Meet the Locals

Experience what life is like in the wilderness of Lapland today.

A modern, living wilderness

Sodankylä-Sompio has all modern amenities and technology, but nature is very much present. Many locals still fish, hunt, pick mushrooms and berries, just as their ancestors did for centuries in the past. You’ll have a chance to meet these authentic locals and see how they live.

Nature provided for the hard worker

Life in Sodankylä-Sompio was earlier regulated by the natural cycle and the eight seasons of Lapland. There were particular tasks for each season, and men and women had their own roles. One also had to be brave, open-minded and strong. The people of Sodankylä-Sompio valued hard work in particular, as well as physical and mental stamina.

Andreas Alariesto

Andreas Alariesto (1900–1989) was a self-educated artist and a story-teller from Sompio. One of his jobs was as a janitor at the Vuotson Maja which today serves as a bed and breakfast. Alariesto’s life-long mission was to record the old Sompio before it disappeared.

Samuli Paulaharju: Sompio

Samuli Paulaharju (1875–1944) was a Finnish collector and writer of folklore. He rambled barefoot across Finland and interviewed people about their life. Paulaharju made several trips to Sompio and in 1939 he published a book Sompio – Luiron korpien vanhaa elämää that is considered to be his main work.