© Lonely Planet Publications 305 Lapland & Sápmi Lapland casts a powerful spell, and has an irresistible romance to it that haunts the imagination and memory. While you won’t see polar bears or rocky fjords, there is something intangible here that makes it magic. The midnight sun, the Sámi peoples, the aurora borealis and the wandering reindeer are all components of this, as is good old ho-ho-ho himself, who ‘officially’ resides here. Another part of the spell is in the awesome latitudes – at Nuorgam, the northernmost point, we have passed Iceland and nearly all of Canada and Alaska. Lapland has awesome wilderness and is the place in Finland to get active; the sense of space, pure air and big skies is what is memorable here, more than the towns. It’s important to pick your time here carefully. In the far north there’s no sun for 50 days of the year, and no night for 70 days. June is very muddy, and in July insects can be hard to deal with. If you’re here to walk, August is great and in September the autumnal ruska colours can be seen. There’s thick snow from mid-October to May; December draws charter flights looking for Santa, real reindeer and guaranteed snow, but the best time for skiing and husky safaris is March and April, when you get at least some daylight, and less extreme temperatures. Lapland’s far north is known as Sápmi, home of the Sámi people. Their main communities are around Inari, Utsjoki and Hetta. Rovaniemi is the most popular gateway to the north. HIGHLIGHTS Trekking the lonely wildernesses of Saariselkä ( p336 ) Dashing through the snow in a sled pulled by a team of huskies in Muonio ( p323 ) Lapping up the wonderful winter experi- ences on offer in Kemi ( p315 ), where you can sail on an ice-breaker, swim in the frozen-over sea, then spend the night in the Sevettijärvi ethereally beautiful snow castle Kilpisjärvi Inari Discovering the culture of the displaced Lemmenjoki Skolt Sámi in remote Sevettijärvi ( p346 ) National Park Saariselkä Panning for gold by the beautiful Lemmen- Muonio joki and walking in the national park ( p343 ) Picnicking with an awesome view at the top LAPLAND & SÁPMI of Saana Fell in far northwestern Kilpisjärvi ( p328 ) Learning about the northern environments at Rovaniemi’s superb Arktikum museum Rovaniemi ( p308 ) and the Sámi at Siida ( p340 ) in Inari, their Finnish capital Kemi 306 LAPLAND & SÁPMI •• History lonelyplanet.com 0 100 km LAPLAND & SÁPMI 0 60 miles Nuorgam B a r e n t s S e a E6 Utsjoki E6 E6 Kirkenes nojoki Te 4 See Western Lapland Map (p320) Karasjok Sevettijärvi See Northeastern Lapland Map (p341) Karigasniemi Halti E75 92 Nikel (1328m) Toskalharji 92 Kilpisjärvi (1027m) 971 Saana Poroeno N O R W A Y Fell Kautokeino Kaamanen (1029m) KönkämäenoRopi Kietsimäjoki Kilpis- (945m) Inarijärvi järvi Lä Nellim täseno Inari 21 93 ὈὈ Lemmenjoki National Ivalo E8 Kaaresuvanto Hetta Park Ivalo Raja- (Enontekiö) Airport 91 Jooseppi Saariselkä Urho K Kekkonen 93 955 National Park Pallas-Yllästuntun (Saariselkä 45 National Park Wilderness) Tankavaara Porttipahdan Lokan Muonio ὈὈὈὈ79 Köngäs tekojärviὈὈSee Saariselkä Wildernesstekojärvi & Urho K Kekkonen National Park Map (p337) R U S S I A S W E D E N Sirkka Tulppio 21 Levi Muonionjoki E8 Kittilä Ylläs LAPPI KOVDOR Ylläs 80 Tanhua (718m) Vaalajärvi Sodankylä Kolari 79 Luosto Savukoski Pajala (514m) ὈὈLappea Lohiniua Ὀ5 Pelkosenniemi Unari Pyhä-Luosto Pyhä-Luosto E63 National Park ki Pyhä ijo Alakurtti (540m) E10 E75 Pello Kem Miekojärvi Kemijärvi 4 82 5 Arctic Circle Oulanka Sinetta National Park Överkalix ROVANIEMI Kemijärvi 5 Riisitunturi Torn joki Ὀ Övertorneå i National Park E63 Juuma Boden Käyla ion Kem 4 78 81 Posio joki E75 Ruka E4 Yli-kitka Kuusamo LULEÅ Tornio Ranua Pohjanlahti Haparanda 20 Perämeri National Park Kemi OULUN History The Petsamo area, northeast of Inari, was For information on Sámi and the history of annexed to Finland in 1920 by the Treaty Finland, see the History chapter, p30 . See of Tartu; a nickel mine opened in 1937. The p326 for more detailed information on the Soviet Union attacked the mineral-rich area Sámi and their culture. Sámi settlements were during the Winter War (1939–40), annexed spread throughout the vast region but during it in 1944, and has kept it ever since. The the 1600s, Swedes increased their presence Skolt Sámi from Petsamo were resettled in and in 1670 various cult sites and religious ob- Sevettijärvi, Nellim and Virtaniemi. jects were destroyed by the Lutheran Church’s The German army’s retreat in 1944–45 was Gabriel Tuderus (1638–1703). Churches were a scorched-earth affair; they burned all build- built throughout Lapland: Sodankylä’s is one ings in their path to hold off pursuit. Only a of the oldest left. few churches, villages and houses in Lapland In the following centuries, more Finns date from the period before WWII. filtered into the vast province, adopted rein- deer-herding and were assimilated into Sámi Activities communities (or vice versa), especially in Lapland’s joy is the outdoors and range of LAPLAND & SÁPMI LAPLAND & SÁPMI southern Lapland. exciting things to do year-round. There’s good .