On The Wild Road to Lapland - Kemijärvi, a genuine Lappish pearl
Kemijärvi is the northernmost city in Finland and an excellent base for conquering Lapland. You can find accomodation for every taste and budget in the city centre, in the surrounding villages or in the foot of a fjeld. Taste the wilderness and lakes in local restaurants. Game, freshwater fish, berries and mushrooms are the true Lappish foods.
Explore the Lapland that has not yet been discovered by the masses. The nearby lake invites you to take a fishing trip or a cruise under the midnight sun. The diverse hiking trails bring harmony to the mind, and a village trip introduces you to the local way of living. The attractions are as distinctive as the city itself. You can find a high quality wood sculpture collection and a snow mobile and a chain saw museum to mention a few.
The city is surrounded by diverse routes for short, half a day to a day drives. The Luusua scenic route (road 944, trunk road 81 to Kuusamo, E63) passes idyllic lake shore villages and the Ruka fjeld. The Pyhä-Luosto national park with its various popular hiking trails is situated to north from Kemijärvi (road E63). Admire the steep riverbanks, forests and villages and explore their many interestings hiking destinations while driving by the Kemijoki river shores towards Rovaniemi (road 944, trunk road 81 to Rovaniemi, E75 to Sodankylä, trunk road 82).
The Wild Road to Lapland goes along the E63 highway through Tampere, Jyväskylä, Kuopio, Kajaani and Kemijärvi to Sodankylä, where it continues as E75 all the way up to the northernmost Lapland and Norway. Experience the distinct Finnish national scenery with its many lakes, hilly fields, forested hills, and the rocky fjelds by the route.