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Yearly, in the autumn, the Lapish town of Kemijärvi organizes the international Kaamos Dance Festival, perhaps the only international dance festival above the Arctic Circle.
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Kemijärvi is located about 50 kilometers above the Arctic Circle. One can take the night train from Helsinki and awaken in the Lappish landscape; frozen over lakes and swamps - a true winter wonderland. Rivers and lakes follow the terrain formed by the Arctic fells. To the south-west lies the Botnic Gulf, and to the east the Russian border. The train arrives the next morning, after making one last stop at Rovaniemi, at the end of the line: Kemijärvi.

Santa Claus has his quarters in Rovaniemi, the largest of northern Finnish towns. Kemijärvi is next in line. It has its own cultural center with a wonderful new theater.

For the greater part of the year this part of the world is covered by snow. The sun does not come up in this time of the year; and still the daytime is quite light. This is mainly because of the reflecting snow. And of course - one of the most astonishing sights is the aurora borealis - the northern lights. Revon tuli - the foxes fire - is what the natives call it; referring to the static electricity produced by the tail of the running fox.

For the more active recreation there is the skiing - cross country is possible virtually everywhere. For the alpine skiers there are the nearby fells Pyhä Tunturi and Suomu Tunturi. The slopes are illuminated.

 

 

 

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