Grense Jakobselv
Today we left our charming arctic ocean spot and tiki-toured to another town called Batsfjord. We stocked up on supplies, then back-tracked as everything is an in and out road here.
We had decided to start heading south, but as we drove, I realised I wasn’t quite ready to leave Norway behind. There was still one more place where we could reach the Arctic Ocean, in the far east of Norway, near the Russian border. So we made a last-minute decision to take the detour.
It was a two-hour drive to the town of Kirkenes, which is Norway’s only legal border crossing with Russia. The journey was stunning and the road followed a fjord, with rocky mountains rising steeply on one side. Across the water, we could see the area we’d been a few days earlier. I know my descriptions probably all sound the same: fjord, mountain, snow, rocks. But somehow, this road had its own unique beauty. I don’t know how Norway does it, but it’s beautiful at every bend.
On the way, we had to pull over for a huge herd of reindeer crossing the road. There were hundreds of them, streaming across on an important mission. They came in all shapes and sizes, some white, some black, big ones and babies. It was really cool to see.
We decided not to stop in Kirkenes and carried along a narrow, bumpy, winding road that led us towards the Arctic Ocean, to a remote spot called Grense Jakobselv. About half an hour in, the road turned to gravel, and the landscape felt more rugged and remote. Then, through gaps in the trees, we caught our first glimpses of Russia, so close. Soon, the border markers appeared: tall yellow posts on the Norwegian side, and bright red ones on the Russian side. The closest we got was about ten metres.
The final ten kilometres hugged the Russian border, with only a narrow river separating us. It felt surreal, like we were brushing up against another world that looked exactly like this one!
We drove all the way to the end of the road, expecting solitude as we hadn’t seen any vehicles on the way in. So it was a bit of a shock to find about five campervans crammed together like sardines, all lined up for the same sea view. Admittedly, it was a lovely spot: white sandy beach, endless ocean. But camping elbow-to-elbow with others wasn’t exactly our style. And there was no view of Russia from here anyway… so really, what was the point?
So we rattled our way back along the gravel road for a short way and found a large pull-off to camp for the night, no one else in sight. Just how we like it. To our right, dramatic cliffs; to our left, Russia. And casually wandering through the middle… reindeer. The sun was out, the view was incredible, and for a moment, it felt like there was peace in the world.
We wandered down to the border post and peered into the river. Someone had laid a rocky path leading out to a small island in the middle. Tempting, but definitely not worth getting shot over, not with three watchtowers staring us down: two Russian, one Norwegian.
It felt like the end of the road in more ways than one. Gravel behind us, Russia beside us, and the ocean ahead. Tomorrow it’s time to turn around and head south. But what a place to end our trip in Norway.