We woke up in our campsite after a well-rested night; the long hike to Noitatunturi the previous evening helped us sleep soundly. As we crawled out of the tent, we were greeted by a stunning lakeside view – could there be a better way to start the morning? We got the camping stove going to make some morning porridge and coffee. Our campsite was at Camping Pyhäjärvi (Lomakeskus Lapin Orava), and the location was excellent. While preparing breakfast, we could also watch the reindeer roaming around the campsite.
We had heard about the amethyst mine in Pyhä-Luosto, where you could dig up real amethysts yourself! This got us really excited, and we knew we had to visit. So, that was our activity for the day.
Lampivaara Amethyst Mine is located in the middle of the Pyhä-Luosto national park, and it’s about a little over 20 kilometers from Pyhä-Luosto Visitor Centre Naava. You can’t drive directly to the mine; the nearest parking lot is on Ukko-Luostontie, about 2.5 kilometers away from the mine. The route is easy to walk or bike.
At the mine, there’s a small café where you can buy tickets for the mine tour, as well as coffee and snacks. Tickets can also be purchased online from the mine’s website, but you can also buy them from the café. We bought our tickets at the café, and the price was around €20 per person. The mine can only be visited on guided tours, which last about an hour and depart from the café every hour on the hour.
Kierroksen alkaessa opas tulee hakemaan ryhmän kahvilalta, josta lyhyehköt portaat johtavat hieman ylemmäs kaivokselle. Kierros alkaa esittelyllä jossa opas kertoo kaivoksen historiasta, yleisesti ametisteista ja niiden ominaisuuksista sekä käyttötarkoituksista. Näytillä on myös kaivokselta löytyneitä ametisteja, joihin saatiin lopuksi tutustua. Ametistia pidetään onnen jalokivenä ja sillä uskotaan olevan rauhoittavia vaikutuksia.
When the tour starts, the guide gathers the group from the café, and short stairs lead up a bit higher into the mine. The tour begins with an introduction where the guide talks about the mine’s history, amethysts in general, their properties, and uses. There are also amethysts found in the mine on display for visitors to see. Amethyst is considered a gemstone of good luck and is believed to have calming effects.
After the introduction, it’s time for action, and we headed into the mine ourselves. We descended stairs through the covered mine, which was impressive and atmospheric, and then reached the excavation area where we could dig for amethysts. The mine is an open pit, so it’s best to choose a day with good weather or at least dress appropriately for the weather.
We were given a small sieve and a small pickaxe to dig up the soil. It felt like being a kid in a sandbox! It was both fun and exciting because every strike of the pickaxe could potentially uncover an amethyst peeking out of the soil. And yes, eventually, we found the amethyst! And the best part is that you get to take the amethyst home as a souvenir, as long as it fits in your fist. We were lucky enough to find some beautiful and relatively large amethysts!
After digging up amethysts, the tour takes you to a shop where you can buy various items, including beautiful jewelry made from amethysts and other souvenirs. The place was a really nice experience and definitely worth every penny. We highly recommend visiting if you’re even slightly curious about it.
After the amethyst mine visit, we continued our journey towards the Finnish “right arm,” Inari, which was about a 3-hour drive away. We booked accommodation at Lomakylä Inari, which offers various accommodation options, and we chose a small cabin. The cabin was surprisingly spacious and had a small kitchen, bathroom/toilet, sofa, bed, etc. Plus, we could park our car right next to the cabin, which was a big plus. The place was beautifully located by the lake. It was a very comfortable choice for accommodation.
