1684 km
11-28 days
15493m
362m
13 %
0 %
3
100 %
Due to the route running in the more isolated areas, daily cycling routes are very long. On the way you visit many interesting towns and villages with an interesting cultural or historical heritage. These stops will give you the needed break off the saddle!
The area between Virolahti and Lappeenranta and the towns such as Kuhmo and Imatra as well as Salla and Savukoski have great museums focusing on the history of defending Finland’s borders. One of the most impressive border-related constructions in the landscape is the Salpalinja defensive line that runs through Virolahti and Miehikkälä. Finland built the 1200 km long Salpalinja extending from the Gulf of Finland to Petsamo (Pechenga in Russia) to protect its border. Today it is one of the strongest and best preserved chains of fortifications from World War II in Europe. The Salpalinja constructions are very much visible throughout this EuroVelo 13 route both in nature and in museum areas.
Lappeenranta and Imatra offer you a glimpse of the Saimaa, the largest lake in Finland and fourth largest in Europe. The area around the entire Saimaa offers a multitude of activities, pristine waters and a diverse nature. At Imatra, the river Vuoksi and the incredible Imatrankoski rapids are the main tourist attractions. Imatra is often considered the first tourist town in Finland, thanks to the 1772 visit by Russian Empress Catherine the Great. Later on the area was so popular with Russian royalty, that in 1842 Tsar Nicholas I ordered Kruununpuisto park to be built, making it the oldest nature park in Finland.
Waterways are the old means of transportation in these backlands. Lakes such as Saimaa and Pielinen are beautiful areas and have inspired many Finnish artists. Rivers such as Vuoksi and Saimaa canal, Lieksanjoki, Tuulijoki, Jongunjoki, and Oulankajoki are now stunning sights to see along the route with the whitewater rapids, gorges, and canyons. Many of the towns, such as Kuhmo and Lieksa along the way still portray the old traditions related to log driving and timber rafting. They have even become a competitive sport, with national championships held in Finland each year.
The further up north you cycle the landscape changes from rolling hills to forest covered fells and then the open fells in Lapland. Sallatunturi fell is close to the border between Finland and Russia and the bigger fells you see are actually on the other side. At Saariselkä, on a clear day the peaks of Sokosti at 718 meters and Kuikkapää at 678 meters are visible, a hike’s away in Urho Kekkonen National Park.
In the north, the history and culture of the Sámi peoples is very much present at Sevettijärvi and Inari. Nordic nature lives in a state of continuous change: the increase and decrease of sunlight, the rise and fall of temperatures, summer and winter. There are a total of eight seasons in Lapland, and this polar year calendar is the basis for the rhythm of life for the Sámi. This rhythm and way of life is fabulously visible in the Siida museum in Inari.
- Make sure you pack a first-aid kit. Hospitals, medical centers and pharmacies are scarce in the wilderness, you are most often in a 50-150 km radius of professional help. Main hospital is in Rovaniemi, medical centers at Inari, Ivalo, Sodankylä, and Salla. Local groceries have a small first-aid cabinet, typically with bandages and painkillers.
- If you face an emergency, e.g. get lost, get injured or observe wildfire, call national emergency phone number 112 and report an emergency. More information on how to act in an emergency. You can also download an application ”112 Suomi”, which when used has the benefit of your location being forwarded to the public safety answering point.
- Charge your phone to the maximum just before the ride and protect your phone from getting wet. Turn off data when riding as there are areas of bad or non-existent reception so your phone will not use up battery trying to find reception. Generally reception is better higher up than in valleys when riding in the wilderness.
- If you plan to camp outside camping facilities, carry a power bank with you.
- Lappish summer begins with a quick shift from winter to summer at the end of May and early June. In just a few warm days, the rivers and lakes free themselves of their icy covering and tree leaves burst into different shades of green. In June and July the wild flowers are in bloom and all around is full of lushness.
- In late August and early September, nature begins preparations for the autumn and approaching winter, and suddenly the intense arctic summer is over. The autumn colors are one last magical show before winter, the colors ranging from yellow, orange, red, and purple.
- Summer in Lapland is intense and the air is fresh. The average temperature in May is 5-10 degrees with nights going still below zero degrees Celsius. In June, average temperatures are between 10-15, nights average 5 degrees Celsius. July is typically the warmest month, temperatures on average 15 during the day and 10 in the night. August is similar to June, September is similar to May. You can experience anything from sleet to tropical heat waves. In early May and late September you might even encounter snow in the northern part of the route.
- Check the weather forecast and dress according to the weather, layered clothing is always a good option.
- Drinking water and toilet paper are good to carry along on the daily cycling routes or when trekking in the National Parks..
