Saariselkä News by Saariselän Sanomat

SAARISELKÄ | WINTER 2013-2014 | WWW.SAARISELANSANOMAT.FI

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Saariselän Sanomat

Hunting Northern Lights

PHOTO:MARKKU INKILÄ

WINTER 2013-2014

The polar night arrives in December in Saariselkä The blue dusk of the polar night falls over Saariselkä at the beginning of December. The sun goes down on the eve of Independence Day and it will not rise above the horizon again until the Epiphany.

The changes in the atmosphere in recent years have given rise to a new hobby in Lapland – Northern Lights hunting. The hobby has quickly attracted hundreds of thousands of enthusiasts when including hobbyists all around the world, including tourists coming to Lapland. For many of them, seeing the Northern Lights has been a dream for years. One specialist of the hobby is the Northern Lights hunter Markku Inkilä from Inari, whose photos of Northern Lights have been seen in big foreign magazines in England and the United States. “One Japanese customer told me that he has seen my photos in Japanese magazines and local television”, says Markku Inkilä. Northern Lights hunting is a typical camera hobby and it requires a good camera and lots of patience, warm clothes and the ability to endure cold. The hobby is suit-

ed for everyone regardless of age or gender, and like in all hobbies, in Northern Lights hunting only practice makes a master. Photography has been Markku Inkilä’s hobby for 15 years, so he is the right man to tell us what kind of equipment is needed for Northern Lights photography, where the best places are for taking photos and when the Northern Lights can be found.

times. The weather should be clear and there shouldn’t be any lights around. Small Northern Lights can’t even be seen if streetlights are shining around you. You have to go away from population centres. Myself I take tourists to Paatsjoki and Inarijärvi, for example”, explains Inkilä, who is a guide for the customers of Nellimi’s Erähotelli hotel in Northern Lights photography.

”Nowadays cameras are so good that you can take great photos with almost any camera. But a systems camera with a fast lens is probably the best choice. A sturdy tripod is also absolutely important for nighttime photography”, Inkilä begins.

”The best time to watch the sky is in the evening and at night between 8 pm and 3 am, although you can sometimes see them during early evening as well. You can never know whether your photos will be successful because you can’t always find them, or they might last from a split second to several hours”, explains the Northern Lights hunter.

And when can you find Northern Lights? “The middle of September and the middle of March in the spring are the best

What is your prediction for Northern Lights this year?

”According to NASA’s studies, the sun spot maximum was reached this autumn, and it will probably be one of the greatest winters regarding Northern Lights”, says Markku Inkilä with joy. The Northern Lights photographer Markku Inkilä thinks that his hobby is very rewarding because the winter in Lapland is always very picturesque and the photo subjects change, whether there are Northern Lights or not. ”Many tourists come here specifically for a one-ina-lifetime trip to see this drama on the sky, and when they appear, a smile spreads to everybody’s face. I gain energy when I get successful photos. You can never grow tired of that explosion of colours”, guarantees Northern Lights hunter Markku Inkilä.

The polar night is not dark Even though the sun does not rise, the polar night does not mean complete darkness. The nature is enveloped by a blue dusk, which is created by the light of the moon, stars and Northern Lights, reflected by the snow. It is not pitch-dark like it is in the south, but it is actually possible to move outside at any time, day and night, without additional light. Although the sun stays below the horizon, its rays reach Saariselkä. During clear weather, especially from the fells you can admire the gorgeous sky imbued in different hues of blue and red. Many people

feel that the polar night is calming during the quiet time of the year, the time when it is good to give yourself some time for leisure and focus on your hobbies while waiting for the spring to come. The polar night is definitely not an obstacle to outdoor activities. In Saariselkä, ski tracks and slopes are already open when the polar night begins and skiing and downhill skiing is entirely possible in the well-lit conditions of the tracks and slopes. When the sun rises again on the Epiphany, it stays on the sky for only an hour. From then on, the day will quickly get longer, and by the middle of February the daytime is already seven hours long. By mid-March, the daytime lasts for nearly twelve hours, and in April, it is already over sixteen hours. During the last week of May, the midnight sun begins.

Lumihiutale hotel

The plans for the Lumihiutale hotel, proposed to be built on the southern slope of the Kaunispää fell, are going forward. The architect has designed the first images of the building with the goal of adapting it to the surroundings as well as possible. The area plan will be fin-

ished this year and the technical department is currently making terrain models for road plans. –If everything goes according to plan, we can start construction as soon as the last snow melts in the spring, says the technical director Arto Leppälä.

SAARISELKÄ NEWS | WINTER 2013-2014 | WWW.SAARISELANSANOMAT.FI

In December the Ducks are Having an Adventure in Lapland According to the rumours from Duckburg, the events of the Donald Duck magazine December issue will be located in Lapland. The rumours might even be true this time, because the Ducks have been touring around Finland this year. The magazine has announced that the Ducks’ tour of counties is six episodes long, and Lapland is still uncovered. It’s exciting to see whether the Ducks will have time to come all the way up to these familiar northern mountains?

Over 30 years

of experience

Downhill skiing throughout the whole winter in Saariselkä The downhill skiing slopes of Saariselkä were opened during the Kaamosjazz, that is on the 23rd of November, 2013, and the season will end on Labor Day, on the 4th of May, 2014. In recent years, the downhill skiing centre has focused on changing the profiles of the slopes to make maintenance, snowmaking and downhill skiing easier and that way save costs in snowmaking and slope maintenance. An area plan is also being planned for the slope area so that the village will be moved closer to the slope, making it possible to locate the skiing centre activities in the centre of the village of Saariselkä.

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”The visual appearance of the downhill skiing centre has been renewed, the slope restaurant Sport Bistro Pilkku has completely changed, all the buildings in the area have been renovated and re-painted, the slope profiles have been adjusted, lighting added, new snowmaking lines improved, all ski lifts carefully tuned up, the ski renting service has reached a rotation speed of three years, and the sleds will be gradually replaced with new ones starting from 2014”, explains the business director of the Ski Saariselkä Sport Resort, Lea Kontturi, giving a long list of recent renovations and changes. The downhill skiing centre of Saariselkä is one of Finland’s 73 downhill skiing centres, 20 of which are located in Northern Finland. Last year Suomen hiihtokeskusyhdistys, the Finnish Ski Area Association, ordered a study from the market research company TNS Gallup, according to which Saariselkä’s centre was the seventh best known skiing centre, coming after Levi, Ylläs, Pyhä and Tahko. ”During last season, Ski Saariselkä was the 16th biggest centre in Finland regarding ski lift sales, and our goal is to reach Top 10”, envisions business director Kontturi. ”Sometimes we have talked about Saariselkä being Finland’s Davos, and that’s what we are aiming at. Here we have a unique ambience, we are well known, we have a functional service infrastructure, there is an airport nearby, and the area

Teerenpesä

Tel. +358 16-668 001 www.teerenpesa.fi

is internationally interesting. Although Ski Saariselkä is a domestic family centre, it is becoming more international all the time. The area of Murmansk nearby is an important area, and the presence of international groups is always apparent in the large number of skiing school attendants, for example”, says the business director regarding changes in her work environment. The slopes of Saariselkä are looking for a new owner who would take the responsibility from the municipality. Lea Kontturi says that the key figures on the company’s balance sheet are comparable to similar figures in the business in general, and in some respects better than average figures. She thinks that the Saariselkä skiing centre has good chances of developing into a profitable

mid-sized business with a strong profile for which it would be difficult to find a direct competitor. ”I have never been asked about whether I would sell the firm, but I would like to state my opinion on this; you can get money once from selling the firm, but a developing and well-maintained firm yields profit continuously for tax payers as well. And based on the industry study sponsored by the Finnish Ski Area Association, there are further possibilities for improving the profitability and increasing the sales with more active marketing, so I believe that there will be people interested in this”, ponders business director Lea Kontturi.

Village Pub

SAARISELKÄ | WINTER 2013-2014 | WWW.SAARISELANSANOMAT.FI

Eight steps steps from fromthe thestreet street Eight to Restaurant Restaurant LUMI, LUMI,Saariselkä. Saariselkä. to A´LA CARTE OPEN EVERY DAY FROM 11 A.M. – RESTAURANT LUMI RECOMMENDS: • • • •

All who want to know what is happening at the fell read the Saariselän Sanomat newspaper.

Artic Ocean King Crab continue in our menu. Kobe –style beef is coming in our restaurant. Reindeer vorschmack, chocolate fondant, etc. Special coffees, tapas, petit fours, etc.

Jouko Iivari built his horse stable last autumn next to Laanilan Kievari, to the west of the national road 4, a stone’s throw away from Saariselkä’s centre. The open horse shelter accommodates six Finnhorses: Sälli, Ansku, Topi, Aku, Laki and Purje, and three more are in their home stable in Lohiniva. At best Iivari has owned 16 horses, so he has gained a fair amount of experience of animals and running a business. ”The Finnhorse is well suited for riding, whether the rider is a first-timer or more experienced. These horses don’t get

scared and they are sturdy and can move safely in challenging terrain without the rider having to be afraid”, guarantees Jouko Iivari. Saariselän Luontoratsastus offers clients a possibility to venture into the winter forest on horseback or on a sleigh ride. ”But I recommend riding because it’s definitely warmer on horseback than sitting in a sleigh”, explains Iivari. A special winter experience gave Jouko Iivari the business idea of buying horses and founding a programme service company, but we will let Jouko

R ER Se TsAt Ua RuARNaTn t L UlMu Im i

e K l k S sA aA aR RI Si s E L Ä ä

Taste Tastethe theSpirit SpiritofofLapland Lapland® ® Restaurant LUMI, 350 660 • reservations@ravintolalumi.fi Restaurant LUMI, Saariselkä SaariselkäRaitopolku Raitopolku1.1.Tel+358 Tel+358(0)207 (0)207 350 660 • reservations@ravintolalumi.fi Open in later •• www.ravintolalumi.com Open in winter winter season seasonfrom from11 11a.m. a.m.toto10 10p.m. p.m.oror later www.ravintolalumi.com

Into the snowy forest on horseback

The Finnhorse is a reliable and sturdy companion for snowy riding trips.

