According to German drawings, this was the site of a barracks for Finnish auxiliary workers, Finnische Hilfskräft, built in November and December 1943. The barracks, called Polar, was about eight by twelve metres in size and made of prefabricated plank wood elements. It was supplied by Puutalo Oy, a joint company formed by Finnish timber companies. It took a couple of days for Finnish carpenters to install and considerably longer for prisoners...

Rovaniemi’s first railway station was completed in 1909. Rovaniemi was enlivened by the railway; transport of goods became easier and passengers travelled. Once the new track was completed in 1934, the old station was transformed into housing for railway workers. Since the war, the building has served, among other things, as a post office, temporary railway station, women’s work house and the Provincial Museum of Lapland...

In this area between the railroad and Lähteentie was the Ounasvaara barracks camp of the front line headquarters, Frontleitsstelle 42, commissioned on 15 March 1943. The camp included numerous housing and storage barracks, apparently a large office building, garage, potato cellar, sauna and dressing room and several toilets – about thirty buildings in total. The area had a central square measuring approximately 10 by 60 metres, surrounded by four fairly large buildings. A shuttle transport to the camp was arranged from Rovaniemi railway station...

Generaloberst Eduard Dietl was the longest-serving commander of the German army in Lapland during the Continuation War. Hitler appointed him as the new commander to replace Nikolaus von Falkenhorst in January 1942. Dietl was a true believer in the Nazi ideology and a staunch National Socialist. Despite this, according to his own words, he never would have even dreamed to attempt to preach this ideology in Finland...

In this area, too, some remains of German porcelain tableware can be found, although nearly everything visible above-ground has long since been cleared away. The porcelain stamps reveal that the tableware have been imported from Germany's own factories. For example, Rosenthal tableware has been found in large numbers in the camps used by the Luftwaffe. Large amounts of porcelain were also imported from the Porsgrunn factories in Norway...

Ounasvaara is known as the hub for sports and recreation in Rovaniemi but did you know that between 1941 and 1944, it was also the site of a barracks camp used by the German military, especially the German Air Force Luftwaffe? This walking tour takes you virtually or physically to see the remains of the German wartime camp in the Ounasvaara and Lähteentie areas. The route is 4.2 kilometres long and takes about three hours to get around on foot. The route and locations of the sights along the route and their descriptions and photos can be found in this service...

The Harjulampi Accessible Trail starts 1.5 km south of the Rovaniemi city centre, in Rantavitikka. The trail passes through the shoreline scenery of Harjulampi, a beautiful pond with a rich variety of birds. During the years 1967-1998, 85 bird species have been spotted there. 32 of them nest permanently...

Arrival instructions: Drive from the Church of Rovaniemi along Yliopistonkatu Street towards Rantavitikka. The first pond on the right is Kirkkolampi and the second pond on the right is Harjulampi. The bird-watching tower is situated at the junction of Yliopistonkatu and Korvanranta and signposts lead from the junction to the tower. You can park your car, for example, in the yard of the nearby Rantavitikka School...

The Hietaperä lean-to is located at approx. 47.5 km from the city centre of Rovaniemi to south-east, in the shoreline scenery of Hietaperänlampi in the Kivalot area. The spacious log-built lean-to is situated by a beautiful forest pond surrounded by sturdy shoreline pines. The lean-to offers a view over the pond...

The Hirvasoja Lean-to is around 15 km south of Rovaniemi, in Hirvaa, on a neck of land by the Kemi River. It features a campfire site, a woodshed and outhouse. Children can enjoy a small slide, swing and climbing frame near the lean-to. The area also features a beach, volleyball field, boat ramp and berths...

The Hopianulkki observation tower is located at approx. 54.1 km from the city centre of Rovaniemi to east on the top of Hopianulkki Hill in Kaihuanvaara. The Kaihuanvaara and Kivalot areas are easily accessible day-trip destinations. Tree-covered hills of the areas are significant elements in the scenery of River Kemijoki...

The monument to M.A. Castrén is located on the outer wall next to the main entrance to the library. The work is based on a sketch by Alvar Aalto. The final implementation is by Kari Huhtamo, who added his signature clear steel arches and balls to the work...

Completed in 1977, the piece is a model example of the constructive style of Kari Huhtamo. The sculpture literally springs up into the sky like a spiral. The motion starts slowly, but intensifies the higher it gets and ends with a bold upward-reaching triumph. At each end of the three-part triumph, Huhtamo has placed small steel balls that can be understood as full stops at the end of a sentence...

In this piece, Huhtamo has structured space with light incisions. The starting point of the piece are thin, steel lines. The steel pipe draws a shape, enclosing a piece of space within it. The essence of the sculpture resembles the abstractness and intangibility created by lines drawn on paper...

