Scandinavia… Not a country, but a beautiful area. Scandinavia is the collective name for the following Northern countries; Norway, Sweden and Denmark. Looking at history, Finland and Iceland also belong to Scandinavia: according to the Norwegian council, they also belong. All in all, Scandinavia is huge (more than a million square kilometers), while about 24 million people live there. For comparison; The Netherlands is more than 41,000 square kilometers with about 17 million inhabitants.

Of all western European countries, the Scandinavian countries probably have the most more or less untouched nature. In addition, they are countries that are easily accessible from the Netherlands. Norway is characterized by, among other things, the fjords and the Trollstigen, known to many motorcyclists. And where Sweden is known as wide and relaxing, everyone knows Finland as the land of 1000 lakes. All in all, legitimate reasons to traverse this beautiful nature in the north of Europe by means of a number of routes.

The route starts in Pajala, a Swedish town close to the Finnish border. Before you start driving, however, it might be wise to walk into the supermarket diagonally opposite the hotel for some shopping for on the road. And once you drive you will find a gas station after the first corner where you can fill the tank if necessary. Only then do you really get going.

Soon you will cross a river, the Torne. This is a river that flows from Northern Sweden to Northern Finland, to flow into the Gulf of Bothnia. The Torne arises where two foothills on the east side of Torneträsk in Swedish Lapland join at Kurravaara, a few kilometers north of the city of Kiruna. It is then again not recognizable as a river. It flows through a swamp from the point of leaving Tornetråsk to Pajala.
Just after Pajala, the Muonio joins the Torne, the river then flows south through the Tornedal, forming the border between Sweden and Finland. The current of the Torne is small due to the small height difference. The current of the Muonio is faster due to the relative shallow depth, whereby a lot of water has to be drained away. In some places the current speed is so great that fishing boats regularly capsize and people drown.
By analogy with a national park, the Torne was declared a national river in 1993. This means that no hydropower plants may be built in the river and that any form of canalization is prohibited. For example, an attempt is made to preserve the natural course of the river and to protect populations of migratory fish species (such as salmon). Sweden's other three national rivers are Vindelälven, Pite älv and Kalixälven.

Just before Kolari in Finland, cross the Muonio and enter Finland, the land of reindeer sleigh rides and the Northern Lights. As far as the landscape is concerned, it is not much different. Lapland extends over the very northernmost part of Norway, Sweden, Finland and Russia. You are now in the Finnish part.

Via Palovaara you drive towards the first coffee break in Ylläsjärvi, a village located on the lake of the same name. Ylläs is a fjell (mountain area) and ski resort in the Finnish municipality of Kolari. It is the second largest ski resort in the Finnish province of Lapland after Levi. Ylläs is the highest fjell in Finland with a ski lift.

After the coffee break you continue the route towards Kittilä. You cross the Lainiojoki, among other things. The Lainio is a river that starts somewhere in the high mountains that lie at the border triangle between Sweden, Norway and Finland. Most of the water comes from the Råstojaure, which drains through the Råstr River, which, together with the Tavva River, forms the two largest source rivers. The Lainio soon flows through the swamp area that surrounds it and winds its way through Övre Soppero, Nedre Soppero, Lainio and Kangos to eventually contribute its water to the Torne. The river is approximately 250 kilometers long, its drainage area is 6300 km². Main tributaries are the Saanki River and the Pulsu River. This river is known for the huge populations of salmon that live there. The Lainio River has a namesake with the suffix 'joki' as a tributary, and that is the river you cross.

When you arrive in Kittilä you have the opportunity to visit two museums. First, here you will find the The Einari Junttila Art Museum. This museum is located in a house built by the artist in the 1930s. The native Kittilä artist Einari Junttila (1901-1975) is best known for his watercolors depicting the nature of Lapland. Opened in 1991, the museum showcases his art and home environment. The museum is owned and maintained by Einari Junttila's daughter, Terttu Junttila.
You will also find the Palso museum in this place. It includes the cottage and studio of Kalervo Palsa (1947-1987). The artist's father Hugo Palsa bought a small farm called Hyrynkangas in 1946 and it is one of the few surviving buildings in the parish of Kittilä that survived the devastation of the Lapland War. The museum is open from the beginning of June to the end of September,
Kalervo Palsa lived in the cottage with his parents and three brothers. Mother Hilja Kenttälä earned extra income for the family by selling liquor and housing men working in the area. At a young age, the existing courtyard became an important place for Kalervo Palsa, where he was allowed to write and paint his diary in peace. He called his bare studio Cloud Castle and Gethsemane. The last years of his life Palsa lived there alone, after the death of his mother and brother. On October 4, 1987, he died in his studio after contracting pneumonia.
The Palsa Museum in the center of Kittilä was opened on June 6, 2013. The house was uninhabited since the artist's death and has fallen into disrepair. The Kauko Sorjonen Foundation acquired Palsa buildings and furnishings in 2011, and restoration work was carried out the following year. In connection with the work, the paintings on the walls of the studio in Gethsemane have also been preserved.

About 20 kilometers further you arrive in Sirkka. The final destination of the Arctic Challenge 2020. In this place, which is also a winter sports area, the participants stayed for three days. They have participated in all kinds of activities here, such as ice karting and a trip on the snowmobile.
After these three days, the return journey started. If you are taking this tour to only drive the route that the participants have ridden, it is best to stop here at the hotel and continue with part 20 of the tour. You then skip the visit to the North Cape. That's a shame of course, because now that you're here ...

From Sirkka the route leads back to the border with Sweden, which you will also follow for a while. Before that, however, you pass Galleria Raekallio, where the work of the painter Reijo Raekallio can be viewed. Reijo has been painting art from life for 50 years, be it people, reindeer or just nature. Atmosphere and light are important aspects in his work.
The artist's wife, Maria Grandell, manages the gallery and associated café, as well as accommodation and restaurant activities. Not surprising since she has completed the training as a hotel and restaurant manager.

After the last coffee break of this route, you drive towards the final destination Enontekiö. Before you reach Enontekiö you will pass a number of lakes where it is worth stopping for a photo. Especially Sotkajärven Lintutorni is worth a stop. You reach the viewpoint over a jetty, after which you have a pleasant view over the lake.

Shortly after these last two lakes you will arrive in Enontekiö, where the route ends at Lapland Hotel Hetta. Again equipped with a bar, restaurant and a sauna. The hotel has a rating of 8.1 on a major booking site, so that's okay.

The midnight sun is also clearly visible in the north of Finland. The midnight sun never completely disappears; however the sun sinks quite low and floats just above the horizon. The sun now hangs for several hours between sunset and sunrise, radiating a soft glow: a dream come true for every photographer. Shady silhouettes against a golden sky with beautiful Finnish nature all around you, that is an experience that many people would love to experience.
In the north of Finland, the midnight sun shines from the end of May to mid-July. However, a warning is in order, exposure to this phenomenon can disrupt your sleep cycle.

A campsite is signposted for campers near the end point: Hetan Lomakylä.

Have fun driving this route!