We have opened a We have opened a Champagne Bar. You can Champagne Bar. You can enjoy champagne by the glass enjoy champagne by the glass from our extensive selection. from our extensive selection. Also Dom Pérignon 2004! Also Dom Pêringnon 2004! Take a glass of champagne Take a glass of champagne andand enjoy open fireplace. enjoy by by thethe open fireplace.

himself tell more about this. ”Back in the beginning of the millennium, I was riding late in the evening to a nearby hill. It was full moon and the trees were covered in crown snow-loads. I looked around and it was completely silent. Up on the sky the stars were twinkling, the round moon shed light on the trees covered in snow and the freezing cold made the snow covering the ground crackle. It was an impressive experience and back then I thought that this might be something that other people would enjoy as well. I took courses, bought more horses and here I am now”, tells Jouko Iivari, who has been organizing cross-country riding courses since 2005. In Saariselkä, the riding trails follow the old foundation of Ruija’s path, which was used until the beginning of the 20th century as a road from the Bothnian Bay over Saariselkä’s fells to the Arctic sea, to the shore of Ruija. When planning the trips, customers’ wishes are also heard. --Saariselän Luontoratsastus cross-country riding and sleigh rides every day.

Santa’s Restaurants

tel. +358 16 681 501 | www.tunturihotelli.fi

Spot a Lapp bird Bird watching is a global hobby. The internationally active BirdLife organization has member associations in over a hundred countries, and together they form the world’s largest network of environmental associations. Birds are an important indicator of the condition of the environment. Changes in their populations reflect changes in our environment. The declin-

ing of nature’s biodiversity alongside world population growth and global warming is the most significant danger threatening humankind. Birdwatchers monitor developments in the bird populations in their area of operations and try to have an impact on maintaining them. Decreases in bird populations signify a threat to other species and the whole ecosys-

tem and in the end to the human as well. 90 % of Finnish birds spend the winter abroad where they are threatened by the destruction of their living environments, environmental poisons and uncontrolled hunting. We need broad international collaboration in order to ensure that birds will come back every spring. Of the approximately 10,000 bird species in the world, 1,313 are

threatened. In Finland, there are 59 threatened bird species that are in danger of disappearing from our country and 30 species that must be closely monitored.

In the yard area of Laanila’s Savotta café, there are several places with bird feeders where you can observe Lapland’s bird species. ”The Siberian Jay, the lucky bird, is a regular visitor

and we have also spotted the rare Gray-headed Chickadee. There can be simultaneously 8-10 different species at the feeder”, says Savotta’s hostess Kaisa Särkelä.

SAARISELKÄ NEWS | WINTER 2013-2014 | WWW.SAARISELANSANOMAT.FI

Opinion

Nature is Finland’s luxury product

The research manager of Suomalaisen Työn Liitto (Association for Finnish Work), Jokke Eljala, expressed aptly his concern in Kauppalehti at the beginning of October in the article ”Suomi tarvitsee omia luksustuotteita” (Finland needs its own luxury products) about the fact that Finland has not been able to exploit the growing markets in luxury products. Eljala wrote that Finnish companies should build luxury experience travel based on our strengths and create a comprehensive luxury service concept. I completely agree with the writer’s opinions. In addition, he said that only a few Finnish companies have entered the luxury business. His concern is not unnecessary. Luxury is the hot potato of our time. Now it is time to consider how we could draw luxury from Finland. The word luxury itself creates wrong impressions for many people about overpriced products, for instance. The Finnish culture causes Finns to shun anything that even implies artificial luxury, and we frown upon flamboyance and parvenuism. That is not what luxury is about. Luxury is something we are willing to pay for, either with our time or money. Luxury is something that we value greatly. What is luxury to a Finnish person, then? When asked, the answer would certainly mostly be about matter; a large boat, a fine watch, a dream house, etc. To many people, however, luxury could mean something completely different; the archipelago, a lake or a field scenery. Finns often live so close to luxury that they cannot realize it. When asking the Japanese or people from Central Europe what luxury means to them, clean nature is in the top three of the dream lists of ever more people. To us Finns, clean air and pristine nature are self-evident, and we do not give nature the value it deserves. There is already a lot of enterprises related to nature in Finland. Accommodation is only one part of the big picture. Nearly anything related to leisure and cabins can be considered a luxury product. Canoeing courses, guided nature tours, horse riding treks and downhill skiing are all luxury products when you really think about it. Other features related to our Finnish culture are often working alone and a certain kind of envy. We do not see beyond our own business, let alone opportunities for ourselves in the business of others. The time of silos is now over. If we genuinely consider collaboration between businesses, we could turn luxury into a product concept for Finland’s country brand, for both products and services. Whatever the prevailing impression about luxury is, clean air to breathe, quietness and beautiful nature are our greatest luxury. Let us appreciate our nature and consider how we could best create export products around it. When closing quiet airports and giving value only to matter, we do not see the forest for the trees. Juha-Pekka Olkkola

Christmas Dinner is Different in Every Culture The main dish in a Finnish Christmas dinner is Christmas ham, which is accompanied by swede casserole, carrot casserole, potato and liver casseroles, rosolli (a traditional beetroot salad), Karelian hot pot and lutefisk (dried stockfish). Many Christmas tables are filled with herrings, roe, salted fish, smoked fish along with plum dessert cream and rice pudding; coffee is accompanied by gingerbread cookies and prune jam pastries. - A Christmas dinner at Tunturi hotel includes ham, carrot casserole and swede casserole, herrings, roe and definitely ‘rosolli’, says Petri Selander, the head chef at Santa’s Hotel Tunturi. Potato casserole and lutefisk are not part of the Christmas dinner anymore, neither is rice pudding. Desserts include prune jam pastries, cheeses, berries and layer cake. Christmas delicacies are different as soon as we cross the border to Norway. - Bacon and lamb chops are part of the Norwegian Christmas dinner, but ham isn’t, tells us Selander who has celebrated Christmas in Norway. A Christmas dinner in Norway also includes swede pure, herrings, roe, salted fish, boiled potatoes and pork sausages. In addition the dinner includes excellent lutefisk, which has been boiled in strong salt water and flavoured with bacon. Most Christmas guests at Santa’s Hotel Tunturi are English, but there are also some Japanese who have come to see the Nordic Lights. The Russians only arrive to Tunturi afterwards,

for New Year’s Eve and Epiphany. Especially the English children need to be served French fries, hamburgers, hot dogs and lasagne, the adults are served pates and terrines made of meat and fish. Brits don’t eat herrings, but the Christmas ham has already become a favourite, and so have the casseroles and salmon. There is no point to serve Brits any lutefisk, or any reindeer either, unless it is served as smoked game, Selander tells us. Japanese eat everything that is on the table, at least they taste it. The Russians, on the other hand, favour a buffet style dinner, where everything is served at the same time, including the starters. Lapland Christmas Includes Food from Norway and Finland - Most Sami people prepare roasted reindeer for Christmas, not many eat ham and casseroles, thinks Ritva Aikio, who is the owner of Restaurant Sarriti at Sami Museum Siida. Along with reindeer roast the Christmas dinner can include reindeer soup, reindeer bones and ‘kumpuksia’ (a traditional dish made with flour, milk and reindeer blood), as well as salted trout. For the Sami people, who lived around Lake Inari, Christmas was the most important celebration of the year. Food was reserved for Christmas time already in the autumn: reindeer bones and reindeer roast, with reindeer cheese and rye bread. The webpage of Siida informs us that fish for Christ-

The delicacy menu at Neider in Norway offers reindeer and smoked salmon. mas was collected only in the beginning of the month from a special “Christmas Fish Lake”, where spawning happened late. - Reindeer meat was a very special Christmas dish, as a roast or in another form, confirms Ella Sarre Nellimistä, who lived in Kessivuono as a child. Christmas dinner included also salted white fish or salted trout, and casseroles. On Christmas Day, the fish that was served, was the fish that had been caught. Sarre can also remember ginger bread cookies, plum jam tarts, cardamom buns and cakes being part of Christmas. Sarre’s mother was from Norway, and that’s why her family’s Christmas dinner included rice pudding and berry soup. In the autumn they went to get hulled grains, margarine and butter from Norway, which was sometimes swapped for jams. At other times they went shopping in Nellimi. - Fish on its own and meat on its own, also at Christmas, says Olga Semenoff from Sevettijärvi, about Skolt Sami dishes. Reindeer meat was boiled

and sometimes roasted on a stick. Lingonberries and crowberries were mixed with fish or meat fat. - We used to take some fat from the fatty meat soup and mix it with cold berries and it tasted so good, she tells us. Skolt Sami food has always been simple, the influences of Norway and Finland started only after moving to Savettijärvi, says Toini Sanila, a head mistress and accommodation entrepreneur, who came to the village as a daughter-in-law. Skolts do not have a particular Christmas food tradition. In the old Sanila everything was still baked in traditional style, in an outdoor stove in the 80’s. - We used to get lutefisk from Norway before Christmas, but we ate it before or after Christmas Eve. The Skolts used a lot of fish and winter fishing was important. Fish was also dried. Berries were a part of the diet and reindeer meat soup was a great delicacy. Reindeer roast and salted salmon or salted trout are still a part of Christmas dinner at Sanila family. Helena Sahavirta

Skiing, walking, enjoying with all senses

Exercise in nature in a national park Exercise in nature means moving with your own legs, in untouched or partly built surroundings. A person walking in nature experiences their surroundings with all senses. The quiet, the sounds of nature, the distant horizon and the feel of the path or the ski track under your feet are all affecting you at once. Winter sets its own challenges for walking in nature. If you plan well, you can enjoy the winter magic and save yourself

from unnecessary pressure. You should pay attention to retaining body heat. Proper clothing is an essential part of planning a trek. Careful planning also helps avoid an excessive load in your backpack. On a well-planned trip, you can enjoy the scenery instead of hauling stuff around. Read the nature on a wellkept ski track / marked trail Nature trails are safe, as they are well marked. Trails with a cone symbol can be accessed

from the Saariselkä starting gate, the yard of the Kiilopää fell centre and the yard of the Koilliskaira nature centre in Tankavaara. The trails are suited for traditional hiking in the summer and even when the first snow falls, and you can use snowshoes in the winter. When the winter comes, the quiet forest is enticing. You can see winter birds in Lapland; willow grouses, redpolls and tits. At campfire sites, the Northern bird of luck, the

Siberian Jay, may come visit you. In addition to flying birds, you can expect to see tracks and droppings of different animals and birds. They tell a story about life in a winter day where the focus is on acquiring nutrition. In nature walking, the focus is not solely on getting in better shape but also on observing nature’s events and getting mentally refreshed.