The frame of the sculpture is formed by a massive steel plate, where two dimensions transform into three as the reindeer turns and "walks out" of the sculpture. In this way, both the positive and the negative of the reindeer can be seen in the same piece. The figures form a sculptural ensemble that changes when viewed from different angles. The material used in the piece is a massive steel plate weighing about 600 kilograms...

During the Continuation War, the Ounasvaara area of Rovaniemi was used extensively by the Germans. The area included several barracks, a hospital, bakery, veterinary and transport corps, prison camp used by the security services, front line headquarters, canteen for service personnel and, of course, Rommel's field. The area above the children's home and Ranuantie on the southwest slope of Ounasvaara hosted a fairly large barracks camp built by the Luftwaffe in 1942 and 1943. A part of the Luftnachtrichten-Regiment 56 transferred to Rovaniemi in December 1941...

The Iso Kuusisaari Lean-to is around 11 km from Rovaniemi toward Kittilä along Kittilän itäpuolentie. It is on the island Iso Kuusisaari, close to the village Nivankylä. The large, log-built lean-to and campfire site are on the east shore of the island. In the summer, you can access the island by boat on the Ounas River...

The Iso-Herajärvi Lean-to is around 45 km east of Rovaniemi, in the old-growth forest conservation area of Herankaira. The log-built lean-to is on the shore of Iso-Herajärvi, or Iso-Hera Lake. There is a campfire site with benches at the lean-to. Firewood is provided under the shelters at both ends of the lean-to...

The Iso-Kaarni Lean-to is around 50 km east of Rovaniemi, on the shore of Iso-Kaarnijärvi, or Iso-Kaarni Lake. The hill Kaihuanvaara is just over 2 km from the lean-to with its diverse hiking networks and conveniences. The log-built lean-to features a campfire site, woodshed, outhouse, boat ramp and berths...

The Isovaara Sami Hut is 51.6 km north-west of Rovaniemi, on the western edge of Isovaara, or Iso Hill. It is log-built, reasonably spacious, and a good rest spot even in poor weather. It features a fireplace and benches. Outside, there is a woodshed, outhouse and waste bin...

Alvar Aalto designed three four-story commercial and residential buildings in a prominent location in the center of Rovaniemi for local businessman Aarne Aho. Later, Aalto also designed the private house Maison Aho for the same family. The Aho commercial and residential buildings are all located in the same block, forming a cohesive ensemble. The ground floors of the buildings house commercial spaces, while the upper floors originally contained apartments that have since been converted into office spaces...

The Jaatilansaari Lean-to is around 32 km south of Rovaniemi on the island Jaatilansaari in Petäjäkoski. The log-built lean-to is on the southern tip of the island, featuring a campfire site with benches, two tables, a woodshed and waste bin...

The Juhannuskallio Lean-to is 53.5 km south-east of Rovaniemi on the hill Juhannuskallio, in Kaihuanvaara. The spacious, log-built lean-to stands on an outcrop along the Juhannuskallio Scenery Trail. It features a campfire site, woodshed, outhouse, and an observation tower nearby. The lean-to is 1.3 km from the parking area along the Juhannuskallio Scenery Trail...

The Juhannuskallio Observation Tower is 53.5 km east of Rovaniemi on the rocky hill called Juhannuskallio in Kaihuanvaara. The Kaihuanvaara and Kivalot areas are easily accessible day-trip destinations. Tree-covered hills are prominent elements in the Kemi River landscape. Kaihuanvaara offers a diverse network of hiking trails and conveniences...

The Juhannuskallio Scenery Trail is 52.5 km from Rovaniemi toward Posio. It belongs to the area of Kaihuanvaara–Kivalot, an easily accessible day-trip destination. The tree-covered hills of the area are prominent elements in the Kemi River landscape. They offer beautiful vistas over the riverside and surrounding areas...

The Juotasniemi Lean-to is around 59 km east of Rovaniemi, toward Kuusamo. The log-built lean-to is on the riverbank, featuring a campfire site, woodshed, waste bin, outhouse, and a boat ramp nearby...

The Jussilanvaara Lean-to is around 13 km south-west of the Rovaniemi city centre, at the Hirvas School on the north-west edge of the hill Jussilanvaara. The log-built lean-to is on the edge of the hill next to a fitness trail amidst a pine forest...

The Jyrhämänkuja Lean-to is in the city centre of Rovaniemi behind the health centre in Sairaalanniemi. The log-built lean-to is on a spit in the bank of the Kemi River, featuring a campfire site, firewood and benches. You can reach the Jyrhämänkuja parking area by car. The path to the lean-to is 100 m...

The Kaihuanvaara Circular Trail (cycling trail) is 52.5 km from Rovaniemi toward Posio. It is part of the area: Kaihuanvaara–Kivalot, an easily accessible day-trip destination. Tree-covered hills are prominent elements in the landscape of the Kemi River. The hills offer beautiful views over the riverside and surrounding areas...