Inari



Inari (North Sami: Anár, Inari Sami: Aanaar, Skolt Sami: Aanar, Swedish: Enare) is a village in the municipality of the same name in Finnish Lapland, on the shore of Lake Inari. The village is an administrative and cultural centre of the Sami people in Finland (but not of the municipality itself). The lake, its surroundings and some other destinations in the municipality are also covered in this article.

Understand


Because Inari is 300 km north of the Arctic Circle, there is Midnight sun from late May to late July and Polar Night from the beginning of December to middle January. The last ice within the lake disappear at the end of May. Even in July, the average day temperature is only about 17°C. Inari municipality is the largest municipality in Finland by area covering 5 % of the country, stretching from the Norwegian border in the west to the Norwegian and Russian borders in the east. There are less than 7,000 inhabitants though. The municipality got road connection when the road to Petsamo – connection to the Arctic Sea – was accomplished in 1931.

Four languages are spoken in Inari: Finnish, Northern Sámi, Inari Sami, and Skolt Sami. Inari Sami is the language traditionally used in the surroundings of the lake. Northern Sami is the biggest Sami language, spread with large scale reindeer husbandry and acts as the lingua franca among the Sami people around the whole Nordic. The Skolt Sami people were evacuated from Petsamo (Russian: Pechenga) when Finland lost that area in the World War II, and the people were resettled into the Inari municipality.

Ivalo (40 km south) is the administrative centre of the municipality and the biggest village with some 4,000 inhabitants. Inari is the second (1,000 inhabitants) and houses the Sami parliament, the Sami cultural centre, Finland's National Sami Museum, and the a vocational school and a training centre giving education both in Finnish and in the three local Sami languages. SOGSAKK is also one of those few places where anyone can study Sami languages and Sami culture.

Other villages include Angeli, Kaamanen, Lisma, Nellim, Näätämö, Saariselkä, and Sevettijärvi. There are parts of two national parks (Lemmenjoki and UKK) and six wilderness areas (Muotkatunturit, Paistunturi, Kaldoaivi, Vätsäri, Tsarmitunturi, and Hammastunturi) in the municipality. Lake Inari is the third largest lake in size in Finland but there are 8,000 other lakes here as well.

Get in
The nearest airport is in Ivalo. By car, the easiest way to get here from southern Finland is by car/sleeper train to Rovaniemi. Inari lies along road E75, but it's over 15 hours by bus from Helsinki.

There is one border crossing from Norway in the municipality, in Näätämö, and one from Russia: Raja-Jooseppi, with junction on E75 in Ivalo. Neighbouring Utsjoki has three more from Norway. From Norway, crossing the border anywhere is allowed, except at the border zone to Russia. There is a trail across the border from the backcountry of Kirkenes to Kessi, with road to Nellim.

By bus
Coaches from or via Rovaniemi pass Inari on their way to Utsjoki, Vadsø, Nordkapp or Kirkenes.

See


You can observe the northern lights dancing across the dark sky between September and March, during your night walk if the sky is clear.

Other sights:
 * Lake Inari (Finnish: Inarijärvi, Northern Sami: Anárjávri, Inari Sami: Aanaarjävri, Skolt Sami: Aanarjäuʹrr) is the largest lake in Lapland and the 12th in Europe; about 40 x 80 km. The deepest point is 92 m. More than half of its area is not open water but a labyrinth of more than 3300 islands. The lake is a popular fishing destination, trout, Arctic char and grayling being the main catch. Sightseeing cruises start from the village. The lake starts to freeze in late October, and there may be still some ice left in June. The surface water temperature remains virtually always under +20°C.
 * Lake Inari (Finnish: Inarijärvi, Northern Sami: Anárjávri, Inari Sami: Aanaarjävri, Skolt Sami: Aanarjäuʹrr) is the largest lake in Lapland and the 12th in Europe; about 40 x 80 km. The deepest point is 92 m. More than half of its area is not open water but a labyrinth of more than 3300 islands. The lake is a popular fishing destination, trout, Arctic char and grayling being the main catch. Sightseeing cruises start from the village. The lake starts to freeze in late October, and there may be still some ice left in June. The surface water temperature remains virtually always under +20°C.
 * Lake Inari (Finnish: Inarijärvi, Northern Sami: Anárjávri, Inari Sami: Aanaarjävri, Skolt Sami: Aanarjäuʹrr) is the largest lake in Lapland and the 12th in Europe; about 40 x 80 km. The deepest point is 92 m. More than half of its area is not open water but a labyrinth of more than 3300 islands. The lake is a popular fishing destination, trout, Arctic char and grayling being the main catch. Sightseeing cruises start from the village. The lake starts to freeze in late October, and there may be still some ice left in June. The surface water temperature remains virtually always under +20°C.

