Lying on the border with Sweden, the municipality of Muonio offers lots of natural attractions and is a perfect introduction to Lapland.
On your holiday in Muonio, you can climb its high fells, fish in its lakes and rivers and travel through winter forests by dog sled or on a reindeer safari. Besides natural attractions such as the reputedly bottomless Lake Pakasaivo, Muonio offers fantastic opportunities for outdoor activities, and the waters in Pallas-Yllästunturi National Park are great for canoeing.
Muonio Church and Muonio Local Museum are both must-see sites. The wooden church was completed in 1817, whilst the museum area has several buildings relating to farming and a nineteenth-century central cabin.
The lake shores around Muonio are home to other exceptionally well-preserved buildings, including Torassieppi Winter Village and the Keimiöniemi Fishing Cabins. Torassieppi has practised reindeer husbandry for more than a hundred years and has its own reindeer farm, as well as a snow hotel and restaurant that is rebuilt every winter. You can also still use the fishing cabins at Keimiöniemi, which are over one hundred years old.
Lapland is characterised by stunning fell landscapes. Challenge yourself to climb to the Särkitunturi vantage point, where you can admire the slopes of the Pallastunturi fells. Olostunturi offers hiking in the summer and skiing from late autumn, when the first frosts set the snow cannons to work. Also, set aside an hour or two to climb the nearly two hundred metres tall Keimiötunturi mountain – you’ll be rewarded by wonderful views over Lake Jerisjärvi and the surrounding fells.
You can easily organise a memorable, inexpensive holiday in Muonio around its fells and lakes. Lake Pakasaivo was once a place of worship, and modern visitors are still silenced by this steep-sided lake that draws its waters from deep underground. Close to the lake is another old place of worship: a huge stone boulder called Kirkkopahta, set in a shaded forest.
Situated on the intersection of Highways 21 and 79, Muonio can be easily reached by car. It’s about one hour’s drive from Kolari railway station or Kittilä airport. Leave your worries behind and enjoy the diverse landscapes of Muonio.