SAARISELKÄ | WINTER 2013-2014 | WWW.SAARISELANSANOMAT.FI

SAARISELKÄ NEWS | WINTER 2013-2014 | WWW.SAARISELANSANOMAT.FI

Sled dog race from Ivalo to Muonio Lapland’s association for sled dog entrepreneurs is planning a sled dog race with the starting point in Ivalo and the finish line in Muonio. The technical committee of the municipality of Inari has decided to allow trails and tracks maintained by the municipality to be used dur-

ing the race, but the decision requires that the arrangement of the race must take other users, safety and rights into account. The race would start in Ivalo on the 10th of April and end at the finish line by the Jerisjärvi Lake in Muonio on the 13th of April.

The cabins in Urho Kekkonen national park:

Luulampi to be renovated, Hammaskota built into an earth lodge Have you visited a day cabin, taken a peek into an earth lodge, spent the night in a rental cabin? In the Urho Kekkonen national park, there are more cabins for hikers than in any other Finnish national park. Some of the cabins are wilderness huts where you cannot make reservations, some of them are rental cabins where you can reserve a bed for the night, and some are atmospheric earth lodges and huts which can accommodate 2-6 persons in peace and quiet. Wilderness huts are meant for staying for 1-2 nights, and those who have arrived first will give room to new comers. Comfortable earth lodges, wilderness huts and rental cabins give support for hikers during their trips, be it winter or summer. There is firewood and gas in the cabins and huts, and rental cabins also have mattresses and pillows. The smallest earth lodges, Raappana and Voingoiva, do not

PHOTO: PETTERI POLOJÄRVI

have cooking stoves, only an iron stove. A roof over your head feels pretty good when you are out in the wilderness, or at least it’s good to let your equipment dry every once in a while during long hiking trips. Wilderness huts and rental cabins are located outside the marked trails, so the hiker must absolutely know how to use a map and a compass.

Day cabins in the nearby areas In the vicinity of Saariselkä and Kiilopää, along the ski tracks and summer trails, there are day cabins where you can take some rest and make some coffee, for example, or cook on the stove or with a cooking stove. The day cabins are not suited for spending the night, and their users should remember that other hikers may use the cabin as well. One of the day cabins is Rumakurun kämppä, probably built in 1930, the oldest cabin in the park. In the middle of the wilderness, lie down for a bit! The Urho Kekkonen national park is a popular destination for wilderness hikers due to its comprehensive network of cabins and huts, among other things. The sauna by the Luirojärvi Lake is constantly being heated during the September season, and the Sudenpesä and Muorravaarakka earth lodges receive reservations even a year beforehand. But you do not have to go very far if you want to enjoy the feeling of being in the wilderness. The nearest wilderness hut is Kivipää, only 11 kilometres from the travel

centre of Saariselkä. The hut includes an iron stove and a cooking stove; the bunks do not have mattresses. The hut has a couple of kettles and a frying pan but a hiker should be prepared with their own kitchenware, as things sometimes go missing from open huts. In rental cabins, kettles and frying pans do not go missing so often. Distant pearls Visiting every hut and cabin in the national park would be quite challenging. If you are looking for the peace and quiet of the wilderness, stay away from the most popular destinations and head towards the east. Especially on the side of the Savukoski River you can find many places to stay if you want peace and

quiet. Tahvon tupa, Siulanruoktu and Karhuoja ooze of atmosphere in the middle of the wilderness and the forest. You will lose your sense of hurry in the wilderness, and even a two-week trip will seem short. In the past, it was possible to leave food in the cabins for other hikers, but nowadays it is not recommended due to mice and moles. You can ask for rental cabins from the Koilliskaira Visitor Centre, the service point of Palvelupiste Kiehinen or the information centre of Opastuskeskus Korvatunturi. You can easily make a reservation on site, by phone or by email. At customer service points you can hear the latest news and current warnings about the wilderness area.e

SAARISELKÄ | WINTER 2013-2014 | WWW.SAARISELANSANOMAT.FI

Santa’s little helper Janne Putkonen is a typical ski centre worker who employs himself year around. This type of employment demands an ability to find and seize opportunities when seeing them. During holiday seasons, opportunities arise often and a hardworking man will not lack work, but in quieter times a lot of imagination is needed. And Janne Putkonen obviously has plenty of imagination. In Saariselkä, you can often see him behind the steering wheel of a taxi, but he can more and more often be seen as a bus driver in chartered buses who also has a part in entertaining travellers. ”Show must go on”, says Putkonen himself about his position as an entertainer. He explains his job as a driver an entertainer by the fact that customers have come to Saariselkä for a holiday, and that includes transport from one place to another by bus. ”So why should those trips remain in the memories of holidaymakers as a tiresome trip to some place? A little bit of fun makes everyone cheer up, also the driver, and the trip will go by faster when you hear laughter around you”, Putkonen explains. During Christmas season he dresses up in red and decorates his driver’s cabin with LED lights and introduces himself as Santa’s little helper. It immediately makes passengers smile, as Santa’s little helper weighs 151 kilograms. ”Why should you mope about and sit silently in the car when you can see clean nature and magnificent scenery around you. The bus trip

When Santa needs a helping hand, in Saariselkä that hand is often offered by Janne Putkonen. is part of the holiday too, and when you make it right, it can be a nice way for us all to cheer up”, says Santa’s little helper. Plenty to do in the fells Janne Putkonen has things to do in Saariselkä all year around. In addition to his driver’s job, he plans the decoration of public spaces. He has a set decorator’s education to give him the skills, and at the moment he is in the middle of renovating Holiday Club’s lobby and restaurant area. He is also active with teenagers. He has received training for that as well, but an important reason for this work is having children of his own. ”Last winter we took a trip for a couple days to a sports camp in Vuokatti with the teenagers. We prepared for it by collecting donations from entrepreneurs in the area, and we adults collaborated to arrange the trip for the teenagers. During the winter, we go cleaning holiday cabins, plough snow or gather abandoned sleds from the sled hill into one pile. We get compen-

sation for that work into our shared cash fund, and when something suitable emerges, we spend the money on some shared goal”, tells the jackof-all-trades Janne Putkonen. Not even the summer slows down Putkonen’s work schedule, as he is involved in several film projects which need suitable shooting locations from the nearby areas. ”The shooting of the films depends on funding, but you have to lay the groundwork first”, he says. Perhaps his most surprising endeavour is in the field of ski racing, where he has been tested to be the fastest downhill skier in Finland at the moment. The test was done last winter at a camp for national team skiers when the skiers were trying out their skis and their waxing in a downhill. The number one in the test was Sami Jauhojärvi, the tough challenger of Sotš’s traditional ski routes, but when Putkonen’s turn came, the clock showed a 0.04 seconds faster time. ”I said that now mass replaced quality”, says Finland’s fastest downhill skier Janne Putkonen, tongue in cheek.

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An office for Santa Claus at the fell

Also Santa and his elves have been doing some construction during the autumn. The result can be seen by the Spa, a gorgeous office for Santa, ready for the busy winter season.

Saariseläntie 12, 99830 Saariselkä

SAARISELKÄ NEWS | WINTER 2013-2014 | WWW.SAARISELANSANOMAT.FI

Elvis is back at Saariselkä Elvis - Christmas concert tour, achieving a great success last year, will visit for the first time in The “Pyhän Paavalin kappeli”chapel in Saariselkä on Friday 27th of Dec. In the concert you’ll enjoy in magnificent interpretations of Elvis’ Christmas and gospel music by internationally praised Aron & Cool Company.

The concert is based on Elvis’ gospel music, achieved a great success in 2011 showing that these kind of concerts are needed. This concert, which has been implemented with a good taste, will serve a memorable experience building a bridge between the different generations with the help of Elvis’ music, and also by combining Elvis’ most famous hits, beloved Christ-

mas songs and touching gospels, it will bring the Church closer to the people. --Elvis - Christmas concert by Aron & Cool Company in The Pyhän Paavalin kappeli-chapel in Saariselkä on Friday 27th of Dec. at 19:00.

Hirviniementie 65 | FI-99801 IVALO Tel. +358 40 510 70 68 | info@guesthousehusky.fi | www.guesthousehusky.fi

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Tarja Manninen: Northern Lappland attracts travellers Tarja Manninen, the Marketing Director of a marketing agency specializing in the travel business, Inari Saariselkä Matkailu, started in her position last August. The area was already familiar to her from earlier years but the work tasks were new. We found out how she has become familiar with her tasks in this vantage point into the travel business. Her area of work is the whole wide Northern Lapland, which is attractive to travellers.