Do


Lake Inari is ideal for fishing, canoeing/kayaking and boating: you are mostly alone and maybe won't meet any person for weeks. The landscape is very nice because of the islands, but prepare for lots of mosquitoes. There are a number of open wilderness huts, lapp pole tents, and cabins for rent on the islands. For boating you need the Lake Inarijärvi yachting chart (Inarijärven veneilykartta; chart no 480).

Canoes and bikes can be rented from the shop next to Hotel Inari. There are "sea kayaking" routes on the lake, and the Juutuanjoki for those preferring whitewater (but the Jäniskoski rapids have to be portaged; a memorial by the shore for one who thought he'll manage but drowned as he thought he had made it a little too early). It is possible to come by canoe all the way from Kultasatama in Lemmenjoki National Park (about 70 km, most of it more easy/quiet canoeing).

There are also opportunities for horse riding and sleigh riding with huskies, depending on the season.

There are many nature and hiking trails in the area.
 * Nature trails:
 * Oi Juutua! telling about people, events and fishing. 7.5 km, starting point by the bridge in the village.
 * Snowshoe Trail, telling about snow, 1.3 km, starting at the mouth of the Juutuanvuono Fjord.
 * Five Senses Nature Trail, telling about the history and nature, tough, unmarked but with GPS coordinates.
 * Other trails:
 * Inari – Otsamo Trail, 9 km. The trail goes by the river through old pine forest, passes the fell birch zone to the treeless at 418 m. Great view from the top. Start from Siida or Jäniskoski (where you can get by car or by the Juutua trail). There is also a shorter trail (3 km) to the fell top from the Otsamo/Rovajärvi parking area.
 * Pielpajärvi Wilderness Church Trail, see above

There are also cross country skiing tracks, biking trails and snowmobile tracks in the area.



The is nearby (45 km), the largest National Park in Finland, and, according to Metsähallitus, "one of the whole Europe’s most extensive uninhabited and roadless backwoods". The park can partly be explored by riverboat, but there are also marked trails and wilderness huts as well as rental huts, and a vast backcountry. The park borders to Øvre Anárjohka National Park in Norway.

Also nearby is the, "literally a wilderness area" according to Metsähallitus. There are no marked trails, few wilderness huts or other facilities in the wilderness area itself – and phones are out of signal except on fell tops. Experience and adequate equipment are needed, but the terrain is quite easy. Suitable for hiking and cross-country skiing, for those who enjoy the silence. A few places are more frequented, such as the Stuorraäytsi canyon.

At the south-eastern shore of lake Inari, there is the Nellim village, with an orthodox church. Nearby (5–7 km) there is infrastructure from the war (Rautaportti, "iron gate"), and a restored log-floating flume. 30 km farther is the common border point between Finland, Norway and Russia (guided tours offered; mind the border zone if going by yourselves, the border point itself is reachable without permits by a long hike around the border zone and along the Norwegian side of the border).

At the eastern end of the lake, past Nellim in the south and Sevettijärvi in the north, is the roadless Vätsäri Wilderness Area, part of the Pasvik-Inari Trilateral Park. Rugged landscape with a mosaic of pine forests, mires and a labyrinth of the lakes. The Piilola trail through the area leads to Øvre Pasvik National Park in Norway (a rather special shortcut to Kirkenes). The trail is marked and there are wilderness huts, but hiking experience is needed as you are on your own here.

Buy
There are several dedicated shops selling souvenirs and local handicrafts along the main road (Inarintie, E75). If buying Sami related products always check that they have Sámi duodji certificate of authenticity!



Mid-range

 * Hotel Inarin Kultahovi.jpg

Off roads
Going out boating or on the trails, right to access applies, except minor protected areas (and of course private yards etc.). There are campfire sites along the trails (not to be used during wildfire warnings). There are open wilderness huts on some islands in the lake, and in the wilderness areas. There are also wilderness huts for rent. Camping by open wilderness huts or campfire places is to be preferred over wild camping, where reasonable. Yards of rental huts are to be treated as yards of private homes.

Connect
Postal code 99870 Inari.

Mobile phones should work well in the village and along the main roads, but in the wilderness there are large areas with spotty coverage.

Go next

 * The gold village Tankavaara, 100 km to the south, on E75
 * The ski and spa resort of Saariselkä, 70 km to the south