Sodankylä

城市概覽

Sodankylä is situated in the heart of Finnish Lapland. It provides a perfect environment for both the active hiker and the person seeking peace, space and silence as almost all the people here live in the villages by the highway E75. Vast conifer forests, unspoiled wild nature, wide open aapa-type mires and rugged fells of Northern Lapland in particular, are characteristic to this area. The Luosto ski resort, the Tankavaara gold village, and most of the Urho Kekkonen National Park are located in the Sodankylä municipality. The area consist mostly of taiga forest scattered by vast open mires and individual treeless fells. In the northern part there is the wide 1 Saariselkä fell massif, one of the most popular hiking destinations in Finland. The area was inhabited by nomadic Sami people until Finnish settlers arrived here during the 17th century. When the border between the Russian Empire and Norway closed in 1852, nomadic Sami reindeer herdsmen lost their pastures, and some families decided to move south-east into the uninhabited forests in northern Sodankylä. This is why Sami dresses you'll see here resemble those used in northwestern Scandinavia. The aftermath of World War II known as the Lapland War caused widespread damage at the area. Very few buildings here survived the scorched-earth policy of the retreating German troops. To ensure availability of hydroelectric power, the huge 2 Porttipahta reservoir and 3 Lokka reservoir were created during the 1960s and 1970s. Formation of the Lokka reservoir is still a sensitive topic as – in addition to Posoaapa, until then one of the largest mires in the whole Europe – the reservoir drowned also three local villages, and the villagers lost their homes, croplands and pastures. The Jaeger Brigade is the northernmost military unit of the Finnish Army, and the barracks are located on the north-west outskirts of the Sodankylä town. Military personnel and conscripts are a visible part of the street view. Despite the name Soda

如何抵達

There is no passenger traffic to Sodankylä airport and the nearest railway station is at Rovaniemi, so the only way to get in is by road, in practice by car or a bus. The distance to the Sodankylä town from Rovaniemi is 130 km and from Ivalo 160 km (both have airports). It is possible to buy a train ticket to Luosto but your trip will continue from Rovaniemi train station with a bus (VR JunaBussi service). Long distance coaches along national road 4 (E75) between Rovaniemi and Ivalo stop in the centre of Sodankylä as well as at the bus stops by the road. As this is one of the most important intercity lines in Lapland there are several daily connections. A single ticket from Rovaniemi costs about €25/adult to the town and about €44/adult to Tankavaara. Use Matkahuolto travel search for detailed schedules for the day of travel. The Onnibus daily F42 line Rovaniemi–Ivalo stops only at some stops: the coach station, Torvinen (for Luosto), Vuotso, Kakslauttanen, and Tankavaara. The Onnibus does not accept cash payment and their ticket is usually much cheaper if purchased from their own online store than from Matkahuolto or the driver. In summer, a daily direct connection from Nordkapp is available. All long-distance coaches stop at 1 Sodankylä coach station, which is nicely in the very heart of the town.

當地交通

You can get around in the town itself easily by foot. Almost everything you will need is located either on the Jäämerentie road or within a few blocks off. However, many attractions are located tens of kilometres outside of it and there are just a few buses a day (mainly just along highway 4), hence a car is the most practical mode of transportation. Experienced road cyclist probably enjoy biking these roads, but it is worth understanding the distances and being able to help oneself if something happens. Outside the highway 4 the traffic is very low and distances between inhabited locations are huge. On the other hand, on the highway 4 there is a notable amount of truck traffic. Never stop your car on the lane.

必看景點

Sodankylä is one of the best places on Earth for watching the Northern lights. This was acknowledged already in 1913 when the 7 Sodankylä Geophysical Observatory (SGO) was established. Today the observatory is part of the University of Oulu. It is a scientific research station and not open to visitors. You can check their aurora forecasts and watch the all-sky aurora cameras online though. The Midnight Sun is shining from May 31st until July 14th creating a six weeks long polar day (at the latitude of the town). Thanks to the atmospheric refraction real polar night when Sun doesn't rise at all lasts only four days and is darkest around December 20th. During the winter months the daylight is sparse anyways.

In town

1 Alariesto art gallery, Jäämerentie 3. M–F 09:00–16:00. An art gallery presenting the art of the local painter Andreas Alariesto (1900-1989) known for his Naive paintings depicting life in Lapland. Alariesto got fame already when alive and today he is one of the recognized Lapland painters. Take a look to their small online exhibition. 2 The old wooden church. Built in 1689 the Sodankylä old church is one of the oldest still existing buildings in Lapland and one of the oldest wooden churches in Finland. Architectonically it is original mixture Ostrobothnian village church and medieval building tradition. This small wooden church has kept its centuries old atmosphere very well. Vespers are held indoors every summer Wednesday and it is a popular wedding church. Old and the new church as well as the graveyard by the river are included to the Finnish list of nationally significant build cultural environments. 3 Sodankylä new church, Papintie 1. Even though virtually all the buildings at the area were destroyed by retrieving German troops during the Lapland War, amazingly both the old and new church survived the devastation. The new church was built in 1859 and unlike the old one it is made of stone. The bell is from the old church. (updated Sep 2020) 4

體驗活動

A large variety of activities are available around the municipality in winter as well as in summer: snowmobile driving, ice fishing, reindeer farm visits, snowshoe walks, cross-country and downhill skiing, riverboat cruises, fishing, hiking and cycling. For most fishing in the rivers, you need permits from the owners of the waters, usually fishing cooperatives. Check who the current agents are. There are skiing tracks at least by Sodankylä (including Kommattivaara), Levi, Rajala (including Kaarestunturi) and Sattanen, including a short illuminated loop. If you have backcountry skis, there are endless woods to explore.

1 Ilmakkiaapa mires (35 km to the north along E75). 24 hr daily. Easy 2 × 400 m trail along duckboards over the aapa mire to a birdwatching tower. In spring the trail is flooded, otherwise no equipment is needed in dry weather, as long as you keep to the trail. Rubber boots needed for berry picking. Take your binoculars with you, t