Saariselkä-Inari

Saariselkä Ski Centre

Saariselkä area has 8 hotels, a spa, many company and private owned cabins and apartments (about 13 500 bedplaces), 19 restaurants, 10 programme companies, a grocery store, many small souvenir shops and boutiques.

Saariselkä provides exceptionally good opportunities for cross-country skiing. The illuminated tracks, versatile terrain in the fells and long skiing season offer the skiers a variety of alternatives to chose from. Saariselkä provides good facilities for first snow skiing on well groomed artificial ski tracks already on October. Saariselkä ski resort is famous training centre for international ski teams and ski enthusiasts.

Saariselkä down hill ski centre is located next to opposing fells, Kaunispää and Iisakkipää, with a total of 15 slopes suitable for beginners, advanced skiers and snowboarders. Tobogganing slope (1,2 km) from the top of Kaunispää fell is worth testing as well! At the end of the outdooring day there is spa and saunas awaiting. Spa offers also pampering and refreshing treatments.

Saariselkä offers good variety of ski cafes, dining restaurants, pubs and bars within the resort. Evening venues have relaxing, easy going Lappish atmosphere.

Winter in Saariselkä

The skiing season in Saariselkä begins in October and lasts until May. The area has 8 hotels, 19 restaurants, 11 service providers, a spa and good shopping possibilities. Winter activities range from cross-country skiing and downhill skiing to husky, reindeer and snowmobile safaris as well as ice-fishing, snow shoeing, winter driving programmes such as rally co-piloting and go-kart driving in snowy tracks.

Summer in Saariselkä

In summertime Saariselkä offers a network of wellmarked hiking, nordic walking and mountain biking trails. Urho Kekkonen National Park provides good possibilities for day tours or longer hikes. The area`s gold history also attracts tourists and offers unique options for day tours: gold panning , visit to gold claims or to Tankavaara Gold Village and the international Gold Museum.

The Location on the way to Arctic Ocean and to North Cape offers nice possibilties for day trips to North Norway. The coastal voyager Hurtigruten cruises to Kirkenes in Norway, wich is located half day drive from Saariselkä.

Saariselkä –Inari

Inari village is the centre of the Sámi culture in Northern Lapland. It hosts both the Sámi museum Siida, the Sámediggi parliament and Sámi Radio. The surrounding nature, the islands of Lake Inarinjärvi and the clear waters, as well as the short distance to Ivalo airport make Inari the centre of summer tourism in the municipality. Lake Inarijärvi and the rivers Teno, Näätämö and Ivalo are the dreams even for the most ambitious fishers. Inari village offers activities and accommodation throughout the year.

Inari village provides two hotels and high-quality cabin accommodation. Ivalo, spread along Ivalojoki River, as a commercial centre provides the most important services of the municipality, for locals and visitors alike. The services include health care centres, banks, restaurants and hotels as well as cabins. Ivalo hosts the northernmost airport in Finland.

Saariselkä is the biggest travel resort and tourist centre within the area offering wide variety of services. The resort is surrounded by Urho Kekkonen National Park, which provides versatile possibilities to explore the unforgettable arctic nature. Saariselkä provides exceptionally good opportunities for cross-country skiing and hiking – the trail network connects Saariselkä to the neighbouring Fell Centre of Kiilopää.

Down hill ski centre is locates on fells of Kaunispää and Iisakkipää and offers 15 slopes for beginners and advanced skiers. Saariselkä resort has 8 hotels, a spa with saunas and pampering treatments, lots of cabins and apartments, ski cafes, dining restaurants, pubs and bars, programme companies, grocery stores and many small souvenir shops and boutiques.

In summertime Saariselkä offers a network of wellmarked hiking, nordic walking and mountain biking trails. Urho Kekkonen National Park provides good possibilities for day tours or longer hikes.

The Northern Lapland´s gold history also attracts tourists and offers unique options for day tours: gold panning , visit to gold claims or to Tankavaara Gold Village and the international Gold Museum. Lemmenjoki, situated 45 km to the west of Inari, on the banks of the River Lemmenjoki, is famous for its history of gold-prospecting and the marvellous nature of the Lemmenjoki National Park.

