Photo: Nord-Troms museum
Tørfoss – Kuivakoski – a Kven farmstead in Reisadalen.
Tørfoss – Kuivakoski – is located in Reisadalen and is the North Troms Museum’s farmstead site in Nordreisa Municipality. It was designated a protected heritage site by the Directorate for Cultural Heritage in 2019 as an important Kven cultural heritage site.
Practical info
Practical info
Opening hours
The farmyard is open to visitors during the snow-free season. The buildings are open during events held at the farm. Guided tours can be arranged upon request by contacting Nord-Troms Museum at tel. 975 58 330.
Parking
There is a parking area right next to the farmyard.
Toilets
Outdoor toilet available on-site during events.
How to get here
From the E6 in Storslett town centre, follow County Road 865 towards Saraelv. Approximately 18 kilometres up the Reisa Valley, the turn-off from the county road is signposted for Tørfoss Kven Farm.
Activities
Haltiskolen Tørfoss in June
HALTISKOLEN – Nord-Troms Museum
Paaskiviikko – Cultural day in June
Paaskiviikko - Kvenkultur.no
Kyläpeli – Village play in September
Kyläpeli
More information
Accessibility
Accessibility
Somewhat limited wheelchair accessibility
About the farm
Tørfoss Kven farm was established in the 1750s and bears witness to the history of Kven settlement in Northern Norway during the 18th and 19th centuries.
The farmstead comprises a farmhouse, a communal building (*bårstue*), a smoke sauna, and a barn, as well as a meat storehouse, a cheese and clothing storehouse, and a tool shed. The smoke sauna is built of notched logs, following Finnish tradition.
The farmhouse at Tørfoss was built in 1931 and retains its interwar-era interior. One of the storehouses likely dates back to the farm's original settlement in the 18th century. Tørfoss features several typical Kven architectural elements; for instance, all interior window sills slope downwards, with a water collection channel located beneath the sill.
At Tørfoss, you gain insight into the lives and livelihoods of a Kven family. The communal building houses a baking oven constructed from fieldstone and clay. Capable of holding around 20 loaves at a time, the oven served both the farm's residents and their neighbors; it remains in regular use during the summer months.
The Kvens of North Troms
The Kvens are a national minority in Norway. The Kvens originated in Finland and Tornedalen. From the 18th century onwards, steady migration took place to areas such as Reisa. Population growth and a shortage of land were the driving forces behind this outward migration.
Kven migration increased from around 1830. While they had previously preferred the heads of the fjords and river valleys—areas rich in forest resources—a greater concentration of Kvens now emerged along the fjords and the coast as well. Employment in fishing villages, towns, and mines became increasingly important.
Like the Sami population, the Kvens were subjected to intense pressure to assimilate into Norwegian culture for over a century. As a consequence of this process of Norwegianization, the Kven language is endangered, and many people have little knowledge of their own Kven roots. Today, a revitalization of the Kven language and culture is underway.