Tarja Manninen, what has surprised you in your work? - I worked in Saariselkä for 5 years in the 1990s and I have lived in Inari, for instance, so I already know the area. In my work, I have been surprised by how international the Inari - Saariselkä area has become as a whole. Especially the popularity of Inari has been a pleasant surprise. What is your normal day like in the office / in the field? - Each day is different. My work involves the planning of image marketing together with member companies. My work is to contact travel organizers, collaboration partners, entrepreneurs and the media. At the office, we plan familiarization programs for media and travel organizer groups together with entrepreneurs and we give tours for these groups around the area. Since the area spans from Tankavaara to Nuorgam, there’s plenty of driving included in my work. Visiting our member companies is also important, as well as attending regional member company evenings starting in the autumn where I take tours to talk about ISM’s latest news and current issues and I get to hear the entrepreneurs’ thoughts. The area is included in many travel development projects, and participating in these projects is also an important part of my work. Do you interact more with Finnish people or foreign clients? - Definitely more with foreigners. I take tours in workshops and other sales events around the world and I am the one who is standing there waiting when a media group comes to visit the area, for instance.

Tarja Manninen. Which countries do the foreigners come from? - The largest client group comes from Japan to marvel at the Northern Lights and the arctic nature. The next biggest client groups are the British, who are fascinated by Christmas and nature activities. Germany, Russia and France come next. Is there a country where you can see increased interest towards Lapland? - The latest arrival is China, which we expect to speed its way to the top within a couple of years. This winter there will be the first Chinese group in the area. What are your clients particularly interested in? - This unbelievably gorgeous arctic, pristine nature, Northern Lights, the Sami culture. Sometimes I am amazed myself by how strongly the nature can affect people once they are given the possibility to get in touch with it. Especially foreigners need a tour guide to be able to enjoy nature experiences. The versatile accommodation and restaurant possibilities guarantee that city people will also enjoy their time here. What would you like to focus on more, more thoroughly? - Electronic marketing and visibility. All companies should update their websites. It is not enough to create them and then be done with it – websites are like a garden and they have

to be constantly updated and renewed. Are there some weaknesses in this area that should be corrected? - The air connections are an incredibly difficult equation that I have to face every day. Reachability is a success factor in the travel business, and if it’s not taken care of, it’s an obstacle to success. Which issues should companies/entrepreneurs emphasize in their activities? - Show your personality, more personal and warmer service, go with the flow. Local colour in services is important especially for foreigners. What is the future direction of the travel business, in your opinion? - The travel business is growing and it’s a big opportunity. We have these northern wilderness areas all around us, whereas in other countries the space for living is getting smaller as populations grow. People travel more and more as individuals and not as groups. They search for information directly on the internet and they buy products from the internet. When choosing a travel destination, they read first how other people have rated the place in social media. Then they watch videos of the destination and get information about the location from a map. Because of this, the area needs to be more visible in the electronic world.

SAARISELKĂ&#x201E; | WINTER 2013-2014 | WWW.SAARISELANSANOMAT.FI

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SAARISELKÄ NEWS | WINTER 2013-2014 | WWW.SAARISELANSANOMAT.FI

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SAARISELKÄ | WINTER 2013-2014 | WWW.SAARISELANSANOMAT.FI

SUPREME QUALITY 59,(69,-) A selection of Marttiini knives Different Finnish quality knives. From From 29,90 29,90

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Aurora Borealis Path In Saariselkä you can also find a short Aurora Borealis Path, which has been marked in the forest with luminous ribbons to avoid

anyone getting lost. The path leaves from right next to the Pyhän Paavalin kappeli (Saint Paul’s Chapel) and takes you into the

forest to a small clearing, where you can watch the Northern Lights without the lights of the resort disturbing the view. The path is only about ½ a kilometer long, so also children will enjoy walking along the path. The responsibility of marking the path belongs to the National Board of Forestry.

Sorel Caribou Warm waterproof rubber edge shoes for men and women. Other models also available. 159,159,-

Canada Goose Expedition Parka A very warm down coat for men from a top manufacturer. Ask for a women’s model as well. 819,819,-

Saariselkä Honkapolku 3 | Open from May to November: workdays 10–18, Sat 10–15 and from December to April: workdays. 9–19, Sat–Sun 10–16. | Tel. +358 20 7760750 | www.partioaitta.fi

Polarnight Basketball Saariselän Sanomat organizes the first Polarnight Basketball event on Friday, December 20 at 15 - 17 o’clock at the Saariselkä public square. You can expect fun time together and playful competitions. The purpose is to show visitors that the polar night in Lapland does not prevent us from having fun. Even basketball can be played even if it’s -20 degrees Celsius and the sun doesn’t shine. The event is free. At the event, you will meet e.g. Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, Santa’s hardworking little reindeer helper. There is also a shelter at the public square where you can enjoy hot juice. Children can

participate in a treasury hunt, and at 16 o’clock, a playful basketball throwing competition begins. The first 20 persons to sign up will get to participate in the competition. You can sign up on site. The best throwers will be awarded with prizes donated by Saariselän Sanomat and its business partners. The prize list is wonderful and includes e.g. tickets for 2 to the Angry Birds park and Holiday Club spa tickets for 2 persons. The entrepreneurs of the shopping centre Siula have donated the following prizes: Finnish hand-made chocolate from Galleria Lumikko, an Angry Bird beanie from Ski Wear, high-quality Finnish design

from Hippupuoti and lunch tickets for two to lunch café Niesta. You can keep your toes and hands warm thanks to Partioaitta, who donated single-use finger, feet and body warmers for the basketball competition as prizes. Shopping centre KUUKKELI

has donated something sweet for the mouths of the little ones and for adults too. We will see on December 20 at 15 at the Saariselkä public square, in front of the Holiday Club Spa hotel!

SAARISELKÄ NEWS | WINTER 2013-2014 | WWW.SAARISELANSANOMAT.FI

Restaurant Huippu’s hit is the crowberry cake A cake made from unripened cheese and crowberries (also called kaarnikka in Lapland) is attracting so many clients to the Huippu restaurant in Kaunispää that you could call the cake a hit. The exact recipe is a secret but the chef de cuisine Jorma Lehtinen reveals that the cake’s filling has been curdled from cold-pressed crowberry juice. The cake built on top of cookies made in Finland is crowned by a crowberry glaze. The restaurant offers other berry pastries as well: cloudberryquark pie and blueberry-raspberry pie. And of course Huippu’s world-famous donuts. You can also enjoy gluten-free cloudberry donuts and bread at Huippu. In February, you can taste shrove buns with generous fillings. All Huippu’s pastries are made on site from the start and they are offered fresh every day. Huippu’s ”kurniekka” is a fish pie developed from the traditional Skolt Sami dish, and it does not contain pork fat. Kurniekka is baked into oat dough and filled with whitefish, salmon and coldsmoked salmon and it is served heated with a butter patty. Huippu’s pastry cabinet in-

cludes stuffed sandwiches and mildly salted salmon sandwiches made from fresh salmon. The pizza slices are also made in Huippu’s own kitchen. Popular lunch dishes on winter days are salmon soup, sautéed reindeer, Inari’s arctic char and Huippu’s escalope, which is a beef fillet in cream sauce filled with smoked reindeer and Finnish squeaky cheese. Other soups and the generous salad buffet are also available at lunchtime. In the evening, Huippu is available on order, often hosting weddings and other family festivities. There are also different events during Kaamosjazz and Tunturiblues. The order restaurant has three open flame menus, five

dinner menus and a buffet, but the menu can also be specially designed. The brunch called ”Viime Hetket Tunturissa” (”Final Moments by the Fell”) is served on order between 9 am and 12 am before the plane takes off. Especially the sunrise in the fells leaves pleasant memories for the clients about the whole Saariselkä. Adjacent to Huippu, there is also Tuliaistupa, which is a gift shop for gifts and souvenirs, warm wool and fur products and gold from the Lemmenjoki River. The terrace opening in early spring has over a hundred seats for clients.

Teerenpesä Gourmet Platter Offers Fish and Reindeer A gourmet platter of Lapland – marinated trout, cold smoked salmon tartar, whitefish roe, tepee roast and reindeer rillettes – is Restaurant Teerenpesä’s latest starter dish. It can be enjoyed in the salon, which the host family have successfully turned into a local living room, with their long opening hours. Teerenpesä is open nearly all year round, during the autumn and winter seasons it’s open every day between noon and 4am. The restaurant menu offers us many different types of reindeer dishes, from simple reindeer fillet to well stewed reindeer dishes. To follow the starter and main course, you can order something from the dessert menu, for example some traditional Finnish squeaky cheese of Lapland, chocolate delicacies or dessert portions made with berries of Lapland. - It’s a pleasure to cook when the ingredients are good, chef Juha Rutanen smiles. Teerenpesä invests in local food: fish comes from Lake Inari, reindeer meat from Tolonen village near Ivalo, and berries and mushrooms from local berry pickers. - The most popular of our traditional dishes are fried rein-

At Teerenpesä you can indulge in the Lapland Gourmet Platter or choose other dishes from the menu. deer and whitefish from Lake Inari, hostess Armi Rutanen tells us. Lunch is served every day between 12-4pm and it always includes tasty salmon soup, and according to the chef it is always a guaranteed success. The menu at Teerenpesä is very extensive, and from the pub menu you can order fajitas, hamburgers and chicken wings, while watching sports channels from three screens. If you feel like games, you can choose to play darts or pool. Ladies nights (when ladies get to ask the men to dance) are already a legend at Teerenpesä: there are already some regular customers, the band is a local

band called Zorbas and entrance is always free. Ladies Nights are traditionally on Tuesdays and Thursdays. On a great night we’ve had nearly four hundred people, Armi Rutanen says. And when the band is not playing, it’s always a karaoke night at Teerenpesä, where you can find nearly 7000 songs to choose from. The DJ plays music according to the customers’ wishes, including both old and new party hits, until the early hours of the morning.

