Tornio

Tornio (Swedish: Torneå) is a city in Finnish Lapland, by the border to Sweden.

Tornio is mostly a summer destination or a place to visit for extensive shopping. While it may be a good place to view the northern lights, many things are closed during the winter – without necessarily being advertised as such.

Understand


Having been established in 1621 Tornio is by far the oldest city in Lapland. Today the city has approximately 21,000 inhabitants (2021). Tornio forms a unique economical zone together with the Swedish town Haparanda; the border between the countries is hardly visible. Tornio-Haparanda golf course is probably the only 18-hole golf course on Earth located in two countries, and the nation border runs right across the modern market square. The town lives strongly from border trade.

The famous Lapin Kulta brewery was established in 1873 but was closed in August 2010, and nowadays this famous brand is made in southern Finland. In 2016 brewing was restarted by Tornion panimo in the same building. The biggest employer in the Tornio area is the Steel company Outokumpu. Their huge steel mill is about 8 km south of the town centre. Tornio steel mill is not only the world's largest integrated stainless steel mill, but also the largest individual consumer of electricity in the Nordic countries. Its employment impact for the region is estimated at almost 8,000 people.



Get in
Tornio lies by the border, next to Haparanda, at the junction of the roads E4 through Sweden and E8 between Turku in south-western Finland and Tromsø in north-western Norway. E75 from Helsinki in the south and Utsjoki in the north passes not too far away.

If arriving from Sweden, check Haparanda and notice the time zone difference. Also Norway uses CET.

By car
From most of Finland you will arrive along either the E8 or the E75, at least the last leg by the former.

E8 comes down from the north along the Swedish border. E4 comes down via Inari and Rovaniemi and joins E8 in Keminmaa 15 km south from Tornio.

E8 comes up from the south by the coast via Vaasa, while E4 keeps inland until before Oulu. Oulu also has some significant roads from the east.

From most of Sweden, E4 via Haparanda is the obvious choice, although there are other options.

By train
In season VR has a night train from the south to Kolari, stopping in Tornio. The station is named Tornio-Itäinen ("Tornio East"). More trains (those to Rovaniemi) stop in Kemi, 30 km away, where you can transfer to bus. The Haparanda station in Sweden is 3 km from the centre of Tornio, with a few trains from Luleå. The overnight trains from southern Sweden terminate in Luleå, with an express coach for the last stretch.



By bus
From Finland, check Matkahuolto for timetables and fares. There are direct bus connections from Oulu and Rovaniemi to Tornio.

From Sweden, check Länstrafik Norrbotten and Resrobot. Check also for Haparanda, as the bus station is just across the border. A direct express coach connection from Stockholm to Tornio is offered by Tapanis buss, ticket from Stockholm 870 kr. There are also direct coaches from Luleå to Haparanda.

From most of Norway the easiest route is through Sweden. From Troms and Finnmark, there are connections via Rovaniemi, some of them only in summer. There should be a service via Utsjoki year round. Eskelisen Lapinlinjat is the main operator.

By plane
The nearest airport is Kemi-Tornio 20 km from the centre, where Finnair runs scheduled flights from Helsinki. From there you'll have to continue with by bus (see Matkahuolto); the nearest bus stop from Kemi airport is named Kemi lentoasema th. Oulu airport is farther away, but the fares are usually cheaper and flights more frequent. From Sweden, fly to Luleå and take the bus to Haparanda-Tornio travel centre.

Get around
The city is small; you can get everywhere by walking. It is also easy to visit Haparanda in Sweden by foot (the border is barely noticeable).

Local transport is available. See route map. There is a route planner for local transport trips.

Demand-responsive service traffic is designed especially for those residents who have difficulty traveling on public public transport or who live outside public transport services. Call-driven service traffic complements the local traffic in the city of Tornio and is open to everyone. The ride is ordered from the driver on the previous visit or at the latest on the working day preceding the need for transport.

By taxi

 * Smartphone app: Valopilkku, 02 Taksi
 * Smartphone app: Valopilkku, 02 Taksi

See




Do


The hot summer days can also be spent swimming in the cool Tornio river, lake Karsikkojärvi or in the beautiful island of Seskarö.

Connect
Tornio and its approach roads have 4G from all Finnish carriers, which extends a few km across the border into Sweden. You should also pick up Swedish networks here. 5G has not reached Tornio.

Go next

 * The Swedish town of Haparanda is situated at the other side of the border.
 * In the other direction the city of Kemi is less than half an hour away by bus or car.
 * To the north is Tromsø, Norway via Kilpisjärvi along the Tornio River, or Nordkapp, Norway via Rovaniemi and Ivalo on another route.