Mellavaara lean-to

Nearby destinations

• Scenic sculpture walk across Rovaniemi's bridges

  The scenic sculpture walk across Rovaniemi's bridges includes 17 works of art. The route is 5 kilometres long and takes about two hours to get around on foot. You can find descriptions and photos of the artworks in the menu below...
• Sculpture Walk in the City Centre

  The sculpture walk in the city centre includes 13 works of art. The route is 2.5 kilometres long and takes about an hour to get around on foot. You can find descriptions and photos of the artworks in the menu below...
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  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...
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  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...
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  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...
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  In 1987, the City of Rovaniemi hosted a sculpture competition to obtain sketches of ideas for a sculpture for the new City Hall. The sculpture had to adapt to Alvar Aalto's architectural ensemble and symbolise the city of Rovaniemi. Kain Tapper won the contest with the sculpture Vuorten synty. According to Tapper, the sculpture depicts the rise of Rovaniemi after the war...
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  Tom Engblom explains: Reindeer can of course be found in the forests, provided one has the chance or time to venture into them. Most commonly, we encounter these creatures walking on the road, getting in the way of humans. This gave rise to the idea of creating a work asking just that, "Am I in your way". The concrete reindeer is inspired by the concrete barriers commonly found in cities, called 'concrete pigs' in Finnish...
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  Standing about 7 metres tall in the courtyard of the Lapland provincial government building, the mythical Äiti-Lappi, or Mother Lapland, is sculptor Hannele Kylänpää's first public work. Kylänpää uses bronze as the primary material in her pieces. Her material handling is very expressive and nuanced, and accommodates and supports her subject matter well: Kylänpää enjoys depicting motion, children and animals in different situations. The premise of the sculpture is lightness and airiness, and the artist wants to overcome the heaviness of bronze as a material...
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  Located in Ruokasenpuisto, the Karjalapatsas statue was designed by Kirsi Liimatainen in 1957 and erected by Karelians in Lapland...
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  The 6th Division during the Continuation War was formed in 1941 mainly from men from Lapland. The monument is made of quartzite stone found in the village of Jaatila. Heraldist and graphic artist Olof Eriksson was by 1953 the most prolific designer of coats of arms for towns, municipalities and cities in Finland. In addition, he has designed medals and, together with Heikki Häiväoja, the Finnish 1-mark coin (1964)...
• Kivijärvi Harry - Phoenix-Bird (1990)

  The sculpture Fenix-lintu by Harry Kivijärvi is located in front of Rovaniemi Court of Appeal (formerly the office of the Bank of Finland) . With this piece, Kivijärvi participated in the Rovaniemi City Hall sculpture competition held in 1987. The winner was Kain Tapper's sculpture Vuorten synty, but the jury also recommended that Kivijärvi's sculpture be purchased at a later date. The Bank of Finland acquired the piece in 1990...
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  Doors as a public work of art are a rarity in Finland. In the door relief of the Court of Appeal, Rovaniemi native Matti Nurminen has stylised the old symbol of justice, a pre-Christian stone circle for holding court. Matti Nurminen was born in 1947 in Rovaniemi. Today, he lives and works in Helsinki...
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  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...
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  Primavera is Laila Pullinen's first public sculpture and was acquired shortly after her breakthrough exhibition in 1963 in Helsinki. The work is located in the inner yard of the Ainonkulma residential building. The sculpture's title refers to its inspiration, the famous painting Primavera by Italian Renaissance painter Botticelli from 1478. painting depicts a group dancing with three beautiful women...
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• Jaakonkatu 3

  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...
• Koskikatu 18

  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...
• Koskikatu 20

  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 Rovaniemi City Hall

  The Rovaniemi Civic Centre is, alongside Seinäjoki, the only completed urban center designed by Alvar Aalto in Finland. As early as 1961, the preliminary sketches for the library building included two other structures, which ultimately formed a seamlessly interconnected complex for administration and culture. The buildings are arranged in a fan-shaped layout on a park-like square known as Kansalaistori (Citizens' Square). The center's buildings open towards the city center...
• Rovaniemi Library