LUMI offers champagne in glasses, Kobe beef and king crab Restaurant LUMI (”snow”) has enhanced its appearance right before the beginning of the new winter season. The decor of the dining hall has been freshened up, the customer toilet facilities have been renovated and the bar area has been expanded, among other things. The bar area expansion includes a newly opened champagne bar where customers can enjoy champagne in glasses from the restaurant’s extensive wine list – among them also Dom Pérignon 2004! To go along with the champagne, you can enjoy sweet and salty snacks suitable for eating with the fine drink, tapas or Petit Fours. Next to the champagne bar there is an open fireplace, and the fire can be watched and enjoyed from all around the 119-seat dining hall. The warm glow of the fireplace can be enjoyed every day from 11.00 until late into the night. Restaurant LUMI is one of the very few restaurants in Finland which has Kobe beef on its menu. Kobe-style beef or beef fillet of a Wagyu ox comes from oxen that are raised with a license in New Zealand. Originally Kobe oxen hail from Japan. According to experts, the secret

of Kobe beef lies in the fine marbling of the meat and in the fact that the oxen are given beer to increase their appetite, pampered with sake massage and read Japanese haiku poems. Kobe beef is served with a yardlong beanbacon roll, Lumi’s spiced butter gravy and carrot purée. The greatly popular king crabs from the Arctic Ocean will remain on the restaurant’s winter menu. The king crabs are fished from the Arctic Ocean in the area of Norway’s Varangerfjord and they are on the restaurant’s menu every day. ”The king crabs are always from the latest fishing season, that is October-November, and

they are prepared from the start until the end in the restaurant’s own kitchen,” tells the restaurant manager Kaija Rutanen. During the winter season, the menu still has reindeer vorschmack, which is made from minced reindeer meat. To go along with reindeer vorschmack, the restaurant offers house potato flatbread, pickles, beetroot and sour cream. The restaurant’s à la carte menu has also many traditional Lapp delicacies. Restaurant LUMI is open every day from 11.00 at least until 22.00. Buffet tables for lunch and dinner will be prepared only for groups and by order.

Restaurant LUMI opens the winter season with a new look. The picture shows the restaurant’s new champagne bar.

Steak and wine after the sauna in Kiilopää’s Kammi Local reindeer, fish from nearby waters and berries from the fells are some of the tasty treats you can enjoy in Suomen Latu Kiilopää’s Pihvitupa Kammi, a steakhouse, restaurant and café. The themes of Pihvitupa Kammi’s menu are inspired by Lapland. “Vaeltajan erikoinen” (“Backpacker’s special”) includes a beef tenderloin with smoked reindeer and blue cheese gravy or goat’s cheese, pear and red wine gravy. The reindeer herder’s pepper steak is served with cognac-pepper-cream gravy, and the local reindeer fillet is served with creamy game meat gravy. Alternatives to meat are salmon with herbs or roasted Inari whitefish. Kammi has its own wine list and the salon hostess will help customers with their choice of wine. The restaurant’s lunch includes soup, and the take-away table is open from 12 am until 2 pm. At dinnertime the take-away table includes soup, salad, meat, fish and vegetarian dishes and drinks, dessert and coffee from 6 pm to 8 pm. The cafeteria also offers fish or steak of the day, salmon soup, sautéed reindeer and reindeer fillet. The list also has Lapinpannu (”Lapland Pan”), requested by

In Kiilopää’s Pihvitupa Kammi, you can enjoy juicy steaks. customers: fried potatoes, reindeer meat and an egg. Kiilopää’s pastries are made from cloudberries, lingonberries and blueberries. During the season, the baker prepares the breakfast bagels, pies and the cafeteria donuts. From the cafeteria you can buy a trekking sandwich package, and the Minimarket in the lobby has a range of groceries, clothes and souvenirs. Maahiskammi, which is covered with peat, has its own list for special orders, and you can also fry sausages or pancakes. There are a hundred seats. Every Thursday Suomen Latu Kiilopää’s smoke sauna invites people to bathe and eat. The

programme package includes transport from Saariselkä to Kiilopää and back, Kuurakaltio’s smoke sauna and a hole in the lake ice for swimming, as well as a steak dinner after the sauna in Pihvitupa Kammi. Otherwise the smoke sauna is heated up on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Fridays from 3 pm to 8 pm. At Kiilopää, outdoors enthusiasts can also make use of the two drying cabinets in the lobby where wet clothes can be hung up to dry. From the lobby you can borrow blankets if you feel chilly after a skiing trip. The year 2014 is Suomen Latu Kiilopää’s 50. anniversary, which can be seen in the menus and events.

SAARISELKÄ | WINTER 2013-2014 | WWW.SAARISELANSANOMAT.FI

Petronella and Pirkon Pirtti Serve the Best Delicacies in Lapland pheric dinner – how does an evening around the fire place, in good company and with delicious treats on your plate sound? Petronella is open until the end of April every day from 5pm till 11pm. During Christmas time we offer a traditional Christmas buffet on the 24th December. We recommend booking your table in advance, but otherwise we are open as usual.

Restaurant Petronella has been one of the most popular restaurants in Lapland already since 1989. People have been enjoying the delicacies of Lapland in these atmospheric surroundings nearly for 15 years now. This winter the menu consists of mainly organic and local food. Nordic forests and waters are a wonderful source of ingredients, which we use to create our appetizing dishes. Reindeer is the

most famous food from here, and reindeer meat is used to create tasty dishes both for starters and main courses. The most popular game bird on the menu has always been the willow grouse of Lapland. Petronella offers both of these delicacies, willow grouse and reindeer, on the same platter; for example toasted willow grouse breast with reindeer fawn roast. The restaurant provides an enchanting frame for an atmos-

Restaurant Pirkon Pirtti’s fame is based on something as simple as good food and great atmosphere. Last summer the restaurant was redecorated and now it reflects the spirit of Lapland with a fresh new breath. The fire places of both dining rooms host a cheerful flame in the evenings. It is a pleasure to arrive in the warm and welcoming atmosphere at Pirkon Pirtti. It feels like coming home. The restaurant menu consists

of all the familiar delicacies of Lapland, but new flavours have also been included. Peppered salmon or reindeer fillet carpaccio will impress even the most experienced of gourmands. As a main course we definitely recommend you try a selection of Nordic fish; salmon, white fish and Arctic char on the same platter; all of the best fish in Lapland at once. Or you can have reindeer either as a reindeer fry or as a fillet. Pizza is also served at Pirkon Pirtti, and the ingredients of Lapland are offered as pizza toppings too. The youngest food lovers in the family will have their own menu. Pirkon Pirtti is open every day until the end of April from 3pm till 11pm. In these two restaurants you can experience the spirit of Lapland and take home a wonderful memory from the north.

The Spa Rakka Offers Local Delicacies

The Rakka fried trout is served with carrot pudding, lemon flavoured potato mash, tartar sauce and dill. The most famous dishes in restaurant Rakka at Holiday Club Saariselkä are reindeer fry and ‘robber’s roast’, which is roast lamb cooked in an earth oven. The reindeer fry comes with potato mash of the house, lingon-

berry jam and gherkins. Reindeer meat is brought to Rakka from Utsjoki, and the lamb for robber’s roast from Meri-Lappi. Cooked vegetables, garlic potatoes, lingonberry jam and red wine sauce are served as a condi-

People at the Laanilan Kievari are expecting winter season with bustling enthusiasm. Lunch soup and home cooking is served all through the day until 4pm, after which they switch to à la carte. Among other things you can choose from whitefish that has been cooked on open fire, reindeer gaskin that has been stewed overnight or black grouse meat. Traditional flavours of Lapland are emphasized and local producers are being used as much as possible. People at Kievari think that local food and fresh ingredients are some of the most important factors in creating gastronomic experiences. - The most important thing however, is spending time together with friends and family over a good meal, without a rush. Too often nowadays, people eat

in a rush and without stopping to think. At our place you can relax and enjoy the pleasure of great food together, the staff at Kievari assure us. As well as restaurant services, Kievari offers other types of experiences too. In the courtyard there are two saunas, which have the capacity of up to 30 people. A wintery and truly Finnish sensation is added to the sauna experience, by offering you the option to dip in for a swim in the icy lake. You can also enjoy a heated pool that fits 10 people, which is perfect for those who want to admire the Areola Borealis after ski, on a clear night, while the warm water soothes their aching muscles. The latest additions to the Kievari group are Nyyti and Tuutikki. Two reindeers, who have

ment to the lamb. Local ingredients at Rakka also include white fish from Lake Inari, trout, and salmon from the Arctic Ocean. Fried white fish is accompanied by carrot pudding, potato gratin, and butter and onion sauce. The trout is served with carrot pudding, lemon flavoured potato mash, tartar sauce and dill. Lapland Platter is a dish that includes smoked salmon and reindeer served cold, chanterelles from Inari, dill cream, black currant jelly and fried rye bread. Reindeer can also be enjoyed as a sirloin fillet or in a false morel and smoked reindeer soup. Other favourites on the Rakka menu are minute steak and grilled steak. The restaurant also serves pizzas and hamburgers, and the

popular Guksi pizza includes smoked reindeer, onion, pineapple and blue cheese. Pizzas can also be ordered to take away. Restaurant Rakka is open between 12 noon and 10pm every day during the season, from the beginning of December till Epiphany. At the Spa Restaurant Revontuli the dinner is served as a buffet every day during the season between 5pm and 8pm. In addition to salads, the buffet offers a cooked meat dish and fish dish, vegetables, soup, dessert and coffee. From the Spa Pool Bar you can order drinks and savoury appetisers like onion rings, jalapenos, mozzarella sticks or a basket with different dips. HS

Both Old and New at the Laanilan Kievari

Quick hunger relief Saariselkä has many dining places where you can relieve your hunger quickly and at reasonable prices. They offer both home food and grill food and all serve different Lapland delicacies, e.g. reindeer and salmon can be found in many different dishes.

