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Finnkirka stands proud on Europe’s most northern headland

Beauty is often found in the most remote places. On the most northerly section of mainland in Europe – the Nordkyn peninsula – you will find the impressive cliff of Finnkirka: the coast at its most sacred.

At the entrance to Kjøllefjord on the Nordkyn peninsula you will find one of the marvels of nature: Finnkirka (sometimes spelled “Finnkjerka”) . Finnkirka rises up like a church with a spire, roof and walls between a steep coast and the Arctic Sea, shaped by the violent meeting between the waters of the sea and the rock hard Finnmark coast over many millennia.

It was a Sami sacrifice site

It is reasonable to assume that the Sami people previously used Finnkirka as a site of sacrifice. In the Sami religion, spirits inhabited everything in nature. Striking features in the landscape were therefore holy sites. However, the Sami people became Christian before anyone managed to describe how the rituals took place, so no details are available.

  • 01Finnkirka on a Summer's day © Nordkyn hotel
  • 02Extreme way to get to church © Nina Smedseng
  • 03Blue lights in the darkness © Leif Yngve Wallenius/Arctic Coast)
  • 04Kjøllefjord is located very close to Finnkirka © Nina Smedseng
01: Finnkirka on a Summer's day © Nordkyn hotel
02: Extreme way to get to church © Nina Smedseng
03: Blue lights in the darkness © Leif Yngve Wallenius/Arctic Coast)
04: Kjøllefjord is located very close to Finnkirka © Nina Smedseng

Finnkirka is lit up at night

The most memorable experiences in Northern Norway often stem from the winter months. Finnkirka is now lit up at night, so on any trip to see the Northern Lights, Finnkirka stands out as a shining light in the winter night. The details tend to disappear in the dark of winter, but this makes Finnkirka’s strong, simple shape stand out even more starkly.

  • 01Standing strong in the evening light
  • 02Towering above the ocean © Nina Smedseng
  • 03Son et lumière © Leif Yngve Wallenius/Arctic Coast
01: Standing strong in the evening light
02: Towering above the ocean © Nina Smedseng
03: Son et lumière © Leif Yngve Wallenius/Arctic Coast
Written by will
March 17, 2020
Last updated August 19, 2026
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