The church seen across the Muonio river.

Karesuando (Sámi: Gárasavvon) is the northernmost village in Sweden, in the municipality of Kiruna. Across the Muoniojoki river is the Finnish half of the village, Kaaresuvanto.

Understand

This is the northernmost official border crossing between Finland and Sweden. The border is undramatic; if you have a boat or the river is frozen, you normally do not have to use the bridge.

The Swedish part of Karesuando has about 350 inhabitants, just above the 200 inhabitants needed to qualify as a village (tätort) in Swedish statistics.

The only settlements further north in Sweden are smaller hamlets, single homes, or tourist camps.

About 150 live in Finnish Kaaresuvanto.

There is Swedish, Sami and Finnish heritage.

• Tourist info (Karesuando Turistinformation), Treriksvägen 1, ☏ +46 981 202-05, turistinfo@karesuando.se. (updated Jan 2016)

Get in

The European highway E45 from Italy ends in Karesuando/Kaaresuvanto. Across the border is E8 from Turku to Tromsø. National road 99 from Haparanda via Pajala also ends here. There are bus connections from Kiruna daily except Saturdays, and across the border at least daily connections from Rovaniemi, heading for Kilpisjärvi or (in summertime only) Tromsø.

The village is 180 km from Kiruna centre, 186 km from Pajala, 109 km from Kilpisjärvi, 68 km from Hetta.

You might also end up here coming by e.g. the Victorialeden snowmobile route or canoeing from Kilpisjärvi by Könkämäeno or from Käsivarsi Wilderness Area by Lätäseno (the two join to form the Muonio river 9 km upstream from the village).

Get around

Most service is within a kilometre from the church, along the roads.

Taxi: Gunnar Asplund, phone +46 981 200-00

See

• Wooden church, built 1905 and renovated 1953–54.
• Laestadius' house (Laestadius pörte) of 1828. Lars Levi Laestadius was vicar of the parish 1826–1849. The Leastadian revival movement still has great influence in the northern parts of Finland and Sweden.
• Vita huset, Laestadiusvägen 113, ☏ +46 981 201-41. 10–17. Local history museum. (updated Jan 2016)
• View from the Kaarevaara fell above the village.
• View from Tynnyrilaki of Pingisvaara fells, part of the Struve Geodetic Arc, about 30 km from Karesuando along road 99. There is a forest road east of lake Paittasjärvi, a 1 km/140 m walk to the peak. A nice meadow by Pingisjärvi. The other peaks measured from here were Stuorrahanoaivi (Sturoivi), Kerstivaara and Ounastunturi in Finland and Pessinki to south-west in Sweden.

Do

• Hiking and cross country skiing
• Kayaking/canoeing
  • Könkämä and Muonio rivers from Kilpisjärvi. Average hight differences moderate, but some rapids are steep or long; the route is regarded as difficult overall. 130 km, 10 % lakes.
  • Jierijoki and Idijoki down to Könkämä river. Easy, with some rapids; nice landscapes. 44 km, 30 % lakes.
• Snowmobiling (taking skis with you, you can make sidetrips to places where driving is prohibited)

Buy

Grocery stores:

• Handlarn Karesuando, Laestadiusvägen 49 A, ☏ +46 981 202-02. M–Sat 8–20, Sun 10–18. (updated Jan 2016)
• Arctic Livs, ☏ +46 981 203-70. M–F 9–18, Sat 10–18, Sun 12–16. (updated Jan 2016)

Sleep

A motel and several cottage businesses, most closed in winter.

• Karesuando Camping & Rekreation (from the church 1.2 km towards Pajala), ☏ +46 70-605-1124, karesuando.camping@hotmail.com. Check-in: 15:00, check-out: 12:00. Camping and cottages by the river. Sauna. Guided tours, fishing, berry picking and hiking on agreement in advance. Open latter May to August 16th. Cottage with/without water 500/350kr, caravan 200kr (electricity +30kr). (updated Jan 2016)

Connect

Postal code: 980 16 Karesuando

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