Kautokeino

Kautokeino (Northern Sámi: Guovdageaidnu) is a town and municipality in Finnmark, northern Norway. It is situated on Finnmarksvidda, the inland plateau. The municipality has a 90 % Sámi majority.

Understand


The municipality is a centre for Sámi culture and Sámi education, hosting the Sámi University College, the Nordic Sámi Institute and a Sámi theatre. The town has some 1,500 inhabitants, half of those of the municipality. The name means "midways"; the distance is about equal to Alta, Karasjok, Karesuando and Nordreisa, all (close to) ancient important markets (as the reindeer run, not by road – there were no roads here).

Villages in the municipality include Mázi, Stornes (Hemmogieddi), Šuoššjávri, Økseidet (Ákšomuotki), Láhpoluoppall, Siebe, Áidejávri and Soahtefielbma.

Kautokeino is the coldest inhabited area in Norway in winter, due to the northern inland location, with mean temperature in January and records of slightly below. Dry air makes the temperatures in winter more bearable, but midwinter is still extreme. Weather in summer is cool to warm, with a mean of in July and frost possible even in midsummer. Day temperatures in summer are mostly 10–25°C (up to 80°F).

There is midnight sun from late May to late July and polar night from the beginning of December to middle January. This is the driest part of Norway, with yearly precipitation 360–400 mm, which makes it a good place to watch Northern lights.

Easter is a time of much activity, with Sámi gathering before it is time for the reindeer to move towards calving grounds: church going, film and music festivals, reindeer races, snowmobile cross and many tourists.

The Finnmarksvidda is largely flat or rolling plains, with only modest fells but many lakes. The highest fell of the municipality is Mollejus at 974 m, the 10,000 lakes in the municipality have a total area of some 737 km². Three important rivers have their sources here: the Kautokeino river (which changes names to Altaelva downstream), Kárášjohka and Anárjohka, the latter two joining downstream to form Deatnu (Tana, Teno), the most important salmon river in Europe.

Although the majority speaks Northern Sámi, also Norwegian and English should be spoken by nearly everybody.



Get in
Kautokeino is on E45, here coinciding with road 93 between Alta (130 km) on the coast and Hetta (80 km) in Enontekiö, Finland. Road 92 from Neiden near Kirkenes via Sevettijärvi and Kaamanen in Inari, Finland, and Karasjok, leads to road 93 some 40 km north of Kautokeino. Alta, Karasjok and Neiden are on E6, Hetta near E8, Kaamanen on E75. Driving from Alta or Karasjok takes about two hours.

There should be buses from Alta and Karasjok, in summer also from Rovaniemi via Hetta (possibly with transfer at Palojoensuu) and at least in summer from Inari with transfer in Karasjok or Alta.

The most relevant airports are in Alta, in Hetta and Ivalo, Finland, and in Kiruna, Sweden.

The nearest railhead is Kiruna, Sweden, some 250 km away. Coming via Luleå and Tornio may be more handy in some cases. The nearest railheads in Finland are Kolari and Rovaniemi.

Get around
Bus transport is sparse, so a car is useful. Taxi is the main option for many destinations outside of the town. There is also a network of snowmobile routes (look for "skuterláhtut"). The town itself is built along a few kilometres of the Kautokeino river.

Then of course, hiking and cross-country skiing may be what you are here for. There are few marked trails or ready-made skiing tracks, but lots of space to explore.

See




Do

 * Hiking and outdoor life
 * The European long distance trail E1 comes down from Nordkapp and continues along Nordkalottleden (800 km) towards Sicily. The first cabin, Čunovuohppi, is some 20 km by the trail from Kautokeino, going there by car and returning by the trail (or the other way round) is possible. If you want food or lodging at the cabin, you need to reserve it in advance. Also the Ráisjávri (Reisavann) cabin, one or two more days ahead, is sort of reachable by car. Demanding, not marked for winter use, and map and navigation skills are needed all year.
 * – On the summit of Luvdiidčohkka (also known as Lohdizhjokki or Lodiken) 638 m ASL. From the E45, there's a gravel road going north, which may be too rough for normal cars. From the closest point on that gravel road (there's a red cabin on the right-hand side of the road) there's a hike of about 3 km along a path to the summit.
 * – From the town of Kautokeino, a smaller road goes east to the village of Ávži. From there, a path or rather gravel road marked as a snowmobile trail forks off the main road. Baelljasvárri is 585 m ASL, and there are again a few kilometers of hiking to get to the point.
 * The European long distance trail E1 comes down from Nordkapp and continues along Nordkalottleden (800 km) towards Sicily. The first cabin, Čunovuohppi, is some 20 km by the trail from Kautokeino, going there by car and returning by the trail (or the other way round) is possible. If you want food or lodging at the cabin, you need to reserve it in advance. Also the Ráisjávri (Reisavann) cabin, one or two more days ahead, is sort of reachable by car. Demanding, not marked for winter use, and map and navigation skills are needed all year.
 * – On the summit of Luvdiidčohkka (also known as Lohdizhjokki or Lodiken) 638 m ASL. From the E45, there's a gravel road going north, which may be too rough for normal cars. From the closest point on that gravel road (there's a red cabin on the right-hand side of the road) there's a hike of about 3 km along a path to the summit.
 * – From the town of Kautokeino, a smaller road goes east to the village of Ávži. From there, a path or rather gravel road marked as a snowmobile trail forks off the main road. Baelljasvárri is 585 m ASL, and there are again a few kilometers of hiking to get to the point.
 * – From the town of Kautokeino, a smaller road goes east to the village of Ávži. From there, a path or rather gravel road marked as a snowmobile trail forks off the main road. Baelljasvárri is 585 m ASL, and there are again a few kilometers of hiking to get to the point.

Buy
Although the town is quite small, you should be able to find most things you need. Local people will do most of their shopping here, as bigger towns are far away. Mind the shopping hours, though.

This is the place to buy Sámi handicraft. With a concentration of Sámi, many shops foremost serve locals or Sámi from the surroundings, so you will more easily avoid the kitsch sold in more touristy places (there are tourists here also, of course). Some shops are quite well hidden though, or scattered about.

Silver is the traditional material for Sámi jewellery.

Sleep




Connect
Postal code 9520 Kautokeino