Muossi Grill

Located in the plaza by the spa, Muossi Grilli offers a great range of fast dishes: hamburgers and filled meat pies in over 20 different varieties. The most popular is ”Ryki mähampurilainen” [rykimä refers to reindeer’s rutting season], a hamburger which includes cold smoked reindeer, a full-meat steak, bacon, cheese, a fried egg and salad. The reindeer hamburger has a full-meat steak, chopped cold smoked reindeer, cheese and salad; the salmon hamburger has roasted salmon, tartar sauce and salad. ”Äijähampurilainen” [“macho hamburger”] has three 100-gram steaks, cheese and salad. The hamburgers have a wheat bagel – except the Rye hamburger, which has bacon, a steak, a fried egg and salad between a rye bagel. For a meat pie stuffing, you can choose a full-meat steak, cheese, sausages or wieners. ”Lapikas” [a traditional Lapp boot], for instance, is a meat pie filled with cold smoked reindeer, cheese and pineapple. From Muossi Grill you can also order a thin slice of beef with French fries and salad, or ”Poropeukalo” [refers to a clumsy person, while poro refers to a reindeer] , which has a reindeer sausage, potato wedges and salad. To go with the food, the grill offers coffee, juice and other drinks. The grill has 20 seats and it is open from 4 pm until 2 or 4 am depending on the season.

Lunch café Niesta

just been separated from their herd. They have their own paddock in the courtyard. Nyyti and Tuutikki welcome lots of admirers and they love lichen, with which you can feed them if you wish. In addition to the reindeer, Kievari has four ducks staying as their winter guests, and their weekly swimming trip is lots of fun to watch, especially while

sipping the Kievari special hot toddy made with crow berries. Every Thursday Kievari offers ‘Thursday Pruuvi’, when customers get to taste different types of wines or compare the differences between sparkling wine and champagne. Not to forget the popular Sunday brunch, which is served every Sunday 12.00 - 18.00.

Lunch café Niesta can be found on the 2nd floor of the business centre Liikekeskus Siula. Its takeaway table serves a lunch every day, including the main course and soup as well as salad, bread, drinks and also coffee or tea. The lunch café offers home food made in its own kitchen and the menu changes daily. The soups include minced meat soup, vegetable soup, fish soup, spinach soup and tomato soup. On Thursdays you can also have pea soup. Warm dishes range from pork with different gravies and sauc-

es to chicken or some casserole. Side dishes include potato, rice and vegetables. The lunch café’s kitchen serves sautéed reindeer and salmon soup every day, which are especially popular dishes among travellers. The lunch dishes also include reindeer and salmon in varying degrees, for example minced reindeer meat soup, reindeer sausage and salmon casserole. Local fish is served depending on the season and availability. You can also enjoy some coffee or tea at the lunch café to go along with some pastries: buns and pies, salty and sweet. The lunch café Niesta has 50 seats. It is open every day from November 9 onwards from 11 am to 6 pm.

Cáfe-Restaurant Kuukkeli

Cáfe-Restaurant Kuukkeli, which offers home food, is next to Kauppakeskus Kuukkeli, a shopping centre. Kuukkeli’s lunch is served from 11 am to 1 pm and dinner from 1 pm to 8.30 pm. Both are available with salad and coffee from a buffet table. The all-time favourite among Lapland dishes is sautéed reindeer, but there is also salmon casserole and salmon soup, smoked reindeer casserole and minced reindeer meat steaks available. Japanese customers are offered a special dish. The most popular hamburger is the reindeer hamburger. The special pizza has reindeer and salmon, and with other pizzas you can choose the toppings from 15 options. Pizzas and hamburgers can be taken with you or eaten at the café, which has 50 seats. Also lunch and dinner dishes are available for take-away. Next to the Cáfe-Restaurant there is a home bakery and home kitchen. The bakery prepares different kinds of fresh breads, buns and small salty snacks. Specialties are the smoked reindeer and potato flatbreads, cloudberry donuts and reindeer meat and meat pies and giant donuts. Home kitchen favourites are sautéed reindeer with mashed potatoes and smoked reindeer casserole. The café has a liquor license for beer, and its latest novelties are special coffees. Cáfe-Restaurant Kuukkeli and the home bakery and home kitchen are open every day around the year from 9 am to 9 pm.

SAARISELKÄ NEWS | WINTER 2013-2014 | WWW.SAARISELANSANOMAT.FI

ArcticQueen® is a Design Center trademark

Pirjo Karvonen and Juha Koivisto start their tenth year as entrepreneurs at Saariselkä.

POLARNIGHT Basketball Saariselkä

N! I W

Rudolf the Reinde er

Fri 20th DEC at 3-5

e! juic t o H Fun!

Saariselkä Marketplace in front of Angry Birds activity park Organize: Saariselkä News in cooperation with Joiku Kotsamo Safaris, Galleria Lumikko, Ski Wear, Holiday Club Angry Birds activity park, Partioaitta, Lunch restaurant and cafe Niesta, Hippupuoti, Design Center, Kuukkeli supermarket, Sportia Ivalo

Nine years ago in Saariselkä, opening a store specialised in design products was a jump into the unknown. It was also a similar jump a year ago, when they created their own clothes collection. However, Pirjo Karvonen and Juha Koivisto do not hesitate to start working, when the right idea comes along! ArcticQueen® collection was born from the cold wind, which crept into the shop when the customers were opening the front door. Pirjo Karvonen knitted herself long leg warmers and the customers were interested in them. People wanted to buy them and after the leg warmers came the wrist warmers and neck warmers. Next she sewed a short poncho that was perfect for working in the shop. Her customers were also interested in it, because again the idea was simple: quick to put on and take off. As there was a lot of interest, these entrepreneurs started to search for suitable fabric. An Italian, whom they knew, gave them a tip about a small weaving mill, from where they were directed to another small factory during their trip to Italy. We needed a partner factory, which would be able to supply fabric at any time and could weave patterns on these textiles according to our own designs, says Karvonen. As well as monochrome wool textiles, there is also flower print, spotted

print and circle patterned textiles on the production line now. These textiles are also felted in the factory. Last winter, the demand for ArcticQueen® collection exploded: Pirjo Karvonen spent the days in the shop and in the evenings she sewed what customers had ordered, while Juha Koivisto helped with all he could. The greatest success was the Cuddle Cape (Haliviitta), which has just the right size holes to fit your partner’s hands. Also the smaller items such as leg warmers, neck warmers and wrist warmers sell fast. So far ArcticQueen® has managed without making big investments, since there was already even a sewing machine in the family. In the future, there might be need for sewers, as there are plans for an international e-commerce in 2014. And running that calls for quick deliveries. Trademark and Trade Dress In fact these clothes are all one size, so they make a perfect gift or souvenir. But as different nations are different heights, looking at Europeans and Japanese for example, we also need different sizes, Karvonen tells us. The collection now caters for children as well. ArcticQueen® summer collection was launched in July 2013. The fabric is monochrome linen-cotton and right now it consists of cuddle cape, poncho, dress/ tunic, 3/4 trousers and adjustable long trousers. The

textiles carry an ambiance of sun, sand and water. ArcticQueen® trademark was registered last summer and Haliviitta got registered trade dress in October 2013. Getting trade dress for a hole in the garment amuses the couple, but there is a serious side to it too, as we can recall when we think back about the recent Marimekko copy scandal. Copying illustration from a book drawn by a Ukrainian artist was a big mistake from the designer, Juha Koivisto wonders. However, he does not think that the hayfield and sky scenery, which was allegedly copied from ceramic pottery, was a copy since it is adequately different and “a hayfield is a hayfield”. Designing your own things gives you energy, even though it takes an enormous amount of time before it will go into production. In your own store, at quiet times, it’s easy to develop ideas and test things that will become successful. In the future, Design Center clothes retail will be focused on their own ArcticQueen® collection. The store still offers other products like Marimekko, Pentik, Aarikka, felt shoes by Lahtisen ja Töysän Jalkine, jewellery by ten different jewellery makers and lots of other things too. And on top of that they are also planning their own bag and jewellery collection… Helena Sahavirta

Saariselkä News is Northern Lapland’s special magazine dedicated to travel!

SAARISELKÄ | WINTER 2013-2014 | WWW.SAARISELANSANOMAT.FI

SAFARIS

SAARISELKÄ NEWS | WINTER 2013-2014 | WWW.SAARISELANSANOMAT.FI

SILVER JEWELLERY SHOP

Read ONLINE : www.saariselansanomat.fi Find us in

Saariselän Sanomat

Inari

Piepaljärvi wilderness church Nature track

Luontopolun lähtöpaikka/ päätepiste

1 2

Nuorgam

HOTEL, SAFARIS

168 km

Oravala

Utsjoki

124 km Sevettijärvi

111 km Karigasniemi

Activity Services Services || Accommodation Accommodation Activity 0400 948 948 210 210 || Utsjoki Utsjoki || poronpurijat.fi poronpurijat.fi 0400

98 km

ACTIVITY SERVICES ACCOMMODATION

Ekorrensaari

Ojansuu

Kaamanen

Uhoniemi

en tie

Ka am

Lammassaari

4 ase

Kirkkoniemi airport 186km

Hautausmaa

vin i

E75

Sar

An ge li

nti e

28 km

nti e

Lake Inari

Vuopaja

HOTEL, RESTAURANT 4

Oi Juutua! -nature track 7,5 km

Juutuanvuono

Vuopajanniemi

lliontie

Huutoka

a atam Kalas tie Oi Juutua! -nature track 7,5 km

Varissaaret Pappilanniemi

lä

lla

nti e

Kitti

Pe tro

Kalanvilj.

