Inari - Capital of Finnish Sami

Finland welcomed us directly behind the border with a beautiful thunderstorm and downpour, the end of which was unpredictable before entering. If you are extremely hungry and only have food that can be cooked in the car, you have to quickly take a cooking break - even if it is right by the roadside... (see photos :))

Well nourished, we reached the first "major city" in Finland - Inari on the lake of the same name. There we recovered from the impressions of the past weeks at the campsite and caught up on things for you. We also visited one of the central cultural centers and museums of the Sami and nature of Lapland on site. It is quite interesting that the Sami live quite autonomously in Finland and Lapland and even have their own parliament in Inari. There are many Sami languages that are still spoken in this region, and you can even study Sami culture at the local university. From reindeer farming to traditional crafts and Sami tourism, there are a lot of similar courses available.

We were particularly pleased in Inari with the Finnish prices in the supermarkets, which were a true relief for the wallet after Norway. We celebrated this with pizza in a real Finnish pub.

With extensive information about the way of life of the indigenous people, reindeer farming (traditions such as ear markings and capture methods), as well as all blood-sucking insect species (six in total, with mosquitoes being among the smaller ones), we decided to take a hike through a Lapland landscape, with the Urho Kekkonen National Park being recommended to us.