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Finnish Lapland, Finland
Photo: Argus fin, CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons
The north-east Finnish Lapland offers a lot of what Lapland is known for: fells, deep forests, polar nights with northern lights, midnight sun, reindeer and Sami culture. Lake Inari (Inarinjärvi), Finland's third largest lake, and its archipelagos have a shoreline of 3,000 km.
By plane
Flying is the fastest means of reaching Lapland, but for most destinations services are sparse and prices often steep.g. Lakselv may be worth considering.
By train
Even if there is no train service to here, using the train for the first leg (to Rovaniemi or Kemijärvi) often makes sense.
By bus
There are coach connections from Helsinki via Rovaniemi along E75 through the region, to Karasjok or Tana (possibly with transfers, some connections only in summer).
By car
There are good roads to Lapland, but instead of using a day on driving, you might want to get your car on an overnight train to Rovaniemi or Kemijärvi, and wake up fresh in the morning to enjoy the…
On foot
From Norway, in addition to using the border crossings, fording the border river or trekking through wilderness along your own routes, you can take a shortcut through the woods: the Piilola trail.
The main roads can be expected to be good, but minor roads are sometimes truly minor. Some of them allow meeting only at designated places, and driving may be at own risk.
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village with the Sámi parliament and the Sámi museum Siida, by Lake Inari with its labyrinthine archipelagos
the biggest population centre in Inari
Skolt Sámi villages, wilderness tourism and border crossing to Norway
most sparsely populated municipality of Finland, with Korvatunturi fell, the real home of Father Christmas; far from everything
The largest town (5,000 inhabitants), with the Midnight Sun Film Festival
the salmon river Teno, border crossing to Norway
border village in south-western Utsjoki, border crossing to Norway
The northernmost village... and quite everything in the European Union. Located by river Teno – Europe's richest salmon river. Border crossing to Norway
an impressive canyon with a 64-km hiking trail
river valley with gold digging grounds, some fells and vast surrounding wilderness
ski and safari resort, home to the only open amethyst mine in Europe; by Pyhä-Luosto National Park
vast wilderness areas, partly above the treeline, with few marked trails and few services
famous holiday resort in southern Inari. Popular mostly for the older set; a gateway to one of the largest national parks in Europe
a gold village with a gold museum
national park by Saariselkä and all its services, with vast backcountry, including the home of Joulupukki, Santa Claus himself
rugged forested mosaic of hills, bogs and lakes, with a trail to Norway
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Travel tipsFinland is the most sparsely populated country in the European Union. Outside the major cities, driving is usually the most practical way to get around.
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