After spending the night at Lomakylä Inari, we set off early in the morning towards the northernmost village in Finland and the entire EU, Nuorgam, and then across the border into Norway.
Upon reaching the northern border, we first stopped in Utsjoki, where we admired the Sami Bridge. There it was, Norway, waiting for us on the other side of the River Teno. We took a moment to walk and enjoy the scenery along the banks of the River Teno, which serves as the border river between Finland and Norway, separating the two countries. At this point, the landscapes on both sides don’t differ much; you can see low fells on each side.
Although we could have crossed directly into Norway via the Sami Bridge, we didn’t want to miss Nuorgam, so we continued along the river towards Nuorgam. The road runs alongside the river in several places, offering really nice views. It’s about 45 kilometers from Utsjoki to Nuorgam.
Then we arrived in Nuorgam, Finland’s and the EU’s northernmost village, located 500 kilometers north of the Arctic Circle. Since the village is very small, we quickly explored it, visited the village shop, and then continued onwards. And from there, we were just a short distance from the northernmost point of Finland and the entire EU! We had to take a moment to feel the significance of the moment before crossing the border into Norway. Crossing the border is as simple as driving; there’s no one around, so we just drove from one country to another.
Chatting with Norwegian Police
Our destination from Nuorgam was Nordkapp (North Cape), so we headed there via Ifjord and along the Norwegian coastline. The distance from Nuorgam to Nordkapp is about 420 kilometers. The area is very peaceful, and we practically had the roads to ourselves, except for the occasional car passing by. However, we did encounter a police car, which stopped to chat with us while we were refueling at the Rustefjelbman service station. The reason for their stop was that we were driving with transit plates because we had just purchased a car that had been imported from Germany, and we hadn’t received the regular license plates yet. However, it’s completely legal to drive with transit plates in the Nordic countries, so we didn’t need to explain much to the police, and we were able to continue our journey with peace of mind.
There were also many reindeer roaming around in this area, which are always nice to see along the way. We continued our journey peacefully, enjoying the landscapes. We had our camping stove with us, so we mostly cooked our own meals throughout the trip.
As we approached Nordkapp, the landscapes became really stunning, and driving along the winding mountain roads was enjoyable. There were still patches of snow along the roadsides, even though it was August.
We had planned to find a wild camping spot near Nordkapp, where we could spend the night either in the car or in a tent. While admiring the scenery along the way, we accidentally drove all the way to Nordkapp itself. So, we made a U-turn and started driving back, searching for a suitable overnight spot. About 6 kilometers before Nordkapp, we found the Knivskjelodden Trail parking area, and we decided to stay there. There were other campers parked with their cars and caravans. We chose to spend the night in the car here. There are no toilets or other facilities, just an asphalt parking area, but it’s close to Nordkapp, so it served its purpose.
The next day, we planned to take our bicycles and explore Nordkapp. More about that in the next post.
