Grenselandmuseet

About the museum

Grenselandmuseet in Kirkenes tells the story of Sør-Varanger as a border region and meeting place. The permanent exhibitions show, among other things, industrial development, the history of the war and the everyday life of the border people through the ages. In addition there are changing exhibitions.

The building in Førstevannslia at the entrance to Kirkenes became the main building of what was then called Sør-Varanger museum after 1997, when the museum moved out of Strand skoleinternat (boarding school) in Pasvik. Today Grenselandmuseet is a branch of Varanger Museum IKS and the main site of the museum's facilities in Sør-Varanger, including Strand skoleinternat and the farms in Pasvik.

The house is located by a popular recreation area about one kilometre from the town centre. Here there is a museum shop and a bright café, and the large foyer is often used for cultural events. Outside there are benches, a playground and a labyrinth that can be explored in summer.

Highlights

• Exhibition on the Second World War in the border region, with “Festung Kirkenes”
• Mining history with models and a film about iron ore mining
• Sámi culture and the old siidas across the border
• Kirkenes before and after the war
• Café, museum shop, playground and labyrinth

Permanent exhibitions

• 2. verdenskrig i grenseland – During the Second World War, “Festung Kirkenes” was the main base for the German attack on the Soviet Union in the north. The exhibition shows, among other things, partisans, prisoners of war and children's experiences of the war.
• Gruvehistorie – The exhibition shows a hundred years of mining in Sør-Varanger and the process from iron ore to finished product, with models and film.
• Samisk kultur – Utility objects and duodji from the collections, including reindeer sleds, wood and leather work, footwear and clothing, and information boards on the East Sámi siidas across the border.

Operated by

Varanger Museum IKS

Admission & discounts

School classes and nurseries enter free. A local annual pass for NOK 200 gives access to all sites in the chosen municipality.

Accessibility

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Kids & families

• Playground / play area

Outside the museum there is a playground and, in summer, a labyrinth.

Getting there & parking

The museum is in Førstevannslia at the entrance to Kirkenes, about one kilometre from the town centre.

Amenities & dining

• Café
• Museum shop

Bright café and museum shop with a varied selection.

Events & venue rental

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Plan your visit