  The Rovaniemi Civic Centre is, alongside Seinäjoki, the only completed urban center designed by Alvar Aalto in Finland. As early as 1961, the preliminary sketches for the library building included two other structures, which ultimately formed a seamlessly interconnected complex for administration and culture. The buildings are arranged in a fan-shaped layout on a park-like square known as Kansalaistori (Citizens' Square). The center's buildings open towards the city center...
• Lappia Hall

  The Rovaniemi Civic Centre is, alongside Seinäjoki, the only completed urban center designed by Alvar Aalto in Finland. As early as 1961, the preliminary sketches for the library building included two other structures, which ultimately formed a seamlessly interconnected complex for administration and culture. The buildings are arranged in a fan-shaped layout on a park-like square known as Kansalaistori (Citizens' Square). The center's buildings open towards the city center...
• Alvar Aalto round -in Rovaniemi

  The architectural legacy of Alvar Aalto can be seen in the cityscape of Rovaniemi, both in the city center and a little further away. In the city center, along a walking route, there are five notable sites. A bit further, in Korkalovaara, there is a garden-like residential area called Korkalorinne. Aalto's famous reindeer antler plan, known as the "poronsarviasemakaava" in Finnish, served as the basis for construction during the post-war reconstruction period from 1944 to 1946...
• Sinetänpää lean-to

  The Sinetänpää Lean-to is 12,3 km west of Rovaniemi, along the Mäntyvaara – Pohtimolampi trail. The log-built lean-to is around 700 meters from the Sinettäjärvi, around 10 m from the trail. There is a campfire site and woodshed on the lean-to...
• Ounaspaviljonki lean-to

  The Ounaspaviljonki lean-to is located at approx. 2.6 km from the city centre of Rovaniemi in the Sodankylä direction in the Ounaspaviljonki area. Also the Koivusaari nature trail is nearby. It is a nature destination suited for spring, summer and autumn excursions...
• Harjulampi Accessible Trail

  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...
• Parking area
• Parking hall
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• Parking hall
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• Market parking area
• Central Stadium parking area
• Arktikum parking area
• Lappia Hall parking area
• Church parking area
• Healt center parking area
• Memory trail

  The Cultural Committee of Rovaniemi organised an open environmental art competition in spring 2010. The competition sought a piece or series of pieces that would unite the cultural attractions of Rovaniemi to form a cultural trail. The winning entry was entitled Muistojen reitti(memory trail) and submitted by Liisa Karintaus and Tiia Lepistö. The memory trail leads those going on foot or by bicycle to the historical sites of the city in addition to the cultural attractions of Rovaniemi...
• Old Church, 16–17 July 1932

  The photograph shows the Old Church of Rovaniemi at the time of the parish’s 300th anniversary on 16–17 July 1932. The old wooden cruciform church seated 1,200 people, and was located close to the current church. Just before their northbound withdrawal, the German troops set the church on fire with petrol bombs. The new, current church was completed in August 1950...
• View of Maantiekatu, around the 1910s

  Maantiekatu used to be the main road of Rovaniemi.  Over 30 shops varying from hardware shops to delicatessens were located along the street in the 1910s, not to mention the Rovaniemi markets. This photograph taken from the old church’s tower shows buildings on Maantiekatu; at the front are the post office and Ida Hannula’s book and paper shop, the Konttinen Manor is visible in the background...
• Ounaskoski bridge, 1930s

  The railway from Rovaniemi to Kemijärvi was completed in 1934. On the first part of the route, large and expensive bridges needed to be built, such as the Ounaskoski bridge. The old bridge in the photograph was used only for about 10 years, because the German troops blew it up when withdrawing from Lapland in October 1944. The current bridge was completed in 1951...
• Konttinen, 1910s

  The Konttinen Manor depicted from across River Kemijoki. The Konttinen Manor was commissioned by Norwegian timber businessman Terje Olsen in late 19th century. As of 1900, the manor housed the forest division of the Kemi company operating in the wood processing industry. The building was destroyed in the air raids of Rovaniemi in 1940...
• Tuisku’s house, around the 1910s

  Shopkeeper A. E. Tuisku had a shop along Maantiekatu and a house on the shore of River Kemijoki. Tuisku being a local force served as a municipal foreman in municipal administration in 1897–1899 and as the foreman of the municipal board in 1912...
• Beer factory, 1930s

