Early sources of tourism in Lapland
The Imperial House of Aavasaksa
"What makes Aavasakska the most remarkable of the hills of the North is not its height or its view, but the fact that you don't have to travel further north to see the sun at 12 o'clock on Midsummer's Eve."
Topelius, The Book of Our Country
THE OLDEST TOURIST ATTRACTIONS IN FINLAND
The honour is due to the French astronomer Pierre Louis Moreau de Maupertuis, who climbed to the top of the dangling mountain in 1737. But this was not exactly a holiday, it was a scientific expedition.
IN THE COMPANY OF ELVES
Indeed, the contrasts and variations in rock formations on this hazard are so striking that the sight is as charming as it is idiosyncratic. One would think that in this place, hidden in woods and lakes a few miles from inhabited districts, one would meet only bears and wild beasts; yet we saw nothing there but the "elves" of which I have already spoken.
Maupertuis, 1736-37
STORIES FROM THE MIDSUMMER SAUNA
"All the time the Finns stayed in this hot bath, they rubbed themselves and beat every part of their bodies with a bundle of birch twigs. After ten minutes they were as red as raw meat and looked positively ghastly."
Giuseppe Acerbi, Italian explorer, 1798
LOCAL HOSPITALITY
"The locals season all their food with sugar, saffron, ginger and lemon and orange peel and put a lot of cumin in their bread. The most common drink is beer, which they make quite good."
Maupertuis, 1736-37
THE FIRE OF LOVE
Running away from love in vain all the way to the Arctic Circle; My God, who would have believed, that in this region one could find Kithera.
In these misty zones Christine charms us: and all the places where her eyes are are thehot zone.
In this dwelling-place the star of the day does not give its light: your servants are the star thatlights us from here .
The sun shines during the night, Soon it will determine our fate:
And these long days will be too short around Christine.
Tornionlaakso Yearbook 1984, p. 139, from Maupertuis's diary Luonnontieteellisiä ja siveellisiä kertomuksia 1738, pp. 135-140 .Translated by Pirjo Neuvonen
IN COOPERATION
ORIGINAL LAPLAND - THE WAY TO US
At the top of the Aavasaksas dike in Ylitornio stands an unusual ornate building, the Emperor's House. It was built in the late 19th century as Lapland's first tourist building. A high-ranking guest, the emperor, was also expected to visit the famous national landscapes. The visit never took place but the building was named after the emperor.
Over the years, the paintwork on the Emperor's House has deteriorated, but this summer the exterior and decorative paintings will be restored to their former glory! The building, which is of cultural and historical importance, will once again be given a worthy home and will continue the story of Aavasaksa at the heart of Original Lapland and tourism in Lapland as a whole.
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