Lehtolantie e Postimatinti

Siulatie

Honkaniemi

ntie eta

Kultamiehentie

tie

u ats nr

500 m

eke Kat

ntie nvaara

e nti ske iko r a Sa

Uruniemi Camping

1 Kirkkoranta

Juutua

Ranta-Antintie

Juutuanjoki

Inarintie

sty e Py rvati ko tie en rv sjä

2 Paa n

neti

SÀMI CHURCH

ntie

län tie

nti e

Karhunpesäkivi

Ven täjä

Kitti

E75 e Itkosenti

Pa ht aju

955

Inarin tie

17 km Ivalo

40 km

Lemmenjoki

SÀMI CULTURAL CENTRE

45 km

Saariselkä

75 km Nellim

80 km

Lemmenjoki nationalpark

SÁMI MUSEUM, NATURE CENTRE

joe

nti e

Ivalo airport 47 km

9551

Tourist information

sports field

church

campfire place

Airport

Camping area

SIIDA, Sami museum

gas station

grocery

SAJOS, Sami cultural centre

marina

Hotel

Tunturin taidetupa

Poronpurijat

Nature track

Restaurant

Inarin Kultahovi

attraction

Cafe

Safari office & Inari Aurora Resort

Holiday Village Inari

Sami church

skiresort

UKKO ISLAND

Kitti

Ravadas waterfall

län tie

955

SAARISELKÄ | WINTER 2013-2014 | WWW.SAARISELANSANOMAT.FI

Inari is a Village of Sami Culture and Artisans Inari village has grown into a village of artisans. You can find experienced artisans, who have already had their workshops in this village for decades, but also new, young workers. They are brought in to the village especially by Saamelaisalueen koulutuskeskus or SAKK (the education centre of Sami district), where people learn traditional handcraft skills using both hard and soft materials. Although there is also another explanation for this concentration of artisans: People have always practiced handcrafts in the north, because previously shops were far and everything had to be made by hand. In addition many raw materials can be found nearby, as for example reindeer herding is practiced in the area. The importance of artisans can grow even more, when the old primary school will be reopened for the artisans: many workers already work in the premises and Sami Duodji registered crafts association’s advice centre will open downstairs: education and work premises

as well as a centre for all materials. Petteri Laiti, who makes Sami art crafts, has already moved his work table to the old school to escape a renovation at Ateljé Samek. Sami Aslak Laiti, who graduated from crafts studies, is in the house training as an apprentice for his father. Elle Valkeapää, who makes jewellery with roots and silver, and Neeta Inari Jääskölä, who makes silver jewellery, also have their work space in the house. We are trying to figure out whether we could also organise exhibition and shop spaces downstairs, Petteri Laiti tells us. The old primary school is situated conveniently between Saamelaismuseo Siida (Sami museum) and Saamelaiskulttuurikeskus Sajos (Sami cultural centre) in the heart of the village. If future was secured for a longer period of time, the artisans could also extend their activities outside the house onto the yard. Hand Crafts are on Demand There is more demand for

Aune Musta. the jewellery than what we can make, Petteri Laiti says. Aune Musta, who takes care of the Sami Duodji shop in Sajos, assures us that all kinds of crafts sell like hot cakes. We too sell mostly jewellery, but also parts of the Sami traditional dress as well as bags, pouches and music also sell well, Musta says. Although there are already new, young creators working with jewellery, the rest of crafts suffer from lack of craftsmen. Old master craftsmen are

getting old and there are just not enough people making shoes, reindeer fur coats, caps and reindeer fur leg warmers, Laiti confirms. Petteri Laiti crafts things from silver, for example utensils, which were once made from bone. This way they will last longer – besides, silver is nowadays easier to obtain than usable bone matter. Valuable, long-lasting objects that respect the materials, Laiti sums up the basis of his own production. And other artisans confirm that handcraft is still a way of life.

Snowshoeing mesmerizes those who enjoy walking in nature

Snowshoeing is an easy and fun sport for people of all ages and shapes. The best way to get into snowshoeing is to attend a training course, which you can do at the snowshoe camp organized by Suomen Latu, for example. Snowshoes are older than skis as an invention. In Finland, people have been using snowshoes for over 100 years, mostly used at logging sites and by border guards. In little over a decade, snowshoeing has become a sport with its own association, training system and hobbyists. In the big outdoors barometer of the Latu & Polku

magazine, as many as 18 per cent of the readers reported snowshoeing as their hobby. Snowshoeing is a comprehensive muscle fitness sport which does not require big investments. Nearly anyone can do snowshoeing: adults, children, those who are out of shape and fitness enthusiasts. The sport’s secret is its easiness. Anyone who can walk can also use snowshoes. How hard snowshoeing is depends on you: you can adjust the speed, intensity and distance yourself. The best way to learn the correct technique, however, is to attend a training course. The snowshoe camp Lumikenkäleiri, which will be arranged at Suomen Latu Kiilopää on 27.–30.11., gives the skills for independent snowshoeing. During the course, participants will learn about snowshoeing as a sport, how to plan a trip and the basics of choosing and using snowshoeing equipment, and they get to practice necessary practical skills for snowshoeing.

The camp includes day trips around the amazing scenery of the Urho Kekkosen kansallispuisto (UKK) national park. The course in-

structor is a snowshoeing expert, Norwegian Hans-Ole Homelien, accompanied by the fitness instructor Maria Tölli from Kiilopää.

Window into Sámi culture and Arctic nature!

Sámi muSeum and nature Centre

www.siida.fi

tel. +358 400 898 212. Inarintie 46, FI-99870 Inari. Open Sep. 20 – May 31, Tue – Sun from 10 a.m. until 5 p.m. Closed on Mondays. restaurant Sarrit tel. +358 40 700 6485 tourist information tel. +358 40 168 9668

SAARISELKÄ NEWS | WINTER 2013-2014 | WWW.SAARISELANSANOMAT.FI

10.12. ’Elämän kipunoita’ Poem and Music Show, Café Savotta 7pm 11.12. Sing-along, Café Savotta 7pm 14.12. Christmas Event 2pm-4pm, Siida, Inari 20.12. Polarnight Basketball Event at Saariselkä Market Square 3pm-5pm 21. - 26.12. Original Finnish Christmas Dinner, Tankavaara 21.12. Exhibition guidance for those with entrance tickets, in Finnish 12.30, Siida, Inari 23.12. Exhibition guidance for those with entrance tickets, in English 12.30, Siida, Inari 24.12. Traditional Finnish Christmas Dinner, Santa Claus visits, Restaurant Siula 24.12. Sledge Ride to the Declaration of Christmas Peace at Kaunispään Huippu, leaving from the Holiday Club 10am-11.30am 24.12. Traditional Finnish Christmas Dinner, Hotel Laanihovi 6pm21pm 24.12. Traditional Finnish Christmas Dinner, Restaurant Petronella 3pm-6pm and 7pm-10pm 24.12. Declaration of Christmas Peace traditionally at Restaurant Kaunispää 11.55am 25.12. International Christmas Dinner, Restaurant Siula 25.12. Oiva Suutari sings and invites you to sing Christmas Songs, Hotel Laanihovi 2pm 26.12. Exhibition guidance for those with entrance tickets, in English 12.30, Siida, Inari 26.12. Boxing Day Ski Boot Dance, Oiva & Zorbas, Laanihovi 2pm-5pm 27.12. ELVIS – CHRISTMAS Concert by Aron & Cool Company, Saariselkä Chapel 7pm 28.12. - 4.1. Priest of the Nordic Hills, Eija Kemppi, Saariselkä Chapel 29.12. Exhibition guidance for those with entrance tickets, in English 12.30, Siida, Inari 31.12. Welcoming the New Year at Tankavaara 31.12. New Year’s Eve Festive Dinner, Restaurant Siula, Saariselkä Firework Display 31.12. Exhibition guidance for those with entrance tickets, in English 12.30, Siida, Inari 31.12. New Year’s Eve Celebrations at Riekonlinna 31.12. International New Year’s Celebrations, Hotel Laanihovi 2014 Happy New Year! 1.1. New Year’s first Ski Boot Dance, Oiva & Zorbas, Hotel Laanihovi 2pm-5pm Weeks 2 – 15, Wednesdays, Dinner at Restaurant Kota 6pm 12. - 13.1. The Billheet – Mini Exhibition and Fair for professionals and students in catering business, Santa’s Hotel Tunturi 17. - 18.1. Tunturiblues, Santa’s Hotel Tunturi 18.1. Tunturiblues Daytime Concert, Restaurant Kaunispään Huippu 2pm 23. - 27.1. Skábmagovat – Native People’s Film Festival, Theme Arctic People, Inari 22.2. - 1.5. Ski Boot Dance, Hotel Laanihovi 4.3. Pancake Tuesday Revels, Tankavaara Weeks 11 – 16 Stand Up Shows, Santa’s Hotel Tunturi Weeks 13 – 16 Tepee Karaoke, Mon – Tues and Thurs - Fri 10. - 15.3. Garlic Week, Restaurant Kaltio 24.3. ’On paikka rauhaisa’ Concert, Anu Hälvä & Jouni Somero, Saariselkä Chapel 7pm 25/3 and 1/4 and 8/4 Buffet Flavours of the North, Restaurant Siula 27/3 and 3/4 and 10/4 Gold Digger’s Buffet, Restaurant Siula 29. - 30.3. Finnish Championship Sprint of Cross Country Skiing (young league), Inari 31.3. - 5.4. Asparagus Week, Restaurant Kaltio 5.4. 20th Anniversary Concert of the Huuli & Harppu Festival, Kultahippu, Ivalo 5. - 6.4. Reindeer Race, Inari 7.4. Valoon Concert, Arja Koriseva & Jouni Somero, Saariselkä Chapel 7pm and 9pm 10.4. Hymyilevä Apollo Concert, Saariselkä Chapel 7pm 18.4. Vaskoolihiihto (Ski Marathon), Saariselkä 25. - 27.4. Golden Bottle of Inari Competition, 50th anniversary celebration, Inari 30.4. Wappurieha (May Day Revels) of Gold Museum, Tankavaara

