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In most places, if you cross a time zone border, you’ll only go one hour forward or backward. But at this tri-country border, you can leap forward or backward two hours, depending on which border you cross.
This strange construction happens because of Norway’s hook-like shape. Some of the country’s northern end touches both Finland and Russia. The point where Norway meets Finland and Russia is not only a three-country point, but also a place where time gets weird. It's the only place where Central European Time, Eastern European Time, and Further-eastern European Time meet.
When Norway follows Central European Standard Time, it’s GMT +1. During this part of the year, Finland is GMT +2, and this part of Russia is GMT +3. Just walking around this point and stepping into the countries will put you in a whirlwind of time zones.
Treriksrøysa is a cairn that marks the spot where the three countries meet. It's been there since 1846, with a concrete tetrahedron showing each country’s name added in 1945.
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Know Before You Go
The tripoint is most easily reached from Grensefoss on the Norwegian side, around a three-mile hike each way. The point is free to access and you can cross into Finland, but do watch out with going into Russia without a visa.
Published
April 18, 2019
