Our area is bursting with the most interesting and moving activities. There is a comprehensive network of routes for cycling and hiking, as well as bike tours and hiking tours of different lengths and levels. Paddling is one of the summer and autumn experiences that should not be missed. Canoe, packraft and sup-board are great ways to get to know the large and small rivers and lakes of our region.
What then, when you don’t always want do sports and push forward?
We have a solution for that, our passivities! Passivities are full of relaxation and enjoyment, living in the moment. In northernmost Lapland, you will find several year-round activities, but since there is still time left before winter so we will focus on fall offerings.
Steamed away
You can sauna your way through Finland to Nuorgam. Sauna is a daily routine for us and a way to relax after a hard day. In a sauna, the world is improved among several generations, and especially in the summer, a sauna may take several hours. Saunas and sauna baths are unique, and in our area you can find the most diverse selection of saunas.
Saariselkä Ski & Sport Resorts sauna is a summer novelty and the sauna’s wonderful terrace and pier invite you to enjoy a summer evening and take a dip in the fresh water of the Luttojoki. The sauna can be reserved for private use or you can join the public shift.
Aurora Village in Ivalo has two saunas. The panoramic sauna shown in the picture opens up to a forest landscape that looks different in every season. Several of our guests tell us how different it is here in northernmost Lapland in the summer, if they have only visited the area during the winter season.
Would a sauna evening by the flowing water suit you?
At Holiday Village Valle, you can take a sauna by the mighty Tenojoki. It’s a thrill to enjoy the steam of the barrel sauna in these landscapes.
Nuorgam Holiday village is in a wonderful location in the Tenojoki valley in the middle of the hill slopes. The green river valley and the rugged, beautiful fells are something that cannot be found anywhere else in our region. Holiday villages beach cottages have saunas and are located on the banks of the river. Lake Pulmankijärvi is a short drive away, and from the holiday centre you can quickly climb up to the fell, where the view mutes and calms. There are benches on the path and you can spend hours admiring the scenery without noticing how the time flies by.
Across waters
Lake Inarijärvi cruise is one of the most popular summer activities and not for nothing. The wonderful lake scenery is charming no matter what the weather, and in the shelter of the Visit Inari Safaris & Accommodation catamaran ship, the cruise goes smoothly regardless. Refreshments and snacks are served on board during the cruise, and you can listen to a story about the history of Lake Inarijärvi and its importance to the locals through the loudspeakers.
Cruising Lake Inarijärvi is not the only way to experience summer on the water, however. The Lemmenjoki river boat cruise takes you deep into Finland’s largest national park. The Lemmenjoki river valley again differs in its landscape from all other places that can be found in our area. High fells and fifty shades of green are not far from reality. The journey on the river boat is smooth and you can easily go on a day trip from Njurkulahti also on foot, so you can enjoy the nature of the river valley for as long as you want.
Culture and homely village vibes
The lively villages of northernmost Lapland invite you to sit on the park benches and watch the autumn day pass by. Buy a hot chocolate and enjoy the sunny weather, for example, on the beach in Inari or on the sandy beach in Ivalo. Ivalo’s beach, that white-sand riverside is the best passivity on a sunny summer day but also worth visiting during fall! Pack a blanket, a book and a swimsuit and head to the beach for the day. There is also a volleyball net on the beach, so you can play beach volley if you want.
Discover the history of our region in the renewed Sámi museum and Nature Centre of North Lapland in Siida, Inari. Reserve at least half a day in Siida and you can be sure that you still won’t have time to see everything. Siida’s renewed main exhibition has ingeniously combined the past and the present by honestly and without hiding grievances from the decades. Nature and culture go hand in hand in exhibitions, and Siida’s changing exhibitions are full of the most wonderful works of art. You can find clothes and accessories in the museum shop, and you can get hiking guidance from the nature centre.
Events are interesting. Concerts and culture, traditions and new trends. Locals and guests gather at the events to enjoy the event atmosphere and community spirit. The events have a happy atmosphere as well as expectant and a little thrilling at times. At sports events you can encourage as a spectator and as a participant you can get excited and compete, at music festivals you can dance and sing along and at participatory events you can make and create art yourself or learn new things for example about herbs and natural materials.
Foraging and harvest
Picking berries and mushrooms is a delicious passivity and if there is no forest fire warning, you can spend time on a berry-picking trip or in the mushroom field with an outdoor fire. In northernmost Lapland, in autumn, mushrooms, lingonberries and cranberries ripen in a suitable sequence before the arrival of the first frost.
Relaxing with passivities
So a vacation really doesn’t have to be a continuous sporting event, but on vacation you can and should enjoy the moments without doing anything at all. To get to know the culture and local life in a calm, unhurried way, as a counterweight to the active days .