  Before the war, the Tornio porter and beer factory operated in Rovaniemi along the current Koskikatu street. The factory building was completely destroyed in the war. After the war, the company considered transferring all beer manufacturing operations to Rovaniemi, but the new town plan did not allow for the factory site to be expanded. The factory was, however, rebuilt at the previous site and operated until 1972...
• Castrèn’s trestle bridge, late 1940s

  The bridges crossing River Kemijoki were destroyed in the Second World War. A temporary trestle bridge was constructed every spring between 1946 and 1951 after the ice had broken at the site of the current Jätkänkynttilä Bridge. For a few winters, the Kemijärvi trains crossed the river on rails that were installed on the ice. A ferry boat also crossed the rivers Kemijoki and Ounasjoki...
• Log floating on River Kemijoki, 1960

  The log floating on River Kemijoki began in the 1860s. Felling usually ended in March and then the logs were stored upstream, marked and measured. In the spring, the logs were debarked and, once the river had thawed, the floating of the logs along rivers to steam sawmills of the south began. The fall log floating started after salmon fishing ended on 15 August...
• Maantiekatu street, late 1910s

  Maantiekatu used to be the main road of Rovaniemi.  Over 30 shops varying from hardware shops to delicatessens were located along the street in the 1910s, not to mention the Rovaniemi markets. This photograph taken from the old church’s tower shows buildings on Maantiekatu; at the front are the post office and Ida Hannula’s book and paper shop, the Konttinen Manor is visible in the background...
• Wiiri boat, 1910s

  Although Rovaniemi was accessible by rail in the 1910s, northbound road connections from Rovaniemi were still rather modest. Steamboats Wiiri and Wanttaus transported passengers upstream from Lainaanranta along rivers Kemijoki and Ounasjoki in the 1910s. When cars became more frequent, the boat connections were considered slow and were terminated at the end of the 1920s...
• Pitkäniemi Sawmill, 1910s

  The sawmill industry grew in Northern Finland in the latter half of the 19th century. The first steam sawmill of Rovaniemi, Pitkäniemi steam sawmill, was established in Sahanperä by River Ounasjoki in 1901. During the depression of the 1930s, the difficulties of the Pitkäniemi steam sawmill grew unbearable and it ended its operations in 1934...
• Marttiini 9 December 1955

  Janne Marttiini established the Marttiini Knife Factory in 1928. As the operations of the factory grew, a functionalist factory building was completed in Vartiokatu street in 1940. The building was partly destroyed in the war, but was repaired right after the war. It is the sole industrial building of Rovaniemi to have survived the war...
• Ahon Auto, late 1950s

  The current Kukkola company building was built in 1939 to serve as facilities for the Ahon Auto car shop. The building housed also a service station. The building is one of the few pre-war buildings representing functionalism in Rovaniemi...
• Lauri’s workshop, 1950s

  Johannes Lauri established a company called Laurin Tuotteetand a knife factory in 1924. Besides knives, products made of reindeer antlers and bone were produced by the workshop, for example, as souvenirs. The original production building was destroyed during the Lapland War and a new one was built at its site. The current workshop and shop operate in a house built in the late 19th century that was transferred from the village of Namma to the workshop’s courtyard in the 1970s...
• Postal vehicle depot, 1940s

  Finland’s first postal vehicle line between Rovaniemi and Sodankylä was inaugurated in 1921. The postal vehicle depot was completed in 1931–1933. After the Second World War, the depot was expanded and housing was also provided to depot workers who had lost their homes. Bricks collected from the city’s ruins were used as construction material...
• First railway station, around 1910s

  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...
• Workers’ hall, 1920s

  The hall of the local workers’ association built in part as voluntary work by loggers served as the headquarters of the Red Guards during the Finnish Civil War in 1918. In February 1918, the White Guards had a strong hold on Rovaniemi and the local workers’ association did not get the hall back for their own use until 1920. The building burnt down during the Lapland War in 1944, but a new hall was built at the site in 1949...
• Second railway station, 7 July 1935

