Aavasaksa Hill
Ylitornio · Finland · Lapland
The southernmost point in Finland where the midnight sun is visible — a modest hill on the Torne River, at the Swedish border, that has drawn visitors for the summer solstice since the 18th century.
Aavasaksa sits almost exactly on the Arctic Circle and was one of the first Finnish tourist destinations — French academicians came here in 1736 to measure the shape of the earth, and by the 19th century it was well established as a midnight sun viewing spot. Tsar Alexander II watched the sun from here in 1883. The hill (242 m) takes about 20 minutes to climb and is topped by a small wooden pavilion. The view across the Torne River valley — with Sweden directly opposite — is quiet and unhurried. Most visitors arrive at midsummer for the midnight sun, but the autumn light on the river is equally worth the trip. The hill is part of a recreational area with a small hotel and activity facilities, but the experience itself is the landscape and the light.
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