Sea Lapland and Torne River Valley

Sea Lapland and Torne River Valley is the south-west corner of Finnish Lapland, featuring the coast and the border river to Sweden. The Arctic Circle crosses the region in southern Pello.

Cities

• 1 Kemi – a bleak paper industry town best known for Arctic icebreaker cruises for tourists and the world's largest snow castle
• 2 Keminmaa – the countryside around Kemi. Medieval church with a mummy!
• 3 Pello
• 4 Simo
• 5 Tervola
• 6 Tornio – a town that together with its Swedish half Haparanda is a prime example of cross-border cooperation
• 7 Ylitornio - Aavasaksa hill was a tourist attraction already in the 1800s.

Other destinations

• 1 Bothnian Bay National Park – rocky islets, juniper and meadows in an archipelago still affected by the glacial rebound, with bird life and former fishing bases

Understand

Sweden seen across Kukkolankoski of Tornionjoki

Mostly south of the Arctic Circle, much of it not part of the reindeer husbandry area, this is a rather flat part of Lapland with water (the Bothnian Bay and Torne River) and Sweden to the west. There is a lot of cooperation and informal contacts – including family ties – across the river.

While this is not what most people think of when they hear "Lapland", it still features deep forests, mires and a river with good salmon fishing and opportunities for whitewater sports. It also has beautiful lakes such as Miekojärvi. The Arctic Circle crosses the region in Juoksenki, southern Pello.

Talk

The local language is mostly Finnish. The highly distinctive Torne river valley dialect is known as meänkieli ("Our Language") and has an official minority language status in Sweden.

As everywhere in Finland, you will manage well with English.

Get in

Train in Kemi, with sleepers, restaurant car, ordinary coaches and car-carrying cars – and Father Christmas on board

There are commercial airports in Kemi and Rovaniemi. Also Luleå in Sweden may be an option.

The overnight trains from the south go via Kemi. In season some of them continue through the region towards Kolari, otherwise all go via Tervola to Rovaniemi. Even when there is no train service to your destination, using the train to Kemi (or Oulu, if you have your car on board) often makes sense.

There are coaches along E75 and E8 from the south to Oulu and some services onwards. The Onnibus special express services along E75 from Helsinki go via Oulu, Kemi, Simo and Tervola to Rovaniemi, the one along E8 stops in Oulu. In schooldays Orajärven Bussit (☏ +358 40-183-4373) runs regular services from Oulu to Ylitornio (sometimes with transfer in Kemi) and from Raahe to Haparanda. Airport Express Rovaniemi (☏ +358 40-724-9563) runs services in weekdays from Rovaniemi via Ylitornio to Pello. Coming from the north, you may have to go via Rovaniemi – or take a taxi (or, in season. the train) for the 65 km from Kolari to Pello. For a shorter taxi ride, catch a bus in Swedish Pajala and walk back to Finland in Pello.

If you drive from southern Finland, use E75 (national road 4; from Helsinki) or E8 (national road 8; along the western coast) to Kemi, continue by E8 (here national road 21) or, for Tervola, E75.

From Rovaniemi, you have Highway 83 to Pello and regional road 930 to Ylitornio, in addition to E75 to Keminmaa.

If you drive through Sweden, the main route is by E4 to Tornio, then continue along E8 (for Tervola: then E75). Using smaller roads and other border crossings may make sense for some destinations, such as E10, 392, 403 etc. through Pajala for Kittilä and Levi.

From Norway, E10 is most convenient for Nordland, E8 for Troms, E45 for western Finnmark, E75 for eastern Finnmark (including Tana bru). For eastern Finnmark, you could take a shortcut along regional road 755 from Inari to Sirkka (Levi) or even drive via Kautokeino.

Get around

The main road through the region is E8, for Tervola E75. Between Ylitornio and Tervola, you can also use regional routes 930 and 929.

The long-distance trains can be used if the schedules fit.

The above-mentioned coaches and buses are the primary public transport. In addition Rajalinjat (☏ +358 40-565-5711) runs regular services in weekdays between Kemi and Pello (one or two daily), and K. Hekkanen (☏ +358 40-506-1317) runs some services between Simo and Kemi in schooldays. There may be other buses and special arrangements.

Your own vehicle, a taxi or similar may be necessary for destinations off the highways.

See and do

Driving timber in Pello, in a competition

• Aavasaksa in Ylitornio, the southernmost point in Finland for seeing the midnight sun, used for the Struve Geodetic Arc, and by Maupertuis a century before Struve. There is a lodge built in the Russian time for a visit by the emperor, now used for tourists.
• Bothnian Bay National Park, accessible by boat from Kemi.
• Icebreaker cruise on the Bay of Bothnia, from Kemi.
• The Kukkola rapids, 14 km north of Tornio.
• The Miekojärvi lake area, suitable for boating, canoeing and hiking, 20 km from Pello.
• The world's biggest snow castle in Kemi (built each winter), with accommodation but also open for daytime visits.
• Cross the border to Sweden in Tornio – perhaps without noticing.

Drink

Most nightlife is in Kemi and, in season, at the ski resorts.