Iron Curtain Trail - Start in Kirkenes

Kirkenes - Kirakkajärvi 84 km 900 hm

We're doing it. A little over two years after I first told Dominique about the Iron Curtain Trail, we disembark in Kirkenes from the ship and hop on our bikes - a great feeling. The sun must shine as well. Without gloves and a hat, we head into the city center and continue on the E6 towards the west. After some slight orientation problems and resulting detour, we soon realize that we have been in the comfort and pampering zone on the ship in the past few days - the slopes at Neidenfjord are tough. Regardless, we still enjoy it, appreciate the movement, and the interesting surroundings.

In Neiden, we take a short break and already meet the first other long-distance cyclists. The two men from Thuringia started two weeks ago in Helsinki and are on their way to the North Cape. After several rainy days, they are particularly excited about the sun.

From Neiden, it's not far to the customs station and Näätämö, a typical Finnish name. Along the way, we see some reindeer grazing. We buy some food for dinner and quickly cover the last few kilometers to the accommodation at Toini Sanila's reindeer farm.

There, a large house awaits us right by the lake with a magnificent view and a sauna. We treat ourselves to a beer and take a walk around the lake.

That was a perfect start, and we look forward to the next stages.