The Hurtigruten quay is the symbolic heart of Kirkenes: this is where the famous coastal voyage from Bergen ends, after six days and 34 ports along the length of the Norwegian coast. The arrival of the northbound ship — typically in the early morning hours — is a quiet ceremony, the ship backing out of Bøkfjorden and turning south after a brief stop. Locals come down to watch, and the handful of passengers who have ridden from Bergen to the end of the line and back are visibly changed by it.
Even if you did not arrive by Hurtigruten, the quay is worth a visit in the winter months, when the fjord can be frozen solid near the shore and the ship breaks through the ice on its way in. The quayside also gives the best views across Bøkfjorden and on clear days north towards the Barents Sea horizon.