  The second railway station became necessary, when the train connection to Kemijärvi was constructed. The photo shows people waiting for the train transporting President Pehr Evind Svinhufvud to arrive at the station...
• Mäntyvaara parking area
• Mäntyvaara – Pohtimolampi outdoor route

  The Mäntyvaara – Pohtimolampi outdoor route is the first outdoor route with outdoor route delivery in Lapland.  The route can be used during the thaw from May to October. Mountain biking is possible on the route at your own risk, due to the structures, the route is demanding for mountain biking. To make mountain biking easier, a strengthened path has been built in the swamp areas between Mäntyvaara and Mellavaara. In winter, a ski track is made on the route between Mäntyvaara and Sinetänpää laavu...
• Korkalovaara nature trail

  The Korkalovaara Nature Trail is located around 3.6 km west of the city centre of Rovaniemi. Korkalovaara, or Korkalo Hill, is one of the hills surrounding the city, and it has been developed since the 1960s. The top of the northern side has been reserved for recreational use. The area features a tennis hall and a small ski slope and diverse ski trails...
• Koivusaari nature trail

  The Koivusaari Nature Trail is located 2.3 km from the city centre of Rovaniemi toward Sodankylä, on Koivusaari, or Koivu Island, in the Ounas River delta. It is a part of Rovaniemi’s city centre trail network. The Koivusaari Nature Trail is well suited for spring, summer and autumn excursions. The delta islands of the Ounas River are low sand islands and sandbanks that get flooded in the spring...
• Kuolavaara lean-to

  The Kuolavaara Lean-to is 7.5 km south-west of the Rovaniemi city centre along Imarintie. The log-built lean-to is on top of Kuolavaara Hill along a fitness trail in a pine forest. It features a campfire site and woodshed...
• Korkalovaara nature trail lean-to

  The Korkalovaara Nature Trail Lean-to is on a small hill 4.6 km north-west of the city centre of Rovaniemi. Two log-built lean-tos face each other with a campfire site in the middle and benches on both sides. There is a woodshed nearby...
• Kuninkaanlaavu lean-to

  The Kuninkaanlaavu lean-to is located at Santavaara Hill at approx. 7.6 km from the city centre of Rovaniemi to north.  The Kuninkaanlaavu is a log-built lean-to constructed on bare rocks. There is another board-built lean-to next to it. The lean-to offers magnificent views over River Ounasjoki and villages Ylikylä and Nivankylä...
• Jyrhämänkuja lean-to

  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...
• Iso Kuusisaari lean-to

  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...
• Alakorkalo lean-to

  The Alakorkalo Lean-to is by the Kemi River, 5 km from the city centre toward Kemi. In the winter, a ski trail on the Kemi River ice ends at the lean-to, making it a popular rest stop for cross-country skiers. The log-built lean-to is right on the riverbank, featuring a campfire site, woodshed and boat ramp...
• Niskanperä bird-watching tower

  Arrival instructions: The bird-watching tower can be accessed from main road 4 (E 75) via three different village roads heading to east. The junctions to Niskanperä are located at approx. 6 km from Rovaniemi to south. The driving distance from main road 4 to the tower is approx...
• Paavalniemi bird-watching tower

  Arrival instructions: Drive from Rovaniemi Jätkänkynttilä bridge along Kajaanintie road (road 78) to Ranua and Kajaani direction for approx. 3.5 km and turn onto Kemijoen itäpuolentie road (road 926) at the Tervola sign. Drive along the Kemijoen itäpuolentie road for approx. 2.5 km, then turn right (to west) at the Paavalniemi sign...
• Koivusaari bird-watching tower

  Arrival instructions: The floating bird-watching tower of Koivusaari can be accessed either by boat or via a nature trail. Main road 4 (E75) passes at Rovaniemi through Koivusaari Island which is located at the confluence of rivers Ounasjoki and Kemijoki. On the Saarenkylä side, immediately on the western side of main road 4 is located the Ounaspaviljonki recreational area and marina. The Koivusaari nature trail begins at edge of the marina, near main road 4...
• Harjulampi bird-watching tower

  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...
• Korkalovaara nature trail parking area
• Ounaspaviljonki parking area 4
• Ounaspaviljonki parking area 3
• Ounaspaviljonki parking area 2
• Ounaspaviljonki parking area 1