Located near Finland’s border with Sweden and Norway, Kilpisjärvi is a small Sami village in Lapland. It’s surrounded by some of the highest fells in the country and on the doorstep of the Malla Strict Nature Reserve, which provides a habitat for rare Arctic plants and animals.
For sweeping panoramas across Kilpisjärvi, hike to the (often snowy) summit of Saana, which rises 556 metres above Lake Kilpisjärvi. It is considered sacred by the Sami people and offers views all the way to the mountains of Sweden and Norway on a clear day. The hiking route that leads up to the fell can be accessed from the Kilpisjärven Retkeilykeskus.
Sprawling north-west of Kilpisjärvi is the Malla Strict Nature Reserve, which was first protected in 1916 when Finland was under Russian rule. Stretch your legs on the marked hiking trail that leads from Kilpisjärvi to the Three Nations’ Border Point and offers access to Finland’s highest waterfall, Kitsiputous.
Getting there
Kilpisjärvi is around five hours’ drive from Rovaniemi and Rovaniemi Airport, which has regular flights to Helsinki. Daily buses connect from Rovaniemi to Kilpisjärvi and the village is small enough to explore on foot.