Lapland mysticism has tempted travelers for a long time. The biodiversity and the life cycle have been captured in paintings for decades.
Levi
SAMILAND
Samiland in Levi is part of the UNESCO Observatory's cultural village program, which includes a 500 m² indoor and 10,000 m² outdoor exhibition area.
"The Samiland exhibition explores the Sami people’s thousands of years of history, culture and mythology. Visit the indoor exhibition to find out about the differences between the Skolt Sami and the Mountain Sami as well as about the traditional occupations and ancient mythical characters of the Sami people. The outdoor exhibition will teach you more about traditional Sami buildings and reindeer herding.
All exhibition texts are available in Finnish, English and Russian, and the indoor exhibition’s texts have also been translated into German and French."
SIRPA ALALÄÄKKÖLÄ
Sirpa Alalääkkölä has lived abroad for a long time and her art is presented in the reception and meeting rooms of Hullu Poro, where the artist has created great wall paintings.
In the village of Kittilä, art lovers will find two almost hidden art galleries!
Kittilä
EINARI JUNTTILA ART MUSEUM
Einari Junttila (1901–1975) is the earliest known artist from Kittilä, and an internationally known and recognized self-taught lyrical realist, known especially for his watercolor works. He also painted oil paint and pastel works. The museum in Kittilä is open on Thursdays from 1pm to 5pm and other times by appointment.
PALSA MUSEUM
The museum of the artist Kalervo Palsa (1947–1987) includes the artist's modest home cottage and "Getsemane" studio. Palsa is especially known for his provocative, sexual, and quite often gloomy works. The artist defined his own art as fantastic realism.
"Palsa lived and worked in the courtyard of the museum, in a residential area called Narikka in which poor and marginalized people lived at the time. The studio has wall paintings by the artist on display and also decorated with objects owned by the artist. The museum is open from June until the end of September.
LOCAL HISTORY MUSEUM
The Local History Museum is located in Pakatti, about 4 kilometers from the center of Kittilä, in a scenic location on the banks of the Ounasjoki River. The museum's collections mainly consist of peasant artefacts from the first half of the 20th century in Kittilä, which have a collection of almost 1,000 objects. The museum area consists of buildings located in the old Peräpohja-Lapland style. The main building was built in the 1860s and is opposite a barn. The other buildings are located around the courtyard. The museum is open from 11 am to 5 pm in summer.
Kaukonen
SÄRESTÖNIEMI MUSEUM
About 49 km south of Levi, there is the Särestöniemi Museum.The most significant Lapland artist and one of the most famous Finnish artists of his time, the Reidar Särestöniemi (1925–1981) home and Art Museum can be found in Kaukonen. The exhibitions of this unique museum environment change every year, and there are plenty of Särestöniemi’s works on display. The exhibition is mainly based on the museum's own collections, but Särestöniemi's works from other collections are also on loan.
The museum is open Tue-Sat from 12 noon to 6 pm all year round.
In addition, concerts and events are organized in Särestö.
In the Kittilä, Sammontie 5 (behind the Nordea bank).
Einari Junttila Art Museum is open on Thursdays at 13.00 - 17.00 and on other days by appointment, ph: +358 40 703 4657. Ticket price (cash only): 5€.
Einari Junttila's (1901–1975) 115th-anniversary exhibition will be at the artist's home museum. A book on Einari Junttila’s art history (part of the Ars Nordica series) is available at the museum.
Tickets: 5 €/adult, 2,50 €/child (7-15 yrs). Payment by cash or card.
The house known as Porvoo cabin in Kittilä is the home working space of Hugo Kalervo Palsa (born 1947, died 1987). Here under harsh conditions he grew up to be an artist known for his original depictions of the macabre, death and sexuality.
Samiland is located at the Levi Summit, within Hotel Levi Panorama's immediate vicinity, on Tunturitie 205, Levi. You can get to Samiland by car, bus (in the winter season), gondola lift, and stairs located in the centre of Levi. Access to Samiland is via Spiella Café.
Prices: 12€ per person, 10€ for pensioners and students, 9€ for children aged 7-16, free for children under 7 years old. Familypass 24€ for a family pass either 2 adults and 2 children, or 1 adult and 3 children.
Sirpa Alalääkkölä art exhibition
In the Hullu Poron hotel. Sirpa Alalääkkölä, a painter, created animated characters on the walls of Hullu Poro's buildings and rooms, depicting the various activities that people in Levi do.
Open Tue - Sun at 12.00 – 18.00. Closed on Bank Holidays.
Tickets: 15€ per person, 10€ for pensioners, students, and schoolchildren. Family pass 35€ (2 adults and 2 children aged between 7-16 years old), group pass 10€ per person, for groups with a minimum of 12 people. Tel. +358 16 654 480
