After crossing over from Norway to Finland, our first stop was Kilpisjärvi, where we spent the night in a makeshift campsite near the Saana fell. Kilpisjärvi has the Kilpishalli service station, where you can find a grocery store, restaurant, restrooms, and a couple of other shops. We grabbed our morning coffee here, intending to hike up Saana, but the weather wasn’t cooperating, so we decided to skip the hike this time. After all, we had already done plenty of hiking in Norway.
0.50€ for coffee and a doughnut
As we continued driving, we spotted signs along the roadside advertising “Coffee + Doughnut for 0.50€.” Well, that certainly caught our interest, so we prepared to make a stop. We arrived at a spot where there were shop on both sides of the road, both offering the same deal. Of course, we had to stop; where else can you get anything for 50 cents these days? We randomly chose one of the shops and to our surprise, the offer included a gluten-free pastry! After enjoying our coffee and doughnut, we couldn’t resist browsing the shop’s offerings, and we ended up buying some lovely reindeer-patterned sugar and creamer sets as souvenirs. This place was Mailan Putiikki / Alatalon Käsityö, located just before Muonio when coming from Kilpisjärvi, about a 2-hour drive away.
Ylläs – Jounin kauppa and a cycling trip
Next on our itinerary was Ylläs, where we stopped by Jounin kauppa (well-known in Finland). We wanted to check out this place since we were in the area. Jounin kauppa was a typical K-market with a few other shops nearby. There was a small shopping center next to it, offering sports shops and equipment rental. Ylläs village didn’t have much to offer in terms of sights, at least during the summer, but it’s more of a destination for various activities.
We also went for a short mountain biking trip in Ylläs. We inquired at the Ylläs Tourist Information about cycling routes, and based on their recommendation, we chose the Kesänkijärvi Circuit. The route was relatively short, about 6 kilometers in total, circling around Kesänkijärvi Lake. The trail starts from a parking lot located here.
Reitti lähtee parkkipaikalta kiertämään järveä myötäpäivään ja kulkee metsämaisemissa Kesänkijärven rantaa mukaillen. Järven toisessa päässä suomaisissa maisemissa on mukava taukopaikka Kesängin keidas, jossa voi nauttia vaikka pientä purtavaa. Tästä reitti jatkuu järveä kiertäen takaisin metsän siimekseen ja oikein mukavaa pyörällä ajettavaa polkua, kunnes reitin loppupuolella loppuosuus on pitkospuita, jotka johtavat takaisin kohti parkkipaikkaa. Tämä oli oikein mukava pikku polkaisu Ylläksen maisemissa ja keli oli mitä mainioin.
The trail begins by circling the lake clockwise through forested areas along the Kesänkijärvi shore. At the other end of the lake, amidst marshy landscapes, there’s a pleasant rest stop called Kesängin Keidas, where you can enjoy a snack. From here, the trail continues around the lake back into the forest, offering a pleasant path for cycling. Towards the end of the route, there’s a section of boardwalks leading back towards the parking lot. It was a delightful little ride in the Ylläs scenery, and the weather couldn’t have been better.
We stayed at the delightful Arctic Skylight Lodge in Ylläs ➛ . This was our first time staying in a glass-roofed cabin, which we’ll describe more in a separate post.
Levi – Driving to the top of Levi Fell
Levi was a destination we hadn’t visited in the summer before, so it was a great opportunity to see what Levi looks like during the warmer months. It’s only about a 50-minute drive from Ylläs to Levi, making it relatively close by.
In Levi, we chose to stay at the legendary Hullu Poro hotel. It was a pretty standard accommodation, but it had a balcony where we could admire the tranquility of nature.
Did you know you can drive to the top of Levi Fell? There’s actually a road, called Tunturitie, leading all the way up. The endpoint at the top is here, and your navigation system will guide you right to it. There’s a parking lot at the top, offering fantastic views of the surrounding nature, with rolling hills and forests as far as the eye can see. It’s definitely the best spot to watch the sunset! And of course, you can also hike up here if driving feels like cheating 😀
Levi’s town center is quite pleasant even in the summer, with a small alpine village atmosphere, although it was fairly quiet here towards the end of August, unlike during the busiest winter times.
From Levi, we started making our way back south, planning to make a detour through Kalajoki before heading back to southern Finland and home.
