Berlevåg – Arctic charm and culture on Norway’s northeastern edge

A remote village with wartime scars, wild beaches, Arctic birdlife and a famously big-hearted men’s choir.

Kjølnes Lighthouse in Berlevag

Framed by the Barents Sea and the bird-rich Varanger Peninsula in the far north of Norway, Berlevåg is one of the largest fishing communities in Finnmark county – perhaps thanks to the impressive breakwater that encircles it. 

Berlevåg: A story of sea and survival

Fishing made Berlevåg – and war nearly destroyed it. The village grew around rich coastal waters but was burned to the ground by retreating German forces in 1944. It was rebuilt quickly, iconic Kjølnes Lighthouse and all, and remains a working port to this day. 

You can trace this story at the Berlevåg Harbour Museum, which covers the wartime occupation and the remarkable breakwaters that protect the town. There are also stolpersteine – brass “stumbling stones” engraved with the names of locals deported during the war. 

For such a small place, Berlevåg cultural reach is surprisingly global. It’s said to have inspired the remote setting of Babette’s Feast, the Karen Blixen story later adapted into an Oscar-winning film. But many of us know the village best as the home of the Berlevåg Men’s Choir, a group of fishermen whose harmonies, grit and humour touched hearts around the world in the 2001 documentary Cool and Crazy

What is the weather like in Berlevåg?

Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sept Oct Nov Dec 

Average temp °C (max)  

-7 

-7 

-6 

-3 

-3 

-6 

Average temp °C (max) 

-2 

-2 

-1 

10 

13 

12 

-2 

 

As seen from the sea

Protected from the Barents Sea by vast breakwaters, Berlevåg’s colourful homes are strung along low-lying grasslands which, come summer, are sprinkled with wildflowers. To the east, the smooth sandy arc of Storsand beach is backed by folded layers of shale. To the far west, you might spy a small plane landing on the airstrip.  

Port address: Torget 4, 9980 Berlevåg

berlevag-161709-Shutterstock

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