Inari: Sámi Culture, Lake and Trails

Inari brings together Sámi cultural heritage with experiences on Lake Inari and in the landscapes of Northern Lapland. At the Siida Open-Air Museum, you can explore traditional livelihoods, building history and Sámi cultural heritage. Sajos, meanwhile, is the centre of Sámi self-government in Finland. If you want to combine culture and nature on your trip, these different highlights can help you choose a holiday rental in Inari.

Siida and Sajos: Culture in different ways

At the Siida Open-Air Museum, you can visit around 50 buildings and structures. They showcase building history and traditional livelihoods. On a guided tour, visitors can also learn about Inari’s 10,000-year history. Tours must be booked in advance—a key point to consider when planning a visit to the museum.

The open-air museum trail also offers its own sense of direction: the network of paths is about 800 metres long and shaped like a reindeer herder’s lasso. The trail is accessible to wheelchairs and pushchairs in summer and autumn. This accessibility information applies to those seasons. You can combine a museum visit with a walk, while the exhibitions and buildings offer insights into other aspects of the region.

Sajos is located in Inari on the banks of the Juutuanjoki, where the river flows into Lake Inari. Guided tours of the building cover its architecture, the rooms and how they are used. Other topics include the Sámi and the Sámi Parliament of Finland, including its role, responsibilities and objectives. Those particularly interested in Sámi culture and self-government will find a different perspective here than at the Siida Open-Air Museum.

River, lake and excursions

The Juutuanjoki flows through the village of Inari and is well known among fly fishers. From the village, you can look out over Lake Inari, whose shores are largely undeveloped. The river and the lake give the place two distinct features: one runs through the village, while the other opens up a wide view across the lakeshore landscape. When choosing where to stay, you can consider whether you want to focus mainly on culture, water-based activities or hiking.

A cruise on Lake Inari departs from beside Siida in Inari and circles Ukonsaari. On the return journey, it follows an old postal route and passes cemetery islands with old wooden crosses. Ukonsaari is an ancient Sámi sacrificial site and one of Finland’s most valuable and best-known archaeological monuments. The island and route combine a lake trip with views of cultural and historical sites; the cruise circles Ukonsaari but does not include a stop on the island.

The Pielpajärvi Wilderness Church is also nearby. It was once an old centre of Inari; built in 1760, the church is one of the oldest buildings in Northern Lapland. From Inari harbour, you can reach it by paddling seven kilometres. Another trail leads nine kilometres from Inari to Otsamotunturi. From there, you can enjoy views of Lake Inari and as far as the fells of Lemmenjoki. These destinations give your trip different focuses: a paddling route to the church or a hike with views of the lake and fells.

Lemmenjoki lies about 50 kilometres west of Inari, on the edge of Lemmenjoki National Park. Boat trips through the river valley lead to the Ravadasköngäs waterfall. If you want to include this part of the region, it offers a different direction for an excursion than the trails and activities right in Inari. Coaches run daily between Rovaniemi and Inari.

There is also a local place to eat: Café Čaiju in the centre of Inari serves lunch and aims to use ingredients from Finnish Lapland whenever possible. You can consider culture, landscapes and a meal in the village as different parts of your stay, rather than planning your trip around just one type of excursion.

Other places

Räisälä: Räisälä, Ivalo: Ivalo, Peurasuvanto: Peurasuvanto, Tornio: Tornio, Kolari: Kolari, Rautuskylä: Rautuskylä, Naruska: Naruska, Enontekiö: Enontekiö

For the full travel overview: Lapland.