Travel bucket list idea:
Credit Shutterstock.com/Plam Petrov
The Sámi are Lapland’s indigenous people – a colourful, nomadic people who for centuries have lived sustainably in Lapland’s unspoilt wilderness.
If culture’s your thing, arguably Lapland’s best attraction is this excellent Sámi museum and nature centre, located just at the banks of the river, that presents documents and explains the relationship of the Sámi to the great outdoors.
A timeline traces the Sámi from pre-history to the present, outlining the social, cultural and political changes which have affected them. The main exhibition holds a series of 10m-high floor-to-ceiling photographs depicting the landscapes of Lapland throughout the seasons.
Throughout the museum, a subtle soundtrack evokes the sounds of trickling streams, rustling birch trees and the enigmatic joik, the Sámi’s particular brand of melodic throat singing.
It’s open all year round, seven days a week. Closed on Monday in winter.
Destination guides including or relevant to this experience
Finnish Lapland, Finland
An unspoilt wilderness and outdoor adventure paradise. Summer and winter bucket list experiences galore – husky dog sledding, igloos and the Northern Lights – plus the real home of Santa.