EXHIBITIONS

‘Towards the Arctic Ocean’ Exhibition, Siula House, Saariselkä ‘Päivi and Jessica Suomi’ Art Exhibition, Hotel Laanihovi 14/6/2013 – 26/5/2014 Eálli biras – Live Environment Exhibition, Siida, Inari 10.7. - 31/12/2013 Exhibition in celebration of the 30th anniversary of the Urho Kekkonen national park, Koilliskaira Visitor Centre, Tankavaara 6.9. - 31/12/2013 ‘Kultajoki Kertoo’ Exhibition, Kultamuseo, Tankavaara 29.8. -31/12/2013 Timo Huttu’s Oil paint Artwork Exhibition, Koilliskaira Visitor Centre, Tankavaara 3/10/2013 – 2/2/2014 ‘Sarvilakki ja Samsara’ Exhibition, Siida, Inari 11/10/2013 – 9/2/2014 ‘Arktisia Mielenmaisemia’ Photographic Exhibition, Siida, Inari 20.1. - 30/5/2014 Prospector’s Profile, Gold Museum Tankavaara

No Truanting at the Ski School For some reason schools are not very alluring places, but luckily there are some exceptions. One of them is a ski school, which you can find in every ski resort in Lapland. The leader of the ski school at Saariselkä is Milla Rossi, who just started her fourth winter on these familiar hills, at the beginning of this season. - The slopes at Saariselkä are really good, because we have several levels of difficulty and different options for skiers at all levels. There are two hills around the ski resort, which both can be accessed by ski lifts, and if you are skilled enough you can also try to come down in the powdery snow outside the slopes, says Milla Rossi, the headmistress at the Saariselkä ski school. Milla Rossi, who is originally from the south of Finland, started skiing when she was five years old. There was fortunately a ski slope nearby, so the choice of occupation was quickly clear for this girl. - Since I was a child I thought that being a ski instructor was a dream job, and once I became crazy about Lapland later on, I got to kill two birds with one stone when I found a job in the north, Milla tells us. Milla Rossi, what is a typi-

cal day at a ski school like? - Courses start at 10 in the morning and finish latest at 17 hours. There are several courses a day and in several different styles, because someone wants to learn traditional downhill skiing and another one wants to snowboard and yet another wants to try telemark skis. We have instructors for all different styles and at Saariselkä we can also teach in several different languages depending on the customers’ nationality. Although the number one language is English, which often suits everyone, lists the headmistress of the ski school. How international are the students at the ski school? - During the season we teach thousands of students at the ski school and they are very international. I can say though, that in the beginning of the season most of them come from abroad; either Europe or Far East, and only in the spring time we start to see some Finnish people amongst the students. The instructors can guide their students in their own mother tongues, so their advice is definitely understood, says Milla Rossi. What kind of things are being taught at ski school? - At ski school each student is being taught individually

Ski School Teachers Show us the Secrets of Skiing at Ski Resorts of Lapland according to their own level, but if we start from the very beginning, then the basics are always the most important thing to learn. First they are acquainted with their equipment, then how to use the ski lifts and safety on the slopes, and only after that will they be taken to an easy slope. There they get to practise stemming, turning and safe falling, because it’s important to learn how to do that correctly too, Milla tells us about teaching at the ski school. Therefore a ski school is a good and safe way to learn how to ski, no matter what

kind of equipment or technique you have. The instructors all have passed an exam and all the students are insured during the lessons in case of injury. And contrary to usual schools, the students enjoy being at the ski school where they always keep smiling, and sometimes they don’t even want to leave the slopes when the lessons are over.That is a good sign, because it means that the ski school has accomplished its goals, Milla Rossi, the Saariselkä ski school’s headmistress, also states.

Saariselkä’s ski slopes for sale The municipality of Inari is preparing to sell the business of Saariselkä’s ski slopes. The municipal board decided at the beginning of October to set 700,000 € as the recommended minimum price for the shares of Ski Saariselkä, which is

In case of emergency 112

EVENTS IN SAARISELKÄ AND INARI

responsible for the slopes. In addition, the municipal board requires a 600,000 € bank guarantee from the buyer in order to replace the municipality as a guarantor for borrowed capital. The goal is to have the ski slope business in the hands of the

new owners by the end of this year. The industry manager Janne Seurujärvi from the Elinkeino & kehitys Nordica, which is responsible for livelihood services, says that there have been people interested in buying the ski

slopes even before the official sale announcement and the inquiry phase of the sale. According to Seurujärvi, there were already several potential buyer candidates by mid-October.

Saariselän Luontoratsut

SAARISELKÄ | WINTER 2013-2014 | WWW.SAARISELANSANOMAT.FI

Sajos is a base for the Sami people and the largest meeting place in the North

The dark weatherboarding of Sajos is fir. The nature can be seen from indoors through the large windows. Sajos, built on the riverbank of Juutuanjoki Rapids in the middle of a pine forest, is the Finnish Sami people’s centre of administration and culture as well as a conference and meeting place in Northern Lapland. Sajos is a versatile and changing building. Its main hall can be quickly changed from a 400-person hall into two smaller ones: an auditorium and a meeting room. Conveniently next to the restaurant Galla, the meeting room can be quickly furnished and equipped to serve as a larger or smaller dining hall, and the stage of the auditorium can also be expanded or shrunk when needed. The construction work of Sajos finished in 2012 in Inari’s parish village. The construction took a little

over a year, but it was preceded by ten years of tough negotiations about funding, the design phase and an architectural competition. HALO Arkkitehdit Oy from Oulu was finally chosen for the task. The construction cost 15 million euro. The constructor and owner is Senaattikiinteistöt. The municipality of Inari donated the land for Sajos as well as the municipal utilities. The Sami culture is visible in the outward appearance of Sajos. The curving and branching form of the building was derived from the vertebra of a reindeer, but it also reminds one of the Four Winds Hat or a reindeer skin. Sami handicraft can be seen in the halls: the roundness of the parliament hall was derived from risku (a traditional piece

of Sami jewellery) and the oval shape of the auditorium from kiisa (a box). Indoors, the local pinewood and other light-coloured tree species are dominant. On the walls, there are works of art by Sami artists: Nils Aslak Valkeapää’s two paintings, photos by Marja Helander and Outi Pieski’s installation artwork piece Virta, Emo, Maa. The Sami museum Siida with its collections is only two hundred meters from Sajos. The big windows of Sajos bring the forest nature directly inside the building. The dark weatherboarding made from fir and the yard paved with kuntta (a transplant of forest floor vegetation) together make the building blend into its surroundings. Sajos is administered

SAARISELÄNTIE 1 Tel. +358 (0) 16 668 741

Sajos is a word from the Inari Sami language and it means a position or a base. by Saamelaiskäräjät, the Sami Parliament, with their parliament hall and office premises in the building. Sajos also houses a handicraft shop of Sami Duodji ry, the Sami Library of the Municipality of Inari and the premises of Lapland’s regional state administrative agency and the Sami Education Institute. Many Sami associations also have offices in Sajos. The Sami Archives and many projects of the Sami Parliament are located in Sajos: The Indigenous Peoples’ Film Center, the Indigenous Peoples’ Music Centre, the Sami Children’s Culture Center and Sajos’ Conference and Events services. HS

Changeable meeting rooms - Room for meetings with as many as 430 participants. - The main hall holds 195 - 430 persons, can be divided into Auditorio Dolla and the Dollagaddi hall. - A green room for performers next to the auditorium. - The Parliament hall Solju holds 60 persons. - the Meeting room Silba holds 10 persons and Násti holds 15 persons. The combined Silbanásti room holds 25 persons. - The meeting room Sisti holds 16 - 20 persons. - Additional class rooms. - The restaurant Galla holds 50 persons. Meeting dinners can be arranged by order.

Sami Duodji ry’s handicraft shop is open during conferences.

Studios for image and sound - A music studio for demanding recordings. The studio premises have a studio, a singing booth, a voice control room and a live editing room. - The video studio has a multi-camera system, among other things. The studio also has a live-editing room and other editing rooms.

www.kukkolanbussit.com

SAARISELKÄ NEWS | WINTER 2013-2014 | WWW.SAARISELANSANOMAT.FI

On Christmas Eve, 24Dec Declaration of ”Christmas” Peace at 11.55AM Tunturi Blues Daytime concert 18th of January 2014 at 2PM, Tickets €10 May Day Brunch 1 May 2014 Wind your way to the top of the fell, enjoy our comfortable café-restaurant and admire winter´s beautiful fell scenery.

THE PANORAMA RESTAURANT Meals to suit every palette: Salad buffet with a choice of 14 dishes, salmon soup, sautéed reindeer... Have you tasted… Our widely famed doughnuts, pies, crowberry cakes and other sweet delights?

The Highlight of your Lapland tour is a visit on Top of Kaunispää SOUVENIR SHOP

The Ski bus takes you to Huippu five times a day!

High quality, exclusive souvenirs and gift items from Lapland in traditional and modern styles.

ARCTIC GOLD & SILVER •Gold nugget jewellery, silver jewellery from Lapland •Gold streams, northern lights, spring snow, stars in JEWELLERY

Panorama Terrace Openin hours:

TAX FREE

until 20 Dec 2013 10am to 4pm from 21 Dec to 11 Jan 10am to 5pm 24 Dec 10am to 2pm from 12 Jan to 14 Feb 10am to 4pm from 15 Feb to 3 May 10am to 5pm

WELCOME! Tel +358 16 668 803

info@kaunispaanhuippu.fi www.kaunispaanhuippu.fi