Andersgrotta Bunker
Andersgrotta
A wartime air-raid shelter dug into the rock beneath the town centre, telling the story of the hundreds of air raids Kirkenes endured.
During the Second World War, German forces used Kirkenes as a base for attacking Murmansk, and the town was bombed by Soviet forces more than 300 times, making it one of the most heavily bombed places in Europe. The Andersgrotta air-raid shelter was carved into the rock beneath the town centre in 1941 and could shelter thousands of residents during air raids. The guided tour takes about an hour. You first walk through a cold, damp underground tunnel, then watch a short film about the war and the Soviet liberation in 1944. The entrance is in the town centre, next to the 'War Mother' statue, which symbolises the endurance of war. Visits are by guided tour only, and in winter watch your footing.
Opening hours
Guided tour times (approx. 1–2 tours daily)
Nearby sights
- Liberation Monument
- Borderland Museum
- King Crab Safari
- Kirkenes Snowhotel
- Storskog Border Crossing
- Pasvik Valley
- Høyde 96 Observation Tower
- Bugøynes