The Location on the way to Arctic Ocean and to North Cape offers nice possibilties for day trips to North Norway. The coastal voyager Hurtigruten cruises up to Kirkenes in Norway, which is located half day drive from Saariselkä.

Lapland's Sámi culture

The service centres of the municipality of Inari — Inari village and the administrative centre of Ivalo — combine side by side modern travellers' services with Sámi and Lappish culture. The traditions and livelihood of the northern peoples still play an important part in the inhabitants' daily lives. For example, reindeer husbandry along with travellers' services is an important source of income for the locals.

With its 1,000 residents, Inari village is the second-largest urban area in the municipality, and the cradle of Lapland's Sámi culture. Inari hosts both the Sámi museum Siida, the Sámediggi parliament and Sámi Radio. The surrounding nature, the islands of Lake Inarinjärvi and the clear waters, as well as the short distance to Ivalo airport make Inari the centre of summer tourism in the municipality.

Inari hosts two hotels and high-quality cabin accommodation. Ivalo, spread along Ivalojoki River, has some 4,300 residents. Ivalo has all the most important services of the municipality, for locals and visitors alike. The services include health care centres, banks, restaurants and hotels as well as cabins. Ivalo is also host to the northernmost airport in Finland.

The Gold Lands of Lemmenjoki

The village of Lemmenjoki is situated 45 km to the west of Inari, on the banks of the River Lemmenjoki. The area is famous for its history of gold-prospecting and the marvellous nature of the Lemmenjoki National Park. As far as surface area is concerned, the Lemmenjoki National Park is currently Finland's largest. A river raft (boat) trip of many kilometres through the River Lemmenjoki valley, and expeditions into the surrounding Maaresta and Viipus fells offer the hiker and intrepid skier classic wilderness scenery.

Nellim – a meeting point of three cultures The village of Nellim is in a sheltered cove of Lake Inari, in the south-east corner of the famous wild lake, near the border with Russia. Orginally, Nellim was a village of the Inari Sámi people, which nowadays is known as a meeting point of three cultures. Places of interest in the village include the Nellim Traditional Museum and the Orthodox Church of St. Triphon of Pechenga.

Sevettijärvi – Skolt Sámi village in the north-eastern part of Inari municipality The Skolt Sámi village of Sevettijärvi is located about 180 km north-east of Saariselkä. Most of the Skolt people live in the villages of Sevettijärvi or Nellim. Currently there are about 600 Skolts in Finland, most of whom live in the municipality of Inari. You can have an enjoyable stay in Sevetti and get to know the traditional Skolt dwellings and Orthodox culture.

Utsjoki – Nuorgam Utsjoki is Finland's northernmost municipality and the only one that has a Sámi majority. The most beautiful road in Finland winds along the River Teno from Karigasniemi to Utsjoki; tourists should acquaint themselves with the three Ailigas, the ‘Holy Fells', which are situated at the villages of Karigasniemi, Nuvvus and Utsjoki. As well as wonderful scenery and Sámi culture, Utsjoki offers tourists a wide range of activity programmes and nature tours throughout the year. The Kevo Nature Park is located in the Utsjoki district and currently covers 712 km². The village of Nuorgam right by the Norwegian border, is Finalnd´s and the Europian Union´s northernmost village.

The road that winds its way alongside the Tenojoki River offers spectacular views over the Norwegian mountains and Sámi villages on the other side of the river. The very distinct change of seasons shows everything in a different light; the frozen temperatures of winter,the blue tints of twilight and the magical dance of the Northern Lights in the dark starry sky. The glistening snow of early spring and the sunny and warm weather changes in May to give way to summer and the season of growth. The bright nights of summer and the Midnight Sun that warms the atmosphere are best experienced in these northern regions. The first frozen nights of autumn bring out astonishingly vibrant colours in trees and other vegetation as they prepare for the coming winter. The days are bright and the weather is mild.