Storslett (Northern Sami Hánssagieddi; Kvenisch Hansinkenttä) is a town in the Norwegian municipality of Nordreisa (Northern Sami Ráisa) in the province (Fylke) of Troms og Finnmark. The place represents the administrative center of Nordreisa and has 1791 inhabitants (as of January 1, 2021).
Storslett is a so-called Tettsted, i.e. a settlement that is counted as a town for statistical purposes. The place is located at the inner end of the fjord Reisafjorden (Northern Sami Ráisavuotna). The river Reisaelva flows into the sea at Storslett, and most of the settlement area is on the east bank of the river. The Reisaelva flows in front of Storslett from the southeast through the Reisadalen valley towards the village. The river is used for salmon fishing. Sørkjosen is a little north-west of Storslett.
The village was almost completely destroyed by German troops during
World War II. Then the reconstruction took place. After reconstruction,
the number of inhabitants began to increase rapidly. The wooden church
Nordreisa kirke, completed in 1856, is located in Storslett. Christian
Heinrich Grosch was the architect. The church is one of the few
buildings that were not destroyed during World War II.
economy
and transport
Tourism is important for the town. In Storslett there
is, among other things, a Kenyan cultural center and a section of the
North Troms Museum. The place is also a starting point for the Reisa
National Park. The European route 6 (E6) leads through the village. The
E6 crosses Norway mostly in a south-north direction and in Storslett it
connects to the nearby town of Sørkjosen, among other things. Sørkjosen
Airport is also located there.
Name
In addition to the
Norwegian name, the place also has a Kvenian and a North Sami name. The
Kvenish name Hansinkenttä is said to derive from the fact that a person
named Hans lived there. The name component "-kenttä" means "field" or
"meadow".