open 23/7 all year round.
On the video we also visit bunkers the German troops left behind during the WW2 - Varanger was a stronghold for resistance and partisan stories are still told.
The official languages are Sami and Norwegian, but you can see signs of Finnish language pretty much everywhere. During the famine lots of Finns came here and gave Finnish names to villages and Finnish surnames with a Norwegian twist are still common.
Obviously there's still so much to explore around the area I think I must go back - when we are allowed to travel again.

#roadtripnorway #norja #matkavinkki