is a small town located in the municipality of Lenvik on the mainland near the island of Senja, in Troms county, Norway. The population (2009) is 4,185.[1] The municipality is well provided with kindergartens and a decentralized school system on both primary and secondary level. There are also three schools on upper secondary/high school level and a centre for decentralized studies on university level.
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Lenvik and the surrounding region has gone through a positive development, having had the largest growth in trade and industry in the county of Troms if it is related to the size of the population. The municipality is making efforts to provide facilities for companies that plan to establish activity in the region. The millennium city of Finnsnes is also the regional centre in middle part of Troms, and a centre of trade and service for about 35,000 people. Every summer, the city prepares for the one-week summer festival, aiming to put Finnsnes on the map. Finnsnes has two hotels. Good communication makes Finnsnes an attractive place for conferences. Trade and service provides employment for many people, but Lenvik also has major companies for fish processing and fishing tackle, and a melting work. Fishing and agriculture is still very important, and fish farming is of increasing importance for the employment of people. Prospects of education are good in the municipality.
The town has several small boroughs surrounding it, sharing the same local government. These are Sandvika/Skogen, Finnfjordbotn, Nygård, Trollvika and Silsand across the bridge to the Island of Senja. Over the last 100 years the town has grown from a small farm community into the center for commerce in the small region. The population of the town is approximately 5,500 people and it has experienced extensive growth both commercially and industrially the last few decades.
The town is the regional center for the central region of Troms, connected with the city of Tromsø to the north, the city of Harstad to the southwest, and the city of Narvik to the south. The town is serviced by Bardufoss Airport (civilian and military), Finnfjord Havn (freight), and Finnsnes Terminal (shuttle busses, shuttle ships for Harstad and Tromsø, and the Hurtigruten).
Going into the new millennium, the centre of Finnsnes became a city. Finnsnes is an important centre for transportation both on land and sea. The coastal steamer has daily calls both northbound and southbound, and Tromsø and Harstad can be reached within a little more than an hour by speedboat. On the way, one can enjoy the most spectacular landscape. Finnsnes also hosts the main office of one of the biggest transportation companies in Norway, and the local bus company on Senja takes you to and from all parts of Senja. Besides it’s a short way to Bardufoss Airport providing connection to the rest of the country.
The town has become known as the Gateway to Senja: the land of contrasts, which brands itself being the Fairytale Island (Eventyrøya). There are several attractions in Finnsnes and Senja and for tourists Finnsnes is the reference point when seightseeing in the region. The island is also called the island of adventure, and is a Norway in miniature with mountains and fjords, small communities, nature, culture and people, hospitality and go-ahead spirit, and all kinds of weather.
Lenvik has much to offer in the field of sports and culture. There are several indoor halls for sports and facilities for both alpine and cross-country skiing. There is also a variety of cultural activities. The Finnsnes House of Culture, which opened in 1995, is the cultural centre of the region. It contains a 400 seats hall for theatre and concerts, and provides a varied menu of local, national and international performers and stars. The public library of Lenvik is also situated in this building.
“Midt-Tromshallen” is an indoor football centre for the region, and at the same time a hall made for a variety of activities. There are also two major outdoor football stadiums at Finnsnes and Silsand. There is a great variety of voluntary cultural activities all the year round, with both a winter and a summer festival mobilizing people in a joint effort to create activities and provide grand experiences.
The local museum at Bjorelvnes is located about 15 kilometres (9.3 mi) north of Finnsnes. It is definitely worth a visit, especially in the summertime. Here one can camp in modern cabins and rent a traditional North-Norwegian boat to go fishing or just enjoy the freedom of the sea. If you prefer to learn about local history and culture, you can have an exciting visit inside the museum.
There are three soccer clubs in the town, Finnsnes IL playing in the third division, Pioneer} playing in the fifth division, and FK Senja playing in the second division. Over the years there has been an extensive rivalry between the clubs Finnsnes IL and FK Senja, this being largely due to the geography of the town.