- The Midnight Sun begins in northern Lapland after mid-May and continues until after mid-July . During that time, the sun does not set below the horizon but shines throughout the day and night, daylight is available 24/7 for approximately 60 days. Even in southern Finland daylight is 19 hours at Finnish midsummer festivities around the 24th of June! The warm, golden light casts a beautiful glow over the Arctic landscape. Watching the sun dip towards the horizon, only to rise again moments later, is a truly unforgettable experience. The midnight sun is a testament to the incredible power and beauty of nature. The downside is the lack of darkness when sleeping, so if you are sensitive to light when sleeping maybe have a sleep mask with you.
- In July the insects are out, mosquitoes, wasps, horseflies, gadflies,blackflies (Simuliidae) and biting midges (Ceratopogonidae). Cover your skin properly; light colored clothing attracts them less, make sure the cloth has a tight weave. Use insect repellent if necessary. Have medication available if you are sensitive to insect bites. In Lapland, the infamous arctic räkkä (the high population of various insects) starts usually by late June and lasts usually till mid August, making the early June or from mid-August till September the ideal time to ride the route. Luckily cycling speed is usually fast enough to keep them away when on the move. During the peak times, a net hat and long sleeve shirt and pants are recommended for other activities such as hiking.
- August and September are the peak seasons for collecting berries and mushrooms.Wild superfood is abundant in nature all around Lapland – blueberries, lingonberries, billberries, and cloudberries.
- If you encounter reindeer, keep as clear from them as you can and move slowly by them. Do not attempt to touch them. This is very important in August-September when the rutting season is on.Read more about meeting reindeer here.
- Cycling on this route requires caution. The route follows Finland's main and secondary road network with quite heavy traffic, including trucks taking goods to the northern services. The roads do not have any specific shoulder for cyclists and there are only very short cycling tracks along the way in connection with bigger towns.For this reason this route is not recommended for children nor junior cyclists. We also highly recommend using safety vests and helmets.
- The route runs through wilderness areas and areas with very scarce inhabitation. Thus services of any kind are scarce and the distance between them range from 30-55 kms. Even then the quality and quantity of the services is not what you may be used to back home. We have tried to note the availability of services in the trail notes.
- Bears, wolfs and wolverines are not an issue at all when wild camping as the arctic predators avoid human contact to all cost. There are practically no encounters, ever. Therefore, there is no need to have a bear bell on handlebars, bear safe food containers or hand your food in a tree for the night
- Accommodation services are scarce and the distances between the services are long on this route that runs in the wilderness and sparsely inhabited areas.
- The legal concept of “Everyman’s Right” in Finland extends freedom to roam but comes with some responsibilities. You can camp for a night anywhere in nature when you keep at least a 150 meter distance to buildings or people's yards and agricultural lands and you do not cause any harm to people nor the land. You can swim in lakes and rivers if you are not disturbing others or using private shore areas. Picking berries and mushrooms is allowed. The outdoor enthusiast’s golden rule requires a desire to preserve and protect the unspoiled beauty and wonder of nature for future generations to enjoy. National Parks and other restricted areas have stricter rules. Read more here.
- If the forest fire warning is in effect, do not light any fires, not even in constructed campfire places. This prohibition does not apply to cooking shelters or other fireplaces with a flue. Check the situation for forest and grass fire warnings from the authorities.
- On state-owned lands in the very northern Lapland, you are allowed to use fallen branches and sticks from the ground for making a campfire. It is recommended to use a campfire place which has been previously used, if you find one.
- Using a camping cooker is possible at all times and locations.
- Check the opening times of accommodation you plan to use, especially camping sites with services. In Finland camping facilities start to close in August for the season.
- If you are interested in hiking and camping in the National Parks, check this web page for instructions and guides as well as maps.
- Services are scarce and the distances between the services are long on this route that runs in the wilderness and sparsely inhabited areas.
- Finnish tap water is very good in Lapland and perfectly safe to drink and carry with you.
- As services are scarce you need to carry with you the water & drink you need for the day.
- There are along the route many creeks, rivers, and lakes, but the cleanliness of the water can not be guaranteed. Usually running water (creeks and rivers) is better for drinking than still water. Do not use any water which runs through grazing lands or residential/industrial areas. It is highly recommended to purify the water if you use natural water. Purify by boiling or using filters or purification tablets.
- Measures should be taken in advance to avoid taking unnecessary waste into the area. Take all waste out of the area and recycle when at waste services. Do not litter nature! Biodegradable waste should be placed in a toilet or composter, when available, and small amounts of clean paper and cardboard can be used as kindling in a campfire.
- Check Matkahuolto web pages for the bus schedules and tickets.
- For some buses you need to communicate directly with the route operator for reserving space for your bike, for example Jbus and Eskelinen operating between Näätämö-Inari.
- For train stations, schedules and tickets check vr.fi.
- Another option is to combine cycling with a cruise and end your trip at Kirkenes, the harbor town for the Hurtigruten cruises.