Bjørnevatn – Mining History and the 1944 Tunnel
Accommodation in Bjørnevatn
Bjørnevatn brings together the history of ore mining and memorial sites from the Second World War. The 1944 Tunnel, the protected building Rørbua and the former mining infrastructure represent different aspects of the town’s history. Both the experiences of the local population in 1944 and the connections between mines, processing and transport have shaped the area.
Mining and Landscape
Bjørnevatn is located ten kilometres south of Kirkenes. In the surrounding area, Lake Bjørnevatnet was drained in 1958 to extract the ore beneath it. The iron ore mines and the coarse crusher of A/S Sydvaranger were located near Bjørnevatn. Ore from Bjørnevatn was transported by an industrial railway to a processing plant and a shipping harbour in Kirkenes. The mines, processing and shipping thus represent different stages in the local mining history.
At Gruveveien in Bjørnevatn, at the junction leading to Bjørnevatn and the mines, stands the bus shelter Grabben. It is made from a former 18-tonne ore-loading shovel used in mining. This sets Grabben apart from the mines and industrial railway: here, a piece of former mining equipment itself forms part of the bus shelter.
The 1944 Tunnel and Rørbua
The 1944 Tunnel is located in the Bjørnevatn mining area and is a protected cultural heritage site from the Second World War. Its history tells of the forced evacuation of the population in Finnmark and Nord-Troms, and of how many people sought refuge in the tunnel when the evacuation order was issued. Up to 3,500 people stayed there, including many families; ten children were born in the tunnel. Alongside the political history of the war, the civilian experience of evacuation and refuge also comes to the fore.
Just outside the tunnel entrance in Bjørnevatn stands Rørbua, a building that is now protected. It was originally built as a bathhouse for the miners of A/S Sydvaranger. On 25 October 1944, after Soviet troops liberated the area, Rørbua became the first free Norwegian administrative building. That day, the Norwegian flag was raised there for the first time since the occupation of 1940 in a partially liberated Norway.
The two sites offer different perspectives on 1944: the tunnel focuses on forced evacuation and refuge, while Rørbua represents the resumption of Norwegian administration and the raising of the flag. Together with its former function as a bathhouse, Rørbua also shows how the use of a building changed over the course of the town’s history.
Husvannet Circular Walk
As another option for planning your day, the Husvannet circular walk starts at the football pitch in Bjørnevatn and continues towards Karlsonvannet. If you plan to take the walk, check local conditions in advance, as they may change. The starting point and direction provide a clear guide to the intended route.
Discover more destinations: Svanvik, Neiden, Kirkenes.
Return to the regional travel overview: Sør